BAC Strikemaster
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| BAC 167 Strikemaster | |
|---|---|
 Privately owned BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk 87 |
|
| Type | Attack aircraft |
| Manufacturer | British Aircraft Corporation |
| Maiden flight | 1967 |
| Status | Retired 1994 (New Zealand); many in museums and private collections. |
| Primary users | Saudi Arabia Ecuador Kenya Air Force Royal New Zealand Air Force |
| Produced | 1967-1984 |
| Number built | 146 |
| Developed from | BAC Jet Provost |
The BAC 167 Strikemaster was a British 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.
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[edit] Design and development
The BAC 167 Strikemaster is essentially an armed version of the Jet Provost T.Mk 5; the Strikemaster was modified with an up-rated engine, wing hard-points, a strengthened airframe, new communication and navigation gear, up-rated ejection seats, a revised fuel system, and shortened landing gear. First flown in 1967, the aircraft was marketed as a light attack or counter-insurgency aircraft, but most large scale purchasers were air forces wanting an advanced trainer although Ecuador, Oman and Yemen have used their aircraft in combat. A total of 146 were built.
[edit] Operational history
Capable of operating from rough air strips, with dual ejection seats suitable even for low-altitude escape, it was widely used by third-world nations. 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.
On 5 October 2006, due to loss of a wing, a Strikemaster crashed in New South Wales, Australia, claiming two lives. [1]. Fatigue of the wing may come with age as well as usage. Approximately a dozen privately-owned Strikemasters are still flying.
[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. The last Strikemaster was delivered to Sudan in 1984.
[edit] Production
- Strikemaster 80: 136
- Strikemaster 90: 10
[edit] Operators
- Botswana Defence Force Air Wing operated briefly ex-Kuwaiti Mk.83s and ex-Kenyan Mk.87s.
- Ecuadorian Air Force received BAC Strikemaster Mk.89/89A aircraft.
- Kenya Air Force received BAC Strikemaster Mk.87 aircraft.
- Kuwait Air Force received BAC Strikemaster Mk.83 aircraft.
- Royal New Zealand Air Force
- No. 14 Squadron RNZAF received BAC Strikemaster Mk.88 aircraft.
- Royal Air Force of Oman received BAC Strikemaster Mk.82/82A aircraft.
- Royal Saudi Air Force received BAC Strikemaster Mk.80/80A aircraft.
- Republic of Singapore Air Force received BAC Strikemaster Mk.84 aircraft.
- South Yemen Air Force received BAC Strikemaster Mk.81 aircraft.
- Sudanese Air Force received BAC Strikemaster Mk.90 aircraft.
[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: 780 nm (900 mi, 1450 km)
- Service ceiling 40,000 ft (12,200 m)
- Rate of climb: 5,250 ft/min (87.5 m/s)
Armament
- Guns: 2× 7.62 mm NATO 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] See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
[edit] Bibliography
- Taylor, John W.R. "Hunting Jet Provost and BAC 167." Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-425-03633-2.
[edit] External links
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