ST. LOUIS, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Boeing said last week its T-45 Goshawk had logged more than 800,000 flight hours for the U.S. Navy.
Boeing described the T-45 as "the U.S. Navy's premier jet trainer aircraft." The aircraft has now seen more than 14 years of service with the Naval Air Training Command. "The twin-seat, single-engine Goshawk prepares student aviators to transition to front-line Navy and Marine Corps fleet aircraft," the company said.
Capt. Charles "Win" Everett, T-45 program manager for the Navy, said, "Training in the T-45 is one of the most important steps a future Navy pilot takes. It's a major accomplishment to rack up 800,000 flight-hours, but there will be many more such milestones, because this airplane will be around for a long, long time."
Barbara Wilson, director and program manager for T-45 Training Systems at Boeing, said, " We consider it an honor to support naval air training, one of the Navy's most critical missions."
"The Goshawk is a component of the fully integrated T-45 training system, which comprises high-fidelity instrument and flight simulators, computer-assisted classroom learning, an automated training-management asset and contractor logistics support. More than 3,000 student aviators from the Navy, Marine Corps and several international militaries have received instruction on the system," Boeing said.
"Described by instructor-pilots who fly it as 'eminently forgiving,' the T-45 is the only jet trainer designed to land routinely at sink rates of greater than 700 feet per minute, which are required for aircraft carrier-approach landings," Boeing said.
Boeing said it "recently rolled out the 207th Goshawk from its St. Louis assembly facility, with a total of 221 currently under contract. The company has continually upgraded the aircraft with features such as leading-edge wing slats for better low-speed performance; high-gain nose-wheel steering for safer taxiing on crowded flight decks; and a reinforced composite stabilizer with increased span for better pitch control."
Boeing said it "builds the T-45 in partnership with BAE Systems, which supplies the rear and center fuselage sections, wing assembly and main landing gear. Rolls-Royce provides the Adour Mk 851 turbofan power plant."
