卡利杜斯
Founded in Abu Dhabi in 2015, Calidus took a Brazilian carbon-fibre design and turned it into the first military aircraft the UAE bought from its own industry.
Calidus: the company and the aircraft that made its name
A fiery name
Calidus is Latin for fiery or spirited, and the company that took the name in Abu Dhabi in 2015 set out to give the United Arab Emirates something it had never had: an aircraft industry of its own, alongside armoured land vehicles. It began with a light attack aeroplane, and with a shortcut. Rather than start from nothing, Calidus turned to Novaer, a small firm in São José dos Campos, Brazil.
Designed in Brazil, built in the Emirates
Novaer’s chief designer was Joseph Kovács, the engineer behind the Embraer Tucano. His B-250 was built entirely of carbon fibre, lighter than its metal rivals, with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turboprop, two Martin-Baker ejection seats and seven hardpoints. The programme started in 2015 and the prototype flew in July 2017, 25 months later. It was unveiled at the Dubai Airshow that November.
Bigger ambitions
At the 2019 Dubai Airshow the UAE ordered 24 B-250s for AED 2.273 billion, about $620 million, the country’s first purchase of a domestically produced military aircraft. Calidus followed in 2021 with a mock-up of the B-350, a much larger two-seat attacker with a 2,600 shp PW127 turboprop and twelve hardpoints, compared by some to the Douglas Skyraider. In 2024 Intelligence Online reported that Calidus and Indonesia were discussing a drone version of the B-250.
Calidus in numbers
公司
- 简而言之
- Founded 2015
- Based in Abu Dhabi
- Aeronautical and land systems manufacturer
- About 200 employees
生产
- 最出名的是
- B-250
- B-250 light attack and training aircraft, designed with Novaer of Brazil
- B-350 heavy turboprop attack aircraft in development
今天
- 现在
- Building B-250s for the UAE
- 24 B-250s ordered by the UAE in 2019
- B-350 mock-up shown 2021
这些数字
- 雇员
- 大约200
- First UAE order
- 24 B-250 for AED 2.273 billion (about $620 million)2019
- B-250 operating cost
- about $1,200 per flight hour
Every notable Calidus aircraft
| 飞机 | 角色 | 首航 | 建造 | 地位 | 笔记 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calidus B-250 | Light attack and training aircraft | 2017 | 生产中 | All-carbon-fibre airframe by Novaer; PT6A-68 turboprop; 24 ordered by the UAE Air Force | |
| Calidus B-350 | Turboprop attack aircraft | Mock-up shown at Dubai Airshow 2021; PW127 engine, 12 hardpoints; development status, not delivered |
Where Calidus built, who led it, what it achieved
工厂
- Al Ain production site · Al Ain, Abu Dhabi — Planned B-250 manufacturing facility
人们
- Joseph Kovács · chief designer, B-250 — Designer of the Embraer Tucano, working for Novaer
Calidus, year by year
Calidus founded in Abu Dhabi; B-250 programme launched with Novaer
B-250 first flight
B-250 unveiled at the Dubai Airshow
B-250 shown at IDEX, Abu Dhabi
UAE orders 24 B-250s
B-350 mock-up unveiled at the Dubai Airshow
Drone version of the B-250 discussed with Indonesia, per Intelligence Online
Everything people ask about Calidus
What is Calidus?
Who designed the Calidus B-250?
How many B-250s did the UAE order?
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