Textron AirLand to show off its subsonic attack plane

A new light attack and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft is being flown next month at air shows in Britain.

Textron AirLand LLC, a joint venture between Textron Inc. and AirLand Enterprises, said its Scorpion aircraft will be flown at the Royal Air Tattoo from July 11 to 13, and then at the Farnborough International Air Show, which begins July 14.

"We're confident that the Scorpion will excel in its first international flights, travelling about 4,700 nautical miles to the UK this July," said Bill Anderson, president of Textron AirLand. "The aircraft has passed all of its early testing milestones, and now we're excited about demonstrating its long-range performance.

The Scorpion was first flown in December and has since completed 41 test flights. It's 43.6 feet long, has a wingspan of 47.3 feet and a maximum speed of about 518 miles per hour. It is designed for a two-person crew.