RFB Fantrainer
The Rhein -Flugzeugbau Fantrainer 400/600 is a designed and built by the aircraft manufacturer Rhein -Flugzeugbau aircraft for initial and ongoing training of jet pilots. In connection with the proposed production recovery, initiated by the fanjet Aviation GmbH, operates the Fantrainer 600 today under the name " fanjet 600 ".
History of development
As with the early 1970s in many air forces the realization matured that an advanced pilot training because of new, technologically advanced systems would be significantly more expensive, was looking for an alternative that would on the one hand include the flight characteristics of a jet aircraft, on the other hand, the low cost of a propeller aircraft.
Against this background, therefore, commissioned in 1975, the Federal Ministry of Defence, the Rhein-Flugzeugbau ( RFB ) to develop a training aircraft and to construct that should unite these qualities. The company was able to look back at that same time on over twenty years of research into new methods and techniques in aircraft.
On May 31, 1978 graduated as " AWI -2" ( top trainers, Wankel engine, two seats ) designated prototype made its first flight, and from August 1978 started at the Air Force test site in Manching test phase. Later, the turbine-driven " Fantrainer 400 " had to compete with two competitors: the American Beech T- 34C Turbo Mentor and the Swiss Pilatus PC- 7 Turbo Trainer.
In comparison to these " purebred " propeller aircraft Fantrainer offered a completely new concept: a small, jet -like fuselage had behind the cockpit a jacketed air screw, the drive was located in the center of gravity of the aircraft and thus gave him a jet -like load ratio. In addition, the rotor blades were adjustable, which also came to meet the flight characteristics of a jet. The concept seemed so simple and promising that even the U.S. Air Force showed interest since the days of the Cessna T -37 used there were counted. Was heard from the art that a need for up to 600 machines there.
More austerity measures left the project soon disappear by the Federal Ministry of Defence in the drawer, the U.S. Air Force later decided to also different. Until then, three prototypes were built, carrying the identifiers 98 30, 98 75 and 98 77 of the test site in Manching.
In 2010, the company fanjet Aviation GmbH grabbed the recipe for success from the 1970s to again and acquired the design, construction and inspection and the approval documents to initiate the production of the former " Fantrainers " again. It also was the acquisition of trademark rights to " Rhein -Flugzeugbau " and at the " VFW, United Flugtechnische works", the former parent company of Rhein -Flugzeugbau.
Production
The revolutionary concept had meanwhile spread, and so the Thai Air Force ordered in August 1982 31 machines of the type 400 and 16 machines of the powerful type 600 The first machines were delivered in October 1984, the rest were delivered in individual parts that are assembled on site were.
That the Fantrainer a jet trainer has evenly matched qualities, proven by the fact that the Thai pilots after a successful training could transfer directly to their use pattern F- 5E Tiger. It can not only covered the major part of the necessary training with the fanjet while the operating costs are kept well below the average, but only an "Advanced Jet" it is in addition to fanjet needed to provide a complete training pilots can.
The interest in Germany awoke again, because the Air Force is now looking for a successor to the Piaggio P.149. Between July and September 1985, both the Model 400 and the model was subjected to 600 extensive testing, however, the German Ministry of Defence decided again against the Fantrainer. The military Jetpilotenausbildung was completely relocated to the USA.