Aermacchi S-211

Summary

Description

SIAI-Marchetti initiated the development of the S-211 in 1976 as a private venture, aiming to produce a new basic trainer aircraft. The company intended to market the S-211 to its existing customer base, comprising various air forces already operating the SF.260 piston-engined trainer. The project was publicly announced in Paris in 1977, and reportedly generated sufficient customer interest to warrant the construction of two prototypes. The first prototype conducted its maiden flight on April 10, 1981. In 1983, the Singapore Air Force became the first customer, ordering ten aircraft. In 1997, Aermacchi acquired SIAI-Marchetti, thereby obtaining the production rights to the S-211. Aermacchi continued to seek customers for the type, and in 2004, announced plans to develop an improved version, initially referred to as the S-311 and later as the M-345.

The S-211 is a compact two-seat shoulder-wing monoplane with full aerobatic capability. It is equipped with a retractable tricycle landing gear and powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4C turbofan powerplant. Intended primarily as a basic trainer with student and instructor in tandem, the cockpits are fully duplicated, with the rear elevated for improved visibility. The airframe uses composite materials including Kevlar, Nomex, and carbon fibre, and extensive structural bonding. Flight controls are manually operated with push-pull rods, while systems like the air brake, landing gear, compressor, and boosted ailerons are hydraulically-actuated at 200 bar (3,000 psi). The electrical system includes a 28V DC supply powered by an engine-driven generator, with AC for instruments and avionics provided by inverters, and a nickel-cadmium battery for start-up and emergencies. An automatically adjusting environmental control system using a non-ozone-depleting vapour cycle for cooling, combined with bleed air from the engine for heat and pressurisation, enhances crew comfort. The avionics suite is customisable, typically including VHF/UHF communications, navigation systems like AHRS, HSI, ADF, VOR-ILS, TACAN, and an IFF transponder, with options for modern glass cockpits.

The S-211 has a secondary close air support (CAS) capability via four underwing hard points. These hardpoints can carry armaments, sensor apparatus, or reconnaissance equipment, with a maximum external stores load up to 660 kg (1,460 lb). Munitions options include gun pods, rocket launchers such as SNEB 68 mm rocket pods, and unguided bombs. Some models feature an additional hard point on the underside of the fuselage.

Since the 1990s, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) has utilized its S-211 fleet both as trainers and in offensive operations, the latter enabled by the aircraft's secondary attack capability; these aircraft were redesignated as AS-211s and nicknamed "Warriors". Following the retirement of the PAF's last Northrop F-5 fighters in 2005, the additional task of air defense was assigned to its AS-211s, leading to improvements to enhance its combat capability. These included the installation of the Norsight Optical Sight from the withdrawn F-5s, a two-tone light-and-dark ghost gray paint scheme with low visibility markings, and optimizing air-ground communications by upgrading and installing AN/ARC-34 UHF radios. Furthermore, the PAF's AS-211s were equipped with a belly-mounted gun pod, designed, developed, and manufactured by Aerotech Industries Philippines, Inc. (AIPI), housing an M3 .50 caliber machine gun, complete with an automatic charger and approximately 240 rounds of ammunition. By July 2022, with the introduction of the FA-50s, the remaining S-211s transitioned to solely serving in training roles.

Main Variants:

• S-211: The original production version, with approximately sixty aircraft built, served with the air forces of Haiti, the Philippines, and Singapore.

• S-211A: This proposed version, developed with input from Grumman for the JPATS competition, consisted of two prototypes converted from former Haitian S-211 aircraft.

• AS-211: Serving as trainers with a secondary combat capability in the Philippine Air Force, these aircraft were upgraded with the Norsight Optical Sight and AN/ARC-34 radios from retired F-5s, along with a .50 caliber belly gun pod.

• M-311: A modernized and uprated version announced by Aermacchi in 2004, featuring two prototypes, showcased advancements over the original design.

Technical specifications

Current operating countries

Country		Units
	Philippines	3

Numbers in parentheses, e.g. '(+5)', indicate units ordered but not yet delivered.

All operators

Haiti • Philippines • Singapore

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