BAC Jet Provost
The
BAC Jet Provost (originally built by
Hunting Percival) was a
jet-powered
training aircraft used by the
Royal Air Force (RAF) from
1955 to
1993.
In the 1950s the RAF issued a requirement for a new dedicated jet training aircraft. Hunting developed the Jet Provost from the piston-engined
Percival Provost basic trainer. On
June 26 1954 the prototype made its first flight. The
Air Ministry ordered 10 of the
Jet Provost T1, and in June
1957 40 of the
Jet Provost T3, featuring a new engine,
ejector seats, a redesign of the airframe, and strengthened undercarriage. In total 201 T3s were delivered between
1958 and
1962.
The
T4 followed in
1961 with a new engine, and then the
pressurized T5 in
1967. They were withdrawn from RAF service in the early
1990s and replaced by
Short Tucanos.
The
T51 was an armed export version which was sold to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Kuwait and Sudan. Armed with two 7.7-mm (0.303-inch) machine guns. The
T52 was another armed export version, it was sold to Iraq, South Yeman, Sudan and Venezuela. It had the same armament as the T51. The
T55 was the final armed export version which was sold to the Sudan.
The Jet Provost remains popular among enthusiasts and being an inexpensive jet, many are now in private hands. Some are flown at
airshows.
| Model | No. built | Manufacturer | Comments | | Jet Provost T1 | 12 | Hunting | Initial production batch for the RAF. |
| Jet Provost T2 | 4 | Hunting | Development aircraft only. |
| Jet Provost T3 | 201 | Hunting | Main production batch for the RAF. |
| Jet Provost T3A | 70 | Hunting | Modified T3 with improved avionics for the RAF. |
| Jet Provost T4 | 185 | BAC | Variant with more powerful engine for the RAF. |
| Jet Provost T5 | 110 | BAC | Pressurised version for the RAF. |
| Jet Provost T5A | 94 | BAC | Converted T5 with improved avionics. |
| Jet Provost T5B>BAC | T5 converted for navigator training. |
| Jet Provost T51 | 22 | Hunting | Export Version of the T3 (12 built for Ceylon, 4 built for Sudan, and 6 built for Kuwait). |
| Jet Provost T52 | 50 | BAC | Export Version of the T4 (12 built for Iraq, 15 built for Venezuela, 8 built for Sudan). |
| Jet Provost T55 | 5 | BAC | Export Version of the T5, built for Oman. |
| BAC Strikemaster>BAC | Ground attack version of the T5. |
*
Ceylon (
Sri Lanka)
*
Iraq*
Kuwait*
South Yemen*
Sudan*
United Kingdom*
Venezuela{{aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane | jet or prop?=jet
| crew=2 | length main=33 ft 8.5 in | length alt=10.27 m | span main=36 ft 10 in | span alt=11.23 m | height main=10 ft 11.5 in | height alt=3.34 m | area main=213.7 ft² | area alt=19.79 m² | empty weight main=4,658 lb | empty weight alt=2,113 kg | loaded weight main=6,650 lb | loaded weight alt=3,020 kg | max takeoff weight main=7,300 lb | engine (jet)=Armstrong-Siddeley Viper | type of jet=turbojet | number of jets=1 | thrust main=2,500 lbf | max speed main=Mach 0.57 | max speed alt=440 mph, 708 km/h | range main=600 mi | range alt=520 knots, 970 km | ceiling main=44,000 ft | ceiling alt=13,400 m | climb rate main= | climb rate alt= | loading main= | loading alt= | avionics=
*Digital 720CH COM Electric Altimeter
*VOR/LOC/ILS Clock-Timer
*MKR beacons
*Slaved Sperry compass system
*Digital Terra TXP G-meter
*Standby attitude indicator with NiCad backup |guns=2× 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns | bombs=
** 2× 100 lb (45 kg) or
** 8× 25 lb (11 kg) | rockets=
** 6× 60 lb (27 kg) or
** 12× 25 lb (11 kg)*Jet Provost Heaven
*Warbird Alley: Jet Provost Page
*British Aircraft Directory entry{{aircontent|related=
* Percival Provost
* BAC Strikemaster|similar aircraft=|sequence=
* Percival Prentice - Percival Prince - Percival Provost - BAC Jet Provost - Hunting H.126 |see also=
* Portal:British aircraft since World War II|lists=
* List of aircraft of the RAF
|
