Türkiye’s locally-made aircraft "Hürjet" performs special flight test

In 2017, a significant agreement was signed between the Presidency of Defense Industries and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), paving the way for a remarkable collaboration. Turkish engineers and workers dedicated themselves tirelessly, working day and night to bring together a remarkable total of 8,000 pieces to date. Hürjet has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the first jet aircraft to have its design and production activities carried out entirely in Türkiye. Test flights of Hürjet, which took off for the first time on the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye, are ongoing. Test pilot Ercan Çelik said, 'Today we will fold the landing gear of the Hürjet for the first time. Since the aircraft is in the landing and take-off mode when the landing gear is down, of course, its maneuvering and performance is limited to that. It will be able to maneuver comfortably and freely.' This significant flight of Hürjet was accompanied by an F-16 aircraft that underwent modernization at TAI as part of the ÖZGÜR project. The performance of Hürjet was observed from the cockpit of an F-16 aircraft during the flight. Once Hürjet is completed, it will play a significant role in training Turkish Air Force pilots, including the flight crew of the National Combat Aircraft KAAN. In addition to its role in pilot training, there are plans to utilize Hürjet as a light attack aircraft. Furthermore, efforts are being made to ensure that Hürjet is compatible with the aircraft carrier TCG Anadolu, allowing it to take off from and land on the carrier.