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The SME Aero Tiga, originally the Dätwyler MD-3 Swiss Trainer is a
trainer aircraft developed in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
through the 1960s and 70s, and which first flew in 1983.
History
In 1993, all rights to the design were acquired by
SME Aerospace
The SME Aerospace Sdn Bhd (SMEA), is a Malaysian defence company in aerospace section that specialises in the manufacturing of aircraft and its parts. The company is located in Sungai Buloh, Selangor and it is a subsidiary company of National Aer ...
, who began to produce it as the Aero Tiga shortly thereafter, having received orders for 20 by the
Royal Malaysian Air Force. The first two of these were delivered in 1995, and the order was increased to 60 aircraft the following year. SME Aerospace also received orders for 20 aircraft for the Indonesian government's flight training center at
Curug, as part of a deal by the Malaysian government to acquire
IPTN CN-235
The CASA/IPTN CN-235 is a medium-range twin-engined transport aircraft that was jointly developed by CASA of Spain and Indonesian manufacturer IPTN. It is operated as both a regional airliner and military transport; its primary military roles ...
transports.
Design and development
In configuration, the Swiss Trainer is a mid-wing,
cantilever
A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a canti ...
monoplane with fixed
spatted tricycle undercarriage. Accommodation for the pilot and instructor was provided as side-by-side seats under an expansive
bubble canopy. The four-cylinder horizontally-opposed
piston engine
A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is typically a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common featu ...
drove a fixed two-blade propeller.
While the layout of the aircraft was entirely orthodox, its construction was not, as the Swiss Trainer was designed to be as modular as possible to lower the cost and complexity of production and maintenance. To this end, as many parts were made interchangeable as possible. For example, all nine control surfaces (two ailerons, four flap segments, two elevators, and the rudder) are the same part that can be fitted to any of these locations with minimal modification. Both halves of the horizontal stabiliser and the fin can similarly be interchanged, and most of the left and right wings is common to both.
[''Air International'' March 1984, p. 154.] The aircraft features an unusual exhaust that spans the entire length of the underside of the fuselage. Entry is through a forward sliding canopy that also includes the wing root fairing.
Operators
;
* Indonesian Civil Aviation Institute (
id) – 20 in service
;
*
Royal Malaysian Air Force – 20 (retired)
Specifications (MD3-160 AeroTiga)
See also
References
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{{Dätwyler aircraft
1980s Swiss civil trainer aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Mid-wing aircraft