Former US officer: Vietnam launches trainer plane with 2-point advantage over US T-6C, opening up valuable opportunities for air force

“Great versatility”: this is how former US Air Force officer Christian D. Orr commented on the first training aircraft model in history produced in Vietnam.

At the 2024 International Defense Exhibition, held at Hanoi’s Gia Lam Airport from December 19 to 23, the presentation of the TP-150 “Make in Vietnam” military training and patrol aircraft attracted great attention from the international media.

This is a joint product between Flying Legend Italia and Flying Legend Vietnam, which marks the first training aircraft in history to be produced in Vietnam and the first aircraft model produced by a private company in Vietnam.

The entire body of the TP-150 was completed in Vietnam. The aircraft is presented with a ceiling of 7,000 m, a take-off speed of 100 km/h, a maximum speed of 300 km/h, a maximum take-off weight of 750 kg and is equipped with a Rotax 915iS fuel-injected engine with a capacity of 150 horsepower, which allows the use of conventional fuels such as A95 gasoline.

Former US officer: Vietnam launches a trainer aircraft that surpasses the US T-6C by 2 points, opening up valuable opportunities for the Air Force –

According to the magazine Army Recognition (Belgium), the TP-150 is designed to meet the needs of the Air Force in training pilots with a high cost-benefit ratio and “will most likely become the next trainer aircraft of the Vietnamese Army”.

Earlier, at a regular press conference on November 21, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said that under the defense cooperation agreement between the two sides, Vietnam has received five more new-generation T-6C trainer aircraft, produced by the United States.

These are five of the 12 T-6Cs that the United States has committed to transfer to Vietnam during the period 2024-2027.

To clarify the superior characteristics of the TP-150 and the suitability of this aircraft model for the needs of the Vietnamese Air Force, we interviewed Mr. Christian D. Orr, a former US Air Force officer and military expert with in-depth and multidimensional comments in specialized magazines such as National Interest, 19FortyFive…

2 points TP-150 “surpasses” T-6C

According to Mr. Orr, the first impression one gets of the TP-150 is that the “Make in Vietnam” trainer model demonstrates “great flexibility.”

“My first impression of the TP-150 is that this model of aircraft shows great versatility in being able to operate effectively on many different runway surfaces, such as concrete, asphalt, grass and gravel. As far as I know, the US T-6C model does not have that level of flexibility,” Mr. Orr said.

Furthermore, according to him, the TP-150 has the advantage of being about 10-12 years newer than the T-6C, which helps reduce airframe wear and tear issues.

“This also means that this model of aircraft has both a relatively low initial purchase cost and low maintenance costs,” the former US officer commented.

Also according to Mr. Orr, there is a very special point: the basis and inspiration for Flying Legend in the creation of the TP-150 is the Brazilian model Embraer EMB Tucano 312. This is an aircraft model that has proven to be very effective in practice.

According to the Aircraft – Naval Ship magazine of Éditions LELA PRESSE, a publishing house specializing in the history of aviation and the navy, the EMB Tucano 312 is the first aircraft in the turboprop trainer segment equipped with a cockpit and control system equivalent to those of modern fighter aircraft, in addition to having enough power to perform high-speed maneuvers like jet trainers.

To date, more than 660 units have been produced for service in 16 countries, seven of which have used the EMB Tucano 312 on the front line.

Although best known as a trainer aircraft, the EMB Tucano 312 has provided front-line defense capabilities to countries such as Paraguay and Honduras. After nearly 35 years of service, this aircraft is still in widespread use today.

Low-Cost Pilot Training Opportunities

Commenting on the possibility of the TP-150 being selected by the Vietnam Air Force, Mr. Orr noted that the above-mentioned advantages make the TP-150 an ideal complement to the T-6C in equipping the Vietnam Air Force.

According to the expert, the TP-150 can be used for Phase 1 pilot training, while the T-6C is suitable for advanced training.

Simulators such as the T-6 series can simulate the handling characteristics of a jet aircraft, which is more challenging than most basic simulators, allowing student pilots to be challenged more rigorously and evaluated more accurately.

“The TP-150 has not been tested much in practice, while the T-6C has a solid reputation and reliable performance,” Mr. Orr said.

He added, however, that the TP-150 offers the Vietnamese Air Force a valuable opportunity to train pilots in a cost-effective manner, as the aircraft model has advantages in both procurement costs and maintenance costs.

Earlier, responding to the press at the exhibition, Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam, founder and technical director of Flying Legend Vietnam Joint Stock Company, believed that if used in pilot training in Vietnam, the TP-150 would help modernise the fleet and improve the country’s pilot training capability to fly aircraft.

This aircraft model is used for training military pilots and can also be used in civil aviation.

According to Forecast International (USA), a magazine specializing in providing data on the aviation and defense sectors, many countries around the world are tending to equip their low-cost training aircraft with modern electronic systems to optimize costs.

Combining flight simulators with real training aircraft allows pilots to constantly practice in virtual environments and in real time, resulting in significant savings in fuel and maintenance costs.

Meanwhile, commenting specifically on the TP-150, Army Recognition magazine added that this aircraft model is designed for both pilot training and patrol missions. Thanks to its aluminum frame and extremely durable landing gear, the TP-150 “is the ideal aircraft for training new pilots on grass or asphalt roads.”

In addition, its ability to perform basic aerobatics and fly in formation makes it an advanced training aircraft.

The cooperation model for the creation of this aircraft model “is very suitable for the goal of developing the aviation industry and strengthening Vietnam’s defense capacity through relations with well-known European partners,” the Belgian magazine concluded.