Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master Light Aircraft and Trainer

[Hassan Al-Somal]

Is this the best light and a trainer aircraft out there? Please share your thoughts on pros and cons of similar aircrafts. Thanks.

 

[Philip the Arab]

Is this the best light and a trainer aircraft out there? Please share your thoughts on pros and cons of similar aircrafts. Thanks.

Honestly, it is a great trainer, and light fighter. If I needed a maritime strike squadron or two I would procure these aircraft with Marte ER 100 km anti ship missiles.

I wouldn't call it the "best" trainer, and light fighter because the L-15B has BVRAAM capabilities which alone makes it much more capable than the M-346.
Big white missile is active radar homing beyond visual range PL-12.

 

[Beast]

Honestly, it is a great trainer, and light fighter. If I needed a maritime strike squadron or two I would procure these aircraft with Marte ER 100 km anti ship missiles.

I wouldn't call it the "best" trainer, and light fighter because the L-15B has BVRAAM capabilities which alone makes it much more capable than the M-346.
Big white missile is active radar homing beyond visual range PL-12.

Not to mention it's twin powerful afterburner turbofan that gives total 8400kg of thrust which translate to 1.4 Mach top speed. M-346 and Yak-130 are no way going to match it.

 

[cabatli_53]

Is this the best light and a trainer aircraft out there? Please share your thoughts on pros and cons of similar aircrafts. Thanks.

M-346 is a reliable and proven platform as trainer but It is a small aircraft to classify it as an effective light strike fighter. The F-50 trainer/light attack aircraft have better platform in all aspect. Its striking functions, thrust power and the payload capacity is promising.

17000lbf thrust

Boeing new trainer/light attack fighter T-X USAF selected as their future trainer is also another great aircraft with 17000lbf thrust level.

Turkish trainer and light attack aircraft Hurjet with 20000lbf level thrust power will be the new monster of market.

 

[Beast]

M-346 is a reliable and proven platform as trainer but It is a small aircraft to classify it as an effective light strike fighter. The F-50 trainer/light attack aircraft have better platform in all aspect. Its striking functions, thrust power and the payload capacity is promising.

17000lbf thrust
View attachment 592065

Boeing new trainer/light attack fighter T-X USAF selected as their future trainer is also another great aircraft with 17000lbf thrust level.
View attachment 592066


Turkish trainer and light attack aircraft Hurjet with 20000lbf level thrust power will be the new monster of market.

View attachment 592067

T-50 running on a single engine and consider the engine is same used on Gripen and LCA, the performance compare to them is pale in comparison given the amount of thrust.

L-15 is best becos, it double engine ensure better survival and is the only class of FLIT with twin engine to gives supersonic performance over YAK-130 and M-346.

 

[cabatli_53]

T-50 running on a single engine and consider the engine is same used on Gripen and LCA, the performance compare to them is pale in comparison given the amount of thrust.

L-15 is best becos, it double engine ensure better survival and is the only class of FLIT with twin engine to gives supersonic performance over YAK-130 and M-346.

Survival factor is vital If It is used on active combat missions but If you are talking about a trainer and light attack aircraft, The main criteria must be the cost/effectivity and operational/ maintenance costs. In this result, Single engine aircrafts have superiority over twin engine equivalents by fuel consumption, maintenance and operational costs. That’s why Hürjet is evolved into single engine concept from twin engine.

 

[Hassan Al-Somal]

M-346 is a reliable and proven platform as trainer but It is a small aircraft to classify it as an effective light strike fighter. The F-50 trainer/light attack aircraft have better platform in all aspect. Its striking functions, thrust power and the payload capacity is promising.

17000lbf thrust
View attachment 592065

Boeing new trainer/light attack fighter T-X USAF selected as their future trainer is also another great aircraft with 17000lbf thrust level.
View attachment 592066


Turkish trainer and light attack aircraft Hurjet with 20000lbf level thrust power will be the new monster of market.

View attachment 592067

Looking forward to the Hurjet light attack aircraft. Do you know when it is planned to officially go to production?

 

[Beast]

Survival factor is vital If It is used on active combat missions but If you are talking about a trainer and light attack aircraft, The main criteria must be the cost/effectivity and operational/ maintenance costs. In this result, Single engine aircrafts have superiority over twin engine equivalents by fuel consumption, maintenance and operational costs. That’s why Hürjet is evolved into single engine concept from twin engine.

View attachment 592098

That is when it is fully utilize as full trainer only for big airforce like China, Russia and US. But precisely why these trainer/attack FLIT is so attractive is becos they are used as trainer and then press into battle when necessary for small airforce.

RMAF are now limited in budget and need a plane like jack of all trade. Yes, it may not be perfect like F-16, J-10 or Mig-35 as pure air superiority but save plenty of operating costs. What they cannot make up in pure performance as real air superiority can be make up by more training for pilots due to low cost of training fee and ease of transition.

These high end trainer are no pusher too, they can pull 8.5G and has supersonic performance and decent weapon payload.

 

[cabatli_53]

Looking forward to the Hurjet light attack aircraft. Do you know when it is planned to officially go to production?

Turkish Aerospace announced that it finalized the ‘Preliminary Design Review’ (PDR) of the Hürjet. Turkish Aerospace intends to conclude the “critical design phase” of the Hürjet by the summer of 2020 and, in turn, complete the prototype by the end of 2021. Turkish Aerospace is expecting to conduct the Hürjet’s maiden test flight in 2022.

https://quwa.org/2019/11/24/hurjet-a-look-at-turkeys-next-generation-trainer-aircraft-2/