BAC (BAe) Strikemaster
and 145
BAC 145 and Strikemaster
Origin: Hunting/BAC (now British Aerospace). UK
Type: Two-seat light tactical aircraft and trainer
Engine: 3.410tb (1547kg) thrust Rolls-Royce Viper 535 turbojet
Dimensions: Span 36ft 10in (11-23m); length 33ft 84in (10:27m); height
10ft 11 din (3:34m).
Weights: Empty 6,270ib (2840kg); loaded (clean) 9.200Ib (4170kg)
maximum 11.500Ib (5210kq)
Performance: Maximum speed 481mph (774km/h); maximum speed at
sea level 450mph (726km/h): initial climb (max fuel, clean) 5,250ft
(1600m) /min: service ceiling 44,000ft (13,410m); ferry range 1,615 miles
(2600km); combat radius with 3,300!b weapon load 145 miles (233km)
Armament: Two 7-62mm FN machine guns fixed firing forwards with
550 rounds each; wide range of stores to maximum of 3.000Ib (1360ka) on
four underwing strongpoints
History: First flight (Jet Provost) 16 June 1954: (Strikemaster) 26 October
1967; first delivery 1968.
Users: (Jet Provost) Iraq, Kuwait. Rhodesia, S Yemen. Sri Lanka. Sudan.
UK, Venezuela; (Strikemaster) Ecuador, Kenya, Kuwait, New Zealand,
Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sudan, S Yemen
Development: The Percival Provost basic trainer flew in February 1950,
Hunting then produced a jet version, and flew this in June 1954. Subse-
quently the Hunting (later BAC) Jet Provost became a successful basic
trainet made in great numbers for the RAF arid many overseas countries, and
more powerful pressurised versions are still one of BAC’s current products.
From this was developed the BAC.145 multi-role trainer/attack aircraft,
which in turn was developed into the highly refined Strikemaster. With a
12|
Above: Three-view of basic BAC 167 Strikemaster with rocket
pods and tanks.
fmore powerful Viper engine. the Strikemaster prov to be a great world-
wide success. It has side-by-side ejection seats, and the ability to operate
from the roughest airstrip whilst carrying @ combat load three times a
typical bomber's load in the 1930s and any desired equipment fit. The
Strikemaster has set a world record for the number of repeat orders placed
by its export customers. In early 1977 there were no plans to install the
most powerful Viper, the Mk 632, because this would reduce time between
overhauls and increase cost without meeting any requirement expressed by 4
customer, In 1973-76 BAC refurbished 177 RAF Jet Provosts. in the course
of which VOR, DME and ILS were installed
Left: One of the 16 Strikemaster
Mk 88s serving ina light strike and
training role with RNZAF No 14
Sqn based at Ohakea,
Below left: Kuwait is one of the
several states whose Strikemasters
— in this case designated Mk 83 —
have seen real action.
a