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The T-7A Red Hawk - the USAF has a new trainer that honors the past and embraces the future [1]

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Date: 2023-08-25  

A milestone has been reached. After a competition and selection of a winning design for training USAF pilots, the Air Force is starting to get the T-7A Red Hawk — and the first USAF pilot to fly the first production aircraft is also setting a milestone. To quote from the June 30, 2023 UASF press release:

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- Maj. Bryce Turner, a test pilot from the 416th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, has achieved a historic feat by becoming the first Air Force pilot to fly the T-7A Red Hawk. On June 28, the aircraft lifted off at 11:51 a.m. Central Standard Time during a test flight at the Boeing aircraft delivery center in St. Louis, Missouri. Major Turner adjusting his mask as he gets set to fly. The T-7A is a brand-new, state-of-the-art pilot training system created specifically for the Air Force, with the purpose of training future fighter and bomber pilots. The aircraft is the first digitally designed tactical aircraft, finessed using model-based systems engineering and 3D design tools. The aircraft will replace the 1950’s-era T-38 Talon, providing the next generation of warfighters the training capability needed to face current and emerging threats. The T-7A is affectionally christened ‘Red Hawk’ as a homage to the iconic Tuskegee Airmen. The accomplishment of flying this unique aircraft adds another chapter to the Turner family's rich legacy of aviation firsts. As a third-generation Air Force fighter pilot, Turner follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, retired Lt. Col. Alexander Parker Turner, one of the first African American jet pilots in 1956, and his father, retired Col. Bryan Turner, the first African American F-22 pilot. His call sign, affectionally known as “Triple,” reflects these three generations of Airmen...

The Air Force has been looking to replace its aging fleet of T-38 Talons since 2003 — the design dates back to the 1950’s and the air frames currently in use have been showing their age for some time. The T-X program selected the Red Hawk in 2018, a joint project between Boeing and SAAB, which beat out entries from:

Among T-7A advantages are that it is a purpose-built all-new design for advanced training. It has systems that will prepare pilots for the front-line aircraft they will be moving up to. It has things like ‘stadium seating’ — the instructor pilot sitting in the rear seat sits higher than the front seat to have a better view. The cockpit seats and ejection mechanisms have been designed to handle a wider range of body types — a problem in the past for women and others, from smallest to tallest. The aircraft has been designed for lower maintenance and operating costs. The single engine will reduce costs significantly.

The U.S. Navy is also looking to move up from its current advanced training aircraft, the T-45 Goshawk. A 2021 article from The Drive details how the Navy is juggling several sets of design requirements for multiple needs. Boeing/SAAB has come up with a T-7B variant to meet the Navy’s requirements.

Given that the Navy is not asking for as many aircraft as the Air Force, the Red Hawk may have an advantage over other competitors in that the T-7B Navy Version would share a lot of the tooling and components used to build the T-7A, keeping costs down and speeding acquisition. Interestingly enough, the Navy is only asking that the aircraft be capable of touch and go operations on a carrier, instead of being able to be launched by catapult and landed with an arresting cable catch. This would make it easier to adapt the design.

The USAF press release includes video of the Red Hawk in flight, an overview of the T-7A program, and the story of Major Turner — scroll down to the bottom. Boeing has more information and more videos at this link. SAAB also has more information and videos.

Barring unforeseen problems and/or GOP government shutdowns, the plan is for the Red Hawk to be operational by 2024, with around 350 copies on order. As the design proves itself, it may take on expanded roles. My own personal opinion is, whatever else may be, it’s the sweetest looking design of all the competitors. Here’s hoping for the best for all who will be flying the Red Hawk.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/25/2189085/-The-T-7A-Red-Hawk-the-USAF-has-a-new-trainer-that-honors-the-past-and-embraces-the-future

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