| HA-300 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Single-seat interceptor |
| National origin | Egypt |
| Manufacturer | Egyptian General Aero Organisation |
| Designer | Willy Messerschmitt |
| First flight | 7 March 1964 |
| Retired | May 1969 |
| Primary user | Egyptian Air Force |
| Number built | 3 prototypes |
| Program cost | EGP 135 million (EGP 14 billion in 2009 values) |
The Helwan HA-300 (Arabic: حلوان ٣٠٠) was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft developed in Egypt during the 1960s. It was designed by famous German aircraft engineer Willy Messerschmitt. At various stages, Spain and India were also involved in the development program. The HA-300 was an ambitious project for Egypt, at the time seeking to expand its defense industry. There were three prototypes built before termination of the project in 1969.
The first prototype was restored in 1991 and is now located in the Deutsches Museum in Munich (Flugwerft Schleißheim).[1]
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After World War II, Willy Messerschmitt (as a German citizen) was prohibited from undertaking any research or development related to the German military, including the manufacture of aircraft, until 1955. He therefore moved to Spain where he set up the Hispano Aviación aviation company and started designing an ultra light fighter aircraft in 1951.[2] The development was very slow and Messerschmitt was only able to build a delta shaped plywood glider without a tail. Towed by a He-111, the test flight for the glider wasn't completed due to instability and the airplane didn't even get airborne. Due to funding problems and the resultant long development time, the project was abandoned by the Spanish in 1960.[3]
The design was then acquired by Egypt and the design team, headed by Messerschmitt, moved to Helwan, Egypt, to continue their work on the HA-300, which now stood for Helwan Aircraft 300.[1] Ferdinand Brandner, an Austrian jet engine expert, was also invited to develop a turbojet for the new fighter. Egypt aimed to produce a lightweight supersonic, single-seat fighter which could join the Egyptian Air Force as an interceptor.[4]
Development of the HA-300 started in the test facilities and workshops in Factory No. 36 in Helwan, southeast of Cairo, under the supervision of the Egyptian General Aero Organisation (EGAO). The HA-300 was originally designed for the afterburning Orpheus BOR 12 turbojet, but it was then modified for the Brandner E-300 engine, which would have an afterburning rating of 4,800 kgp. India also helped in the funding of the E-300 jet engine in exchange for a new powerplant for its HF-24 Marut.[1] The E-300 jet engine ran for the first time in July 1963.[3]
The first prototype of the HA-300, powered by a 2,200 kgp Orpheus Mk 703-S-10, first flew on 7 March 1964,[5] and achieved Mach 1.13.[6] Egypt sent two Egyptian pilots to India in 1964 to prepare for the HA-300 flight development.[1] It was followed by a second Orpheus-powered prototype which first flew on 22 July 1965. The third and last prototype was fitted with the Egyptian E-300 engine, which it was hoped would make it capable of attaining 12,000 m and Mach 2.0 within 2.5 min of takeoff. This prototype was not flight-tested and only completed taxiing trials.[2]
A total of 135 million Egyptian pounds was spent on the development, and the E-300 engine was given to the Indian government for use in the HF-24 Marut fighter.[3]
After the Six-Day War defeat, Egypt needed most of its military budget for acquiring new aircraft and air defenses and so, due to this and the availability of Russian fighters, the Egyptian government terminated the project in May 1969.[2][4]
The first HA-300 prototype was bought by Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG (DASA) in 1991 and was airlifted to Germany for restoration at Manching. The process took MBB five and a half years to complete and today the HA-300 is in the Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleissheim at Oberschleißheim near Munich.[1]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
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