The BAC Jet Provost (originally built by Hunting Percival) was a British jet-powered trainer aircraft used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1955 to 1993. Hunting Percival developed the Jet Provost from the piston-engined Percival Provost basic trainer.
Developing nation: United Kingdom.
Manufacturer/designer: Hunting Percival.
Production Lines: Luton Airport.
Type aircraft: jet-powered trainer aircraft.
First flight: 26 June 1954 (XD674).
Number built: 595.
The Jet Provost was designed in response to a 1950s Royal Air Force requirement for a jet trainer. It was based on the earlier propeller driven Hunting Persival Provost. The first flight of the prototype Jet Provost T.1 took place 26 June 1954. Deliveries of the first production version, the T.3, began in 1958 and a total of 201 were delivered to the RAF by 1962. Several versions of the Jet Provost remained in RAF service until 1993 when the last of them were retired. Jet Provosts were exported to several countries especially in the Persian Gulf region. In addition an armed ground attack version of the aircraft the Strikemaster was built and widely exported. Surplus Jet Provosts have become popular in private hands where they are well liked for their reliability and performance.
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 10.36 m (34 ft 0 in)
- Wingspan: 10.77 m (35 ft 4 in)
- Height: 3.10 m (10 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 19.80 m² (213.7 ft²)
- Empty weight: (2,222 kg (4,888 lb)
- Loaded weight: 3,170 kg (6,989 lb)
- Max. takeoff weight: 4,173 kg (9,200 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Armstrong Siddeley Viper Mk-202 turbojet, 2,500 lbf (11.1 kN)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 708 km/h (440 mph, 382 knots,) at 7,620 m (25,000 ft)
- Range: 1,450 km (900 mi, 780 NM)
- Service ceiling: 11,200 m (36,750 ft)
- Rate of climb: 20.3 m/s (4,000 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 160 kg/m² (32.7 lb/ft²)
Armament
- Guns: 2× 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine guns (Mark 55)
- Rockets:
- 6× 27 kg (60 lb) or
- 12× 11 kg (25 lb) or
- 28x 68 mm SNEB rockets in four pods
- Bombs:
- 4× 245 kg (540 lb)
All pictures courtesy of Zijde Aviation Photo and Publishing, Rob Vogelaar / Marcel van Leeuwen
