RAF Requirement

The Royal Air Force is constantly reviewing the most efficient and cost effective ways of fulfilling its medium and long-term pilot training needs. The announcement in 2007 that the RAF had ordered the Hawk Mk128 establishes the future configuration of the training programme at the advanced phase. The next stage involves looking for a new aircraft to replace the Tucano.

Can your UK school or ATC unit come up with design ideas for this that justify a team attending Cranfield?

The Tucano was selected in 1985 to replace the existing Jet Provost fleet and represented an efficiency and technology driven change of training philosophy.

Accordingly entries for its replacement should address

• The current types of front line aircraft and their characteristics that need to be to be taken into account by the training system
• The improvements to the training system allowed by the new version of the Hawk and how these will affect the skills that students need to acquire at the basic stage
• The performance and capability needed at the basic stage of training
• The merits of investing in technology and development to reduce overall in-service life costs
• Environmental considerations
• Training effectiveness and efficiency

Ideas need not be limited to new designs if existing aircraft are considered to be adaptable – for example with a changed cockpit fit.