Announced only at last year’s Farnborough air show, the Aermacchi M-311 takes advantage of the advances in digital avionics that the company embodied in its -339CD version of MB-339, now in Italian Air Force service. The registration I-PATS makes no attempt to disguise the fact that the avionics demonstrator that flew on June 1 is the former, unsuccessful S.211 contender for America’s JPATS competition, eventually won by the Beechcraft T-6.
Its main role is to showcase the new HUD, multifunction displays with embedded simulation potential, and hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) controls. However, when the first M-311 is available in 2008, it will additionally feature the strengthened structure, expanded (+7/-3.5 g) maneuver envelope, longer (15,000-hour) fatigue life, new systems and new maintenance philosophy that are part of the completely redesigned aircraft. — Paul Jackson
