EADS Mako/HEAT

The EADS Mako/High Energy Advanced Trainer (Mako/HEAT) was a high-performance jet trainer or light attack aircraft intended for service with several European air forces. EADS proposed the Mako for the Eurotrainer program. The program was the final result of the AT-2000 project.

Mako/HEAT
EADS Mako mockup at Paris Air Show June 1999
Role Jet Trainer / light attack
Manufacturer EADS
Status Cancelled

EADS company origins

Aérospatiale-Matra

In an atmosphere of ongoing consolidation of the European aerospace industry, in 1999 Aérospatiale-Matra was formed by the merger of French missile and aircraft manufacturers Aérospatiale and Matra. The company would be short-lived.

EADS

That same year, agreement was reached to form the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) through the merger of Aérospatiale-Matra with multinational Daimler-Chrysler Aerospace (DASA) and Spanish aircraft company Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA), with the merger being effected in 2000.[1] It thus became the world's second-largest aerospace company after Boeing and the second-largest European arms manufacturer after BAE Systems.[2][3]

Following major company restructuring, including the sale of the various subsidiaries' missile divisions as MBDA and the purchase from BAE Systems of its interest in Airbus, in 2017 EADS assumed the Airbus name.

The Mako was the only significant aircraft project undertaken under the company name of EADS.

Design and development

The Mako design featured a single aft-mounted jet engine, fed by two air intake ramps at the roots of the mid-fuselage-wing. It features a trapezoidal wing with a sharp taper. The horizontal tail was an all-flying unit mounted close behind the wing and at nearly the same height. The retractable landing gear was a tricycle unit. The two occupants shared a highly streamlined bubble canopy.

Subcontractors would have included Diehl Aerospace, Aermacchi (now Leonardo), Saab, EAB[4] and Dassault Aviation.

The Mako shows remarkable stealth aircraft features, partially due to faceting and partially due to composite materials, using some results from the MBB Lampyridae stealth program.[5][6][7]

The intended engine was the General Electric F414M, which is a slightly derated version (at 75 kN) of the standard F414.

The Mako/HEAT was to be deployed at three shared bases around the continent of Europe, for use by all partner nations. There were nine candidate bases in seven countries, but no final selection was made. The Aermacchi M-346 trainer, also being proposed for Eurotrainer, made its maiden flight on 15 July 2004; As of 2010, EADS had yet to announce a date for the Mako's maiden flight, and the project appeared to be defunct.

The Mako/HEAT bid for the 1998 South African Air Force strategic procurement project, but lost to the BAE Hawk and Saab Gripen.[8]

Specifications

Data from

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1 (attack), 2 (trainer)
  • Length: 13.75 m (45 ft 1 in)
  • Wingspan: 8.25 m (27 ft 1 in)
  • Height: 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
  • Wing area: 25.08 m2 (270.0 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 6,200 kg (13,669 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 13,000 kg (28,660 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × General Electric F414M turbofan, 55.56 kN (12,490 lbf) thrust dry, 75 kN (17,000 lbf) with afterburner

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 1,600 km/h (990 mph, 860 kn)
  • Maximum speed: Mach 1.5
  • Combat range: 1,300 km (810 mi, 700 nmi)
  • Ferry range: 3,700 km (2,300 mi, 2,000 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)

Armament

  • Guns: 1× 27 mm gun
  • Hardpoints: 7 with a capacity of 4500 kg,
  • Rockets: 4 pods
  • Missiles: 4× AIM-9, IRIS-T or ASRAAM, AMRAAM, FMRAAM or Mica, 5x AGM-65 Maverick, 2× anti-ship missile
  • Bombs: Up to 12× Mk.82, 8× Mk.83, 4× GBU 16, or 3x GBU 24

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References
  1. Nicoll, Alexander; Skapiner, Michael (1999-10-15). "Flying in formation: The merger of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace and Aérospatiale-Matra may pave the way for a larger European grouping or the first transatlantic defence tie-up, argue Alexander Nicoll and Michael Skapinker". Financial Times.
  2. "History of EADS". EADS. Archived from the original on 3 June 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  3. White, David; Nicoll, Alexander (1999-06-12). "DaimlerChrysler wins fight for Spain's Casa: Deal boosts aerospace industry consolidation in Europe". Financial Times.
  4. Tutt, Nigel (2006-01-19). "Finmeccanica, Greece's HAI sign MoU to develop trainer aircraft". Forbes. AFX News. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  5. "EADS Mako / AT-2000". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  6. "Mako Advanced Trainer and Light Attack Aircraft". airforce-technology.com. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  7. "EADS and UAE put Mako trainer on the agenda". Flightglobal.com. 27 March 2001. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  8. https://www.forecastinternational.com/archive/disp_pdf.cfm?DACH_RECNO=840
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