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2015-03-01

Alenia Aermacchi M-345 HET

A complete and integrated training system

“Alenia Aermacchi has developed an advanced ‘system of systems’ to accompany student pilots from flight school entry up to lead-in fighter training”

The new M-345 HET (high efficiency trainer) represents the most recent solution proposed by Alenia Aermacchi for the basic-advanced phase of training syllabus for military pilots. M-345 HET provides air forces with an economically affordable and effective solution, thanks to a significant reduction in acquisition and life-cycle costs, compared to those of powerful turboprop trainer aircrafts, which offer lower performance and lower training effectiveness, despite being in the same weight class and in some case equipped with similar top of the line on-board systems.

M-345 provides, in fact, a value for money solution that benefits from the jet performance and from the expanded flight envelope, both in terms of speed and altitude, which ensure more training per flight hour and higher training download capability from the subsequent Advanced/LIFT phase, providing important cost saving in producing a fast jet pilot.

M-345 HET is equipped with a turbofan engine, the Williams International FJ44-4M, with a maximum thrust in the class of 1,550 kg. The aircraft has a high fatigue life limit and design load factors of +7/-3.5 g.

Its latest-generation avionics is based on a man/machine interface that includes a HUD (head up display) in the front cockpit, a HUD repeater in the rear cockpit, three 5”x7” redundant Multi-Function Displays for both cockpits and HOTAS (hands on throttle-and-stick) control.

The aircraft is equipped with two mission computers and includes an integrated GPS/inertial platform and a digital moving map. The new basic/advanced trainer can also be equipped with a store interface nit and with an embedded tactical training simulation and data link, which have already successfully been used on the Alenia Aermacchi MB-339 and M-346 advanced trainers.

To reduce operating costs, the M-345 HET has been designed to comply with two-level maintenance concept scenarios, eliminating the third and most onerous level of general revision of the aircraft. The aircraft’s maintenance is facilitated by high accessibility to the on-board equipment and systems, and a built-in HUMS (health and usage monitoring system) which provides information on the airframe and systems, to enable efficient monitoring of their status. The introduction of a fuel pressure refuelling system and of an OBOGS (on-board oxygen generating system) significantly reduces the manpower required for aircraft ground maintenance. This reduces turn-around times, making the M-345 HET even more advantageous in terms of costs and aircraft availability.

Remarkable

The modern avionics systems installed on the aircraft, together with its remarkable external load transport capacity and flight performance, make the M-345 HET also suitable for operational roles.

A total training system, from screening to lead-in fighter trainer, Alenia Aermacchi has developed an advanced “system of systems” to accompany student pilots from flight school entry up to lead-in fighter training, guaranteeing a highly effective training course, while allowing air forces to achieve significant cost reductions.

Alenia Aermacchi offers complete and integrated training systems.

Thanks to its range of trainer aircraft, Alenia Aermacchi can cover the pilot’s complete training syllabus, from the screening and primary phase to the basic phase on the low-cost, yet proficient, single-engine turbofan-powered M-345, up to the advanced and LIFT phase on the twin-engine M-346, which is unanimously known as its category leader. All this is further supported by a complete ground based training system (GBTS) which includes specific simulators and computer based didactic devices for each aircraft.

Alenia Aermacchi offers to its customers a complete ITS, Integrated Training System, supplying all the elements required to build up a comprehensive flight academy, from the TNA (Training Needs Analysis) to the ground infrastructure design (classrooms, simulators, storage rooms, flight line devices, service hangars, etc.), through the supply of an advanced Training Management Information System (TMIS), essentially an IT system working as the school “Director”.

M-345 - the revolution

For the Phase 2 training segment, in the past Alenia Aermacchi has proposed the successful MB-339, currently in service with several air forces around the world. However, this excellent aircraft is now planned to give way to the brand new M-345 HET (High Efficiency Trainer) which is being developed and scheduled to enter service starting from 2017.

The M-345 originates from the SIAI Marchetti S.211A, of which it maintains the basic advanced aerodynamic design, which includes a supercritical wing airfoil, whereas some structural components, the engine of 1550kg thrust class, avionics and systems are completely new.

With the M-345 HET, Alenia Aermacchi decidedly takes a new direction, proposing a solution which guarantees a cost-effective ratio lower than the modern “heavy” turboprop trainers from the USA, Brazil and Switzerland. Compared to these aircraft, the M-345 features decidedly higher performance, specifically with regard to the transfer speed to the training range and the altitude, leading to a drastic reduction of “idle times” in each training session.

Obviously, a turbofan burns more fuel than a turboprop, in this specific case averaging 30% more, but the M-345 performance, together with its advanced avionics including a digital moving map, store management system and outstanding embedded tactical training system (ETTS) allow to extend the basic training phase up to the introduction of air combat tactics, thus anticipating the next advanced training phase which the student pilot can reach with higher skills, thus reducing the flight hours needed on an advanced trainer.

Speed is important for training so the M-345 significantly reduces the transfer time to the training areas because, thanks to its ability to maintain a cruise speed of 300KTS at altitudes higher than 20,000ft, it can use the commercial airways without interfering with the civilian traffic, unlike turboprops which cannot fly with airliners because they cannot exceed 240KTS at those altitudes.

In a typical air-to-air training engagement, the M-345 compared to a heavyweight turboprop, has a maximum speed at altitude of 425KTS, against the 334 of the fastest turboprop trainer and around 300 of the average turboprop trainers.

Speed is even more important for the air-to-ground engagement training, where the whole procedure of target approach, weapon release and escape must comply with a precise schedule. In low altitude tactical navigation, conventional turboprop trainers, featuring a traditional aerodynamic configuration, typically maintain a cruise speed of 240KTS, whereas the fastest among them, featuring a more advanced aerodynamics and increased engine power, can reach a value of 300. In the same conditions, the M-345 can navigate at 360KTS: a noteworthy difference for this training mission in this phase.

Higher skill level

A faster aircraft means getting the student pilot familiarized with very short reaction times and thus, more similar to those to be sustained in the advanced training phase, as they fly at a performance level similar to those required in real missions.

With the M-345, flying the same number of flight hours the student pilot can complete Phase 2 with a significantly higher skill level, also including the management of sensors and weapons and the air-to-air and air-to-ground engagement procedures. In concrete terms, the air force can reduce the basic phase flight hours, for instance, from 120 to 90 or maintaining the 120 hours including the introduction to tactics, thus reducing Phase 3 on the advanced trainer from 70 to 50 hours (more than 28 per cent less), and achieving great economic savings.

The M-345 GBTS will have its e-learning component including the CBT and the PTD procedural simulator, further to an operational flight trainer (OFT), a simulator which is likely to feature the same software as the PTD, with an additional 180° wide display and a life-like cockpit where the student pilots can use the same controls they will find on actual aircraft.

This simulator will allow for the introduction to tactics to be then completed in-flight with the ETTS, able to generate on the Multi Function Displays (MFD) the tracking of targets, friend or foe aircraft, threats and all the necessary elements to create an effective virtual operating scenario.

Lightweight turbofan powered M-345 Life-Cycle-Cost is better value for money compared to the heavyweight turboprops thanks to:

- the reduced maintenance requirements due to the simplicity of on-board systems

- an OBOGS (on-board oxygen generating system) reducing logistic and ground crew support

- a HUMS (health and usage monitoring system) allowing for better management of logistic support entailing only two maintenance levels and eliminating the third and most expensive level of aircraft general overhaul at the depot level

- higher fuel consumption (albeit with higher performance), is one of the elements of cost per flight hours, but it is balanced by the reduction of flight hours in the same and in the next training phase.

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