Grob G-120

Summary

Category	Training aircraft
Origin country	🇩🇪 Germany
First flight	1 January 1999
Year of introduction	1999
Number produced	215 units

Description

The Grob G 120 is based on the Grob G 115TA training aircraft and is specifically designed for military and civil pilot training. The airframe is constructed from carbon fiber reinforced plastic, stressed to +6/-4g, with a minimum service life of just over 15,000 flight hours.

The cockpit is configured to accommodate students wearing military equipment and helmets. It features movable seats and rudder pedals, an air conditioning system, and on some models, a second thrust lever. The aircraft is equipped with Garmin avionics.

The Grob G 120 is primarily a training aircraft and is not designed for combat operations. It lacks any specified armament capabilities.

The Grob G 120 has seen operational use primarily as a training aircraft among various air forces. The German Air Force utilizes six G 120 aircraft for pilot training purposes. Similarly, the French Air and Space Force operates a fleet of 18 of these aircraft. The Israeli Air Force employs 17 G 120s, locally known as the "Snunit," equipped with a Lycoming AEIO-540-D4D5 engine, achieving a maximum speed of 235 km/h. The Kenya Air Force also incorporates six G 120s into its training programs. In Canada, KF Defence Programs initially used 14 G 120s for training the Canadian Armed Forces until 2013, after which they were also used to train Royal Canadian Air Force pilots.

Main Variants:

G 120A: This is the piston-powered version, equipped with a Lycoming AEIO-540-D4D5 six-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled piston engine producing 260 hp.
G 120TP: This turboprop version features a Rolls-Royce 250-B17F engine, delivering 456 shp for takeoff and 380 shp for maximum cruise.

Technical specifications

Version: G-120A
Wing area	13.3 m² (143.2 sqft)
Wingspan	10.2 m (33.4 ft)
Height	2.7 m (8.7 ft)
Length	8.1 m (26.6 ft)
Service ceiling	5486 m (17999 ft)
Empty weight	1080 kg (2381 lbs)
Max. takeoff weight	1490 kg (3285 lbs)
Climb rate	6.501 m/s (21.3 ft/s)
Takeoff distance	707 m (2320 ft)
Powerplant	1 × pistons engine Lycoming AEIO-540-D4D5 delivering 194 kW

Current operating countries

Country		Units
	Indonesia	30
	Mexico	25
	United Kingdom	23
	Myanmar	20
	France	16
	Israel	16
	Kenya	14 (+2)
	Canada	14
	Jordan	14
	Bangladesh	12 (+12)
	United States	10
	Ecuador	8
	Argentina	7
	Ethiopia	6
	Sweden	0 (+7)