Powerful Global Partnership Brings Unique Technology To The Aviation World

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Sierra Nevada Corporation and the Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs & Communications to meet the need of producing the country’s first regional jet as part of its Regional Aircraft Project (“Project”).

SNC Chief Executive Officer Fatih Ozmen said the foundation of the Project is a modernized version of the D328 aircraft, of which all intellectual property rights have been acquired, which will be the first domestically-built passenger aircraft in Turkey. The design of a new high-tech product, the 628 aircraft series, will start simultaneously with production of the 328 series. While the Project establishes a world-class aerospace industry infrastructure in Turkey it also serves the global aviation market.  

SNC will collaborate with Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.?. (STM) on the Project by upgrading the existing D328 and manufacturing the aircraft, which will be marketed under the name TRJ328 for the jet version and T328 for the turboprop version. SNC subsidiaries, 328 Support Services GmbH, 3S Certification LLC and 3S Engineering LLC will support SNC in building and producing these aircraft, including assisting in establishing an European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) -approved 21G aircraft production facility in Turkey.

The Republic of Turkey took a low-risk, cost-effective strategy for the Project by electing to work with SNC, a well-established, global aerospace company, and capitalizing on the existing intellectual property and assets of the D328 aircraft recently acquired by SNC. With STM as the prime contractor, the Project also leverages the capabilities of national companies, with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) as subcontractor, along with several companies such as Aselsan, TEI, Havelsan, Alp Aviation, Kale Aviation and Turkish Cabin Interior Inc. (TCI). This cooperation will enable a rapid, successful launch of the Republic of Turkey’s Regional Aircraft Project.

“This Project is a natural progression for SNC and our subsidiaries as we continue to capitalize on our decades of extensive experience in aircraft design modifications and our innovative, agile ability to create value for our customers,” said SNC President Eren Ozmen. “We also possess a unique capability to expedite obtaining the required certifications for numerous markets based on the D328’s proven technology and our aviation certification expertise.”

Parallel with the manufacturing of the TRJ328 and T328 aircraft, with a seating capacity of 32, the Project includes the future design and certification of new higher capacity TRJ628 jet and TR628 turboprop aircraft, with a proposed passenger seating capacity up to double that of the TRJ328. These unique aircraft fill a niche market for direct and frequent flights between small cities in Turkey that are currently not feasibly serviced with larger airplanes. Thus, the Project provides a new avenue for both business and leisure travel within Turkey.

The aircraft for the Project will be built and certified at a new commercial production facility in Turkey using significant investments by SNC. These modern facilities, coupled with the high-tech, commercial aeronautics technology developed by SNC and Turkish engineers under the Project, will contribute to the aviation and aerospace industry in Turkey.

In addition, extensive market studies show that these aircraft are not only needed in the domestic arena, but that there are regional and international demands as well.  As a result, SNC anticipates that it will have licensed production of such aircraft for sale in the United States, including sales to the U.S. government. 

FMI: www.sncorp.com