BAC Strikemaster
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 were 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.
*
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 to Ecuador as part of a follow-up order.
*
Strikemaster Mk 90 : Export version for Sudan.
*Strikemaster 80: 136
*Strikemaster 90: 10
** The last Strikemaster was delivered to Sudan in 1984.
*
Royal Saudi Air Force (Mk.80/Mk.80A)
*
South Yemen Air Force (Mk.81)
*
Royal Oman Air Force (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{{aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane | jet or prop?=jet
| crew=2 | length main=33 ft 8 in | length alt=10.27 m | span main=36 ft 11 in | span alt=11.25 m | height main=10 ft 2 in | height alt=3.10 m | area main=214 ft² | area alt=19.8 m² | empty weight main=5,995 lb | empty weight alt=2,772 kg | loaded weight main= | loaded weight alt= | max takeoff weight main=11,500 lb | engine (jet)=Rolls-Royce Viper Mk.535 | type of jet=turbojet | number of jets=1 | thrust main=3,410 lbf | max speed main=450 knots | max speed alt=520 mph, 834 km/h | range main=126 nm | range alt=145 mi, 233 km | ceiling main=40,000 ft | ceiling alt=12,200 m | climb rate main=5,250 ft/min | climb rate alt=87.5 m/s | loading main= | loading alt= | 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.
{{aircontent|related=
* BAC Jet Provost
* Percival Provost|similar aircraft=
* Aermacchi MB 339|sequence=|lists=
* List of aircraft of the RAF
* List of attack aircraft|see also=
* Portal:British aircraft since World War II
|
