The T-7A Red Hawk is a light jet trainer that’s supposedly going to replace the obsolete T-38 Talon and provide military pilots training, serving on existing and future military aircraft.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at one of the coolest light high-speed aircraft that became a big step for the US Air Force and the forerunner of an even bigger step in the aircraft industry.
The TX Program
This program started in 2003 when the Air Force started considering concepts. An important requirement for developing a new aircraft is the ability to imitate the F-22 and F-35.
Announced as winners of the program, Boeing and Saab proposed a supersonic aircraft, designed from scratch to meet the Air Force’s requirements.
T-7A Red Hawk
In 2019, the aircraft received the official name T-7A Red Hawk. The aircraft’s name is a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen Group that flew during WWII, consisting mainly of African-American fighters.
Single Engine Jet Fighter
The Red Hawk is a single-engine jet trainer, compact at 14.2 meters long, 10 meters wingspan, and 4 meters high. Its maximum takeoff weight is 5 and a half tons.
Better Economy
The T-7 is a single-engine plane, an obvious solution for a better economy. The service ceiling of the aircraft should reach 50,000 feet over 15 kilometers, while the range is about 1,000 miles over 1800 kilometers.
Production
The first production was assembled in the spring of 2022. Later, there will be full-fledged serial deliveries. It should serve as a worthy replacement for the Talon, serving as a springboard to the sky for several generations of pilots to come.
