Automotiv Exports July 2022

Turkey successfully tests 4th of
its multirole helicopter Gökbey
The fourth Gökbey, Turkey’s first
homegrown multirole helicopter, has
taken off for the first time, the head of the
company developing the aircraft said.
Temel Kotil, head of Turkish Aerospace
Industries (TAI), made the related
statement via his Twitter account.
He shared photos of the Gökbey during
tests with a caption that read: “I am happy
to share with you the test flights of our
4th #GÖKBEY, which took off for the first
time. I would like to thank all my valuable
colleagues who workday and night. We will
always continue to work for more.”
The Gökbey T625 is being developed as
part of the Original Helicopter Program,
coordinated by the Presidency of Defense
Industries (SSB).
The twin-engine, six-ton-class aircraft
designed for high mission flexibility even in
the toughest of geographical environments
and adverse weather conditions are being
developed in response to growing market
demand for higher mission flexibility in this
class. The T625 prototype was previously
powered by a pair of LHTECs and CTS800
4-AT turboshaft engines that have 1,373
shaft horsepower each, produced in a joint
Rolls-Royce and Honeywell partnership.
The chopper will soon be powered
by a domestically produced engine
manufactured by TAI subsidiary TUSAŞ
Engine Industries (TEI).
The second prototype of the first domestic
helicopter engine TEI-TS1400, the TS4,
was successfully started in January 2021,
following the initial operation of the first
prototype.
The turboshaft TEI-TS1400 engine has been
tailored to the Gökbey.
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