| MFI-15 Safari | |
|---|---|
| A Saab MFI-17 Supporter, Radom Air Show 2007 | |
| Role | Primary trainer |
| Designer | Björn Andreasson |
| Primary users | Danish Air Force Royal Norwegian Air Force Pakistan Air Force |
| Number built | ca 462 |
| Developed from | MFI-9 Junior |
| Variants | MFI-17 Mushshak |
Saab MFI-15 Safari, also known as the Saab MFI-17 Supporter, is a prop-powered basic trainer aircraft used by several air forces.
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The Safari made its maiden flight in 1969. It is powered by a 200 hp Avco Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 air-cooled flat-4 piston engine. A shoulder wing improves all-round visibility for the pilots. (It has to be a forward-swept wing to maintain correct centre of gravity. (This design constraint applies also to the ARV Super2 and the Bölkow Bo 208 Junior). The aircraft was developed at Malmö Flygindustri as the MFI-15. The military version was called MFI-17 and later, the Saab Supporter when the project was taken over by Saab.
About 250 Saab manufactured aircraft were built in total. Most were sold to private fliers. It appears that the 92 Pakistani-assembled and 120 Pakistani-built machines are not included in the Saab production total. The Royal Norwegian Air Force purchased their Safaris in 1981. Today 16 of the aircraft are stationed at Bardufoss Air Station.
A variant with a stretched wing made of composite materials, the MFI-18, was tested during the 1980s in Sweden. Also fitted with provision for skis, this version never went into production. The supporter was also used as a highly efficient COIN aircraft, Experience with the earlier MFI 9B Minicom during the Biafran Civil war encouraged Saab to develop the Supporter as a close support aircraft carying an assortment of underwing stores including rockets and gun pods.
Data from SAAB Trainers: Safir, SAAB 105, & Supporter
General characteristics
Performance
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