BAC Strikemaster
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| BAC 167 Strikemaster | |
|---|---|
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| One of Botswana's Strikemasters. | |
| Type | Attack aircraft |
| Manufacturer | British Aircraft Corporation |
| Maiden flight | 1967 |
| Status | Retired; many in museums and private collections. |
| Produced | 1967-1984 |
| Number built | 146 |
The BAC 167 Strikemaster was a jet-powered training and light attack aircraft. It was a development of the Hunting Jet Provost trainer, itself a jet engined version of the Percival Provost, which originally flew in 1950 with a radial piston engine.
The Strikemaster is essentially an armed version of the Jet Provost T.Mk.5 and was first flown in 1967. The aircraft was marketed as a light attack or counter-insurgency aircraft, but in fact most large scale purchasers were air forces wanting an advanced trainer although Ecuador, Oman and Yemen have used their aircraft in action. A total usually said to be 146 was built.
Use of the type was restricted by most users after the Royal New Zealand Air Force found fatigue cracking in the wings of its aircraft. Aircraft retired by Botswana, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and Singapore have found their way into museums and private collections.[1]
On October 2006 a Strikemaster crashed in NSW, Australia, due to loss of a wing claiming two lives. The investigation is still continuing (ATSB Report). Fatigue of the wing may come with age as well as usage.
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[edit] Variants
- Strikemaster Mk 80 : Export version for Saudi Arabia. 25 aircraft.
- Strikemaster Mk 80A : 20 aircraft were sold to Saudi Arabia as part of a follow-up order.
- Strikemaster Mk 81 : Export version for South Yemen. Four aircraft.
- Strikemaster Mk 82 : Export version for Oman. 12 aircraft.
- Strikemaster Mk 82A : 12 aircraft were sold to Oman as part of a follow-up order.
- Strikemaster Mk 83 : Export version for Kuwait. 12 aircraft.
- Strikemaster Mk 84 : Export version for Singapore. 16 aircraft.
- Strikemaster Mk 87 : Export version for Kenya. Six aircraft.
- Strikemaster Mk 88 : Export version for New Zealand. 16 aircraft.
- Strikemaster Mk 89 : Export version for Ecuador. 22 aircraft.
- Strikemaster Mk 89A : A number of aircraft were sold to Ecuador as part of a follow-up order.
- Strikemaster Mk 90 : Export version for Sudan.
[edit] Production
- Strikemaster 80: 136
- Strikemaster 90: 10
- The last Strikemaster was delivered to Sudan in 1984.
[edit] Users
- Royal Saudi Air Force (Mk.80/Mk.80A)
- South Yemen Air Force (Mk.81)
- Royal Air Force of Oman (Mk.82/Mk.82A)
- Kuwait Air Force (Mk 83)
- Republic of Singapore Air Force (Mk.84)
- Kenya Air Force (Mk.87)
- Royal New Zealand Air Force (Mk.88)
- Ecuadorian Air Force (Mk.89/Mk.89A)
- Sudanese Air Force (Mk.90)
- Ex Kuwaiti Mk.83s and Kenyan Mk.87s were briefly used by the Botswana Defence Force Air Wing
[edit] Specifications (Strikemaster Mk.87)
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 33 ft 8 in (10.27 m)
- Wingspan: 36 ft 11 in (11.25 m)
- Height: 10 ft 2 in (3.10 m)
- Wing area: 214 ft² (19.8 m²)
- Empty weight: 5,995 lb (2,772 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 11,500 lb (5,220 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Viper Mk.535 turbojet, 3,410 lbf (15.2 kN)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 450 knots (520 mph, 834 km/h)
- Range: 126 nm (145 mi, 233 km)
- Service ceiling: 40,000 ft (12,200 m)
- Rate of climb: 5,250 ft/min (87.5 m/s)
Armament
- Guns: 2× 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns with 550 rounds each
- Up to 3,000 lb (1,364 kg) of disposable stores on eight underwing hardpoints including bombs, machine gun pods, air-to-ground rocket pods, fuel drop tanks, and napalm tanks.
[edit] References
- ^ Aircraft Sales. Area 51 Aviation Ltd.. Retrieved on 2006-07-27.
[edit] Links
- [1]RNZAF Museum Strikemaster page
