Textron Scorpion - See. Sense. Sting.
The Textron AirLand Scorpion, developed between Textron Aviation and AirLand Enterprises LLC, is a subsonic, light attack and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (IRS) aircraft initially developed in 2012 under the project name SCV12-1, or simply, “the project” and unveiled for the first time in 2013, on the 16th of September. As of January 20th, 2025, it remains in development, and no air force has yet shown interest in purchasing it. However, it is a viable option for a strike aircraft in-game and one of the only jet aircraft which people have said could “replace the A-10 Warthog” as a subsonic attack aircraft.
History
History
In October of 2011, AirLand Enterprises LLC approached Textron Aviation with the idea of making the “world’s most affordable attack aircraft”, and Textron agreed. They created a joint venture known as Textron AirLand for the purpose of building the jet.
Textron found a marketing opportunity for the aircraft; while the cost of military aircraft continued to increase, defense budgets globally were declining. Initially, the first concept was a single-engined aircraft, and was dubbed Scorpion. Come early 2012, the team of engineers had created over twelve different designs, shortlisting four different designs, and so they settled on the tandem-seat, twin-engine configuration.
At its peak, the design team was composed of 200 people, eventually stabilizing at around 170 people, of which around 120 were engineers. The exterior design was finalized in May of 2012, while the wings began manufacturing in August of that same year. Compared to most programs, the wind tunnel testing began after the wing parts were already made. Also, unlike most programs that are usually demanded on by the U.S. Department of Defense, Textron AirLand did a market analysis to figure out what gaps were in the air forces of the world, and attempting to use that to market and sell the aircraft.
In order to maintain secrecy about the project, the team at Cessna, Bell Helicopter and Textron implemented non-disclosure agreements, as well as sourcing parts from the local town of Wichita, Kansas, ensuring nobody could know about it before its release. The expected development-to-flight time was about 4-5 years, but the Textron AirLand team managed to complete the task in just shy of 24 months.
The Scorpion was shown and flown publicly for the very first time in 2014, at the Farnborough Air Show. Changes were made after the airshow, including a cockpit ladder for easier access without the need for a separate ladder, a metal leading edge inlet, to allow flying in a broader range of weather conditions, an engine inlet ice protection system, among other small changes.
Come late 2016, on the 22nd of December, the first production-standard Scorpion made its first flight. This version included HOTAS (hands-on-throttle-and-stick) controls, a simplified landing gear, increased wing sweep, and a new avionics suite.
Specifications
Specifications
General Characteristics
- Crew: 2 (1 pilot, 1 WSO)
- Length: 45’6" (13.87 m)
- Wingspan: 47’10" (14.58 m)
- Height: 13’4" (4.06 m)
- Wing area: 175.3 sq ft (16.29 sq m)
- Empty weight: 12,700 lbs (5,761 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 22,000 lbs (9,979 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 6000 lbs (2,722 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 Honeywell TFE731 turbofan engines, each producing 4000 lbf (or 18kN) of thrust, for a combined total of 8000 lbf (or 36 kN) of thrust.
Performance characteristics
- Maximum speed: 450 knots (520 mph/830 km/h)
- Stall speed: 95 knots (109 mph/176 km/h)
- Ferry range: 2,200 nm (2,500 mi/4,100 km/h) with auxiliary fuel
- Service ceiling: 45,000 ft (14,000 m)
Armament
- Rockets: guided and unguided (ex. Hydra 70 rockets)
- IR-guided air-to-air missiles (ex. AIM-9 Sidewinder/AIM-132 ASRAAM)
- Laser-guided air-to-ground missiles (ex. AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-176 Griffin)
- Bombs: guided (e.g. GBU-38 JDAM, GBU-12 PaveWay II) and unguided (e.g. Mk.82 Snakeye)
- Other equipment: gun pods (e.g. M61 Vulcan, GAU-12 Equalizer)
Sources
Textron Scorpion official website: Textron Aviation Defense - Manufacturer of Scorpion Jet
Royal Aeronautical Society - Q&A with the Scorpion King: Q&A with the Scorpion King
[Would you like to see the Textron Scorpion in-game?]
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What battle rating should it be in Air Battles?
- 9.0-9.4
- 9.5-9.9
- 10.0-10.4
- 10.5+
- I chose no
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What battle rating should it be in Ground and Naval Battles?
- 9.0-9.4
- 9.5-9.9
- 10.0-10.4
- 10.5+
- I chose no
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