Aerfer Sagittario 2

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The Aerfer Sagittario 2 (Italian: archer) was a prototype fighter aircraft built in Italy in 1956. It became the first Italian aircraft to break the sound barrier in controlled flight (albeit in a dive).

A small aircraft, the Sagittario 2 had its jet engine mounted in the nose, with the exhaust underneath the mid-fuselage. The wing and tail surfaces were highly-swept and, unusually for a jet aircraft, it was equipped with tailwheel undercarriage.

The Sagittario 2 was based on the earlier Ambrosini Saggitario, which was itself a development of the Ambrosini S.7 piston-engined training aircraft that went into service with the Italian Air Force in small numbers.

The S.7 was of conventional configuration, constructed of wood, with a tail wheel undercarriage. Power was provided by an air-cooled inverted inline engine, the Alfa-Romeo 115 of 225 hp. (Flight, 24 August 1951, pp. 224-227; The Aeroplane, August 8, 1952, pp. 188-191)

The Sagittario was an aerodynamic research aircraft based on the S.7. New swept wings and tail surfaces of wooden construction were fitted to the S.7 fuselage. The wing leading edge was swept at 45 degrees. At first, the S.7's piston engine was retained and the aircraft was known as the Freccia (Arrow). After several test flights in this configuration, the piston engine was removed and replaced with a Turbomeca Marbore turbojet of 840 lbf thrust, and the aircraft renamed the Sagittario. The engine air inlet was in the extreme nose, and the exhaust was routed out the bottom of the fuselage, under the cockpit. The tail wheel undercarriage was retained, so special shielding was added to protect the tail wheel from the engine exhaust. (Flight, 24 April, 1953, pp. 508-509)

The Sagittario 2 was an improved version of the Sagittario, and was intended to serve as the prototype for an interceptor or light tactical support aircraft. The Sagittario 2 was built of metal. The cockpit was moved forward and equipped with a bubble canopy. A tricycle undercarriage was fitted, with the nose gear retracting under the engine, a Rolls-Royce Derwent 9 turbojet. Two Hispano-Suiza 30 mm cannon were carried with 200 rounds of ammunition. Underwing stores comprised two 500 lb. bombs, two 700 lb. napalm tanks, two machine guns or cannon, or 12 3-inch rockets. (The Aeroplane, December 21, 1956, p. 924)

The Sagittario's successor was the Ariete.

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