Aerotec Uirapuru

A-122 Uirapuru
T-23A Uirapuru.
Role Primary Trainer
National origin Brazil
Manufacturer Aerotec
First flight 2 June 1965
Produced 1968-1977
Number built 155


The Aerotec A-122 Uirapuru was a Brazilian military trainer aircraft. It was a low-wing monoplane with tricycle undercarriage that accommodated the pilot and instructor side-by-side. It first flew on 2 June 1965.[1]

In October 1967, the Brazilian Air Force ordered 30 aircraft to replace the obsolete Fokker S.11s and S.12s (T-21s and T-22s) that were operating in the Air Force Academy.[2] Later, they ordered another 40, and then 30 more. These were designated T-23.

The Bolivian Air Force ordered 36 examples in 1974, which flew until 1997, and in 1975 the Paraguayan Air Force bought 8 aircraft to replace the Fokker T-21 (S.11). In 1986, six more were donated by the FAB. Most of them were withdrawn from service in 1992, replaced by the Enaer T-35 Pillán. As of 2009, only one T-23 is in flying conditions. Thirty others were sold in the civilian market. A total of 155 were built including prototypes by the time production finished in 1977.[3]

The T-23 suffered fatal accidents during spin training. The problem was resolved after a crash in which an instructor described his stricken aircraft's responses to his control inputs all the way to the end. Uirapurus then received a fin under the rear fuselage to correct the issue.

In 1980 interest by the airforce in an improved version led to the development of the Uirapuru II.

Variants

Operators

 Brazil
 Bolivia
 Paraguay

Specifications (T-23)

A-122A(Military) A-122C(civil)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1971-72 [6]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development


References

Notes
  1. Pereira 1977, p.13.
  2. Pereira 1977, p. 13-14.
  3. J W R Taylor 1980, p.10.
  4. 1 2 Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 39.
  5. Siegrist 1987, p. 194.
  6. J W R Taylor 1971,p.10.
Bibliography

External links

Media related to Aerotec A-122 Uirapuru at Wikimedia Commons

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