Short Tucano T1 ZF372 NAHR – Awaiting Classification
Tucano T1, ZF372 was one of several in deep storage at RAF Shawbury, and listed as being for sale on Platinum Fighters website before being moved to Everett Aero of Sproughton, Suffolk in autumn 2024. Thanks to a legacy from the Estate of John Dove, a former museum member and RAF Winthorpe veteran, the museum purchased ZF372 and it was delivered on Wednesday 23rd October 2024. By Jan McGeachie
The delivery was undertaken by a team from Everett Aero who refitted the wings and reposition it on its undercarriage, before the rebuild project was taken over by museum volunteers. Various pieces and fittings were added gradually over time; minus its Garrett designed Honeywell TPE331-12 engine special fittings were fabricated to mount the propeller off the engine bulkhead. A lot of the reassembly work has now been completed to make the airframe externally complete
Originally built under licence from Embraer in Brazil, the heavily modified two seat turbo prop basic trainer, became "100% British-built"; these Tucanos were built by Short Brothers, Belfast. Its Garrett engine was noisier than the original design; the canopy was modified to meet RAF bird strike requirements; two Martin Baker ejection seats were added, along with a flight data recorder, ventral airbrake and restyled wingtips.
During September 1984, a Tucano equipped with a PT6A-25C2 engine displayed at the Farnborough Airshow, however a Garrett TPE331 engine was selected following tests at Boscombe Down. The first Short assembled aircraft flew on 30th December 1986 before the RAF took delivery in June 1988. Whilst in service Tucanos were a familiar sight in the skies above the museum; the final Tucanos were withdrawn from RAF service on 25th October 2019.
The Tucano had a pair of tandem configured seats; a maximum speed of 315 mph; with a range of 1,035 miles; and operating to a height of 34,000 feet. It was powered by a Garrett TPE331-12B turbo prop engine driving a 4 bladed Hartzell fully feathering aluminium reversible pitch 7 ft 10 diameter propeller.
Tucanos were used to provide basic fast jet training for RAF and RN students, who would typically fly 130 hours during their training course before progressing to the Hawk. The type was roughly seventy percent cheaper to operate than its predecessor, with a far lower accident record with only 5 written off with no fatalities in over 20 years, (four involving ejections).
ZF372 one of 160 Tucanos built in Belfast, where production ended in 1995, it was delivered on 11th December 1991. Its first operational flight was on 14th January 1992 at RAF Scampton; eventually being flown out on 8th March 1995 to No 1 FTS at RAF Linton on Ouse. It was placed into deep storage at Shawbury 24th August 2000.
Retaining its last operational configuration ZF372 joined several other training aircraft on display in Hangar 2, these include: the Varsity, Chipmunk, Meteor NF12, Jetstream, Dominie, Bulldog, Gnat and Jet Provost. The process of sourcing instrumentation, avionics and ejector seats is underway, with the aim of completing the front and rear cockpits. ZF372 will retain its overall black colour scheme and its last operational training scheme markings.
Photo Credit: Gordon McGeachie