ZH590

ZH590

Eurofighter Typhoon

ZH590 built at Warton was the 4^th aircraft for development trials (designated DA4) and f/f 4.3.97. A 2-seater it was initially used for active rear seat capability trials and various radar integration studies. As well as being the first UK-built 2 seater it was the first UK-built aircraft fitted with the EJ200 powerplant. A brief time-out from development flying allowed participation at the annual Royal International Air Tattoo in July 1998 at RAF Fairford, where it formated with the Red Arrows display team. Thereafter it entered a period of non-flying and was used for ground trials of the Defensive Aids Sub System (DASS) in the EW test facility at Warton. After installation of upgrades to avionics and power systems it returned to the flight test programme in 11.2001. The first major task was for AMRAAM amd GPWS integration. This aircraft also successfully carried out the first fully-guided firing of an AIM-120 AMRAAM on 9.4.02 flying from Warton to the QinetiQ range at Benbecula in the Hebrides, where it successfully tracked and targeted a Mirach target. The AMRAAM, which carried a telemetry package rather than a warhead, scored a direct hit on the Mirach, shooting it down into a safe area of the Atlantic Ocean. By 3.05 it had participated in AMRAAM trials at the QinetiQ Deep Sea Range at Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides. By 12.06 it had been twelve years as a development aircraft (completing 650 flights). The aircraft was transferred to RAF Coningsby on 13.12.06, where it was used as a ground instructional airframe. It was finally roaded in dismantled on 22.4.09 for initial storage in the outer area of Hangar 1/AirSpace before being reassembled for public display.