Video of Cessna’s low cost Scorpion Tactical Jet’s first successful flight

On Dec. 12, Cessna’s Scorpion Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)/Strike aircraft made its first flight from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas.

A new video, released by Textron, shows the Scorpion taxiing, taking off, maneuvering and landing after a 1.4-hour test flight.

The aircraft is a two-seater with twin canted tails, two 8,000-lb turbofan engines, straight wings with internal weapons bay and  external hardpoints to accomodate precision guided munitions.

 

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About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.