Italeri 1459 Jaguar GR.1/GR.3 R.A.F.

Jaguar is the result of an Anglo-French joint venture established in 1965 to build an advanced training - attack aircraft. The RAF initially planned to use it only for school purposes, but in later years it was also intended for assault tasks. In the early 1960s, the French Air Force was looking for a new aircraft to replace the long-serving T-33 and Fouga Magister training planes and the Mystere IV attack aircraft. In April 1964, the design of a new structure, initially named ECAT, began. The Br 121 project by Breguet went to the next stage. It was then that the RAF became interested in the program, as it needed a training plane with similar characteristics. On May 17, 1965, an agreement on joint production was signed between France (Breguet) and Great Britain (British Aerospace). The resulting joint venture was named SEPECAT. The first prototype took off from the ground on September 8, 1968. Co-operation problems caused delays, which resulted in a delay in entering service. The first units began to be introduced in 1972. The training aircraft program was converted into an attack aircraft. The English and French versions differ in a few minor elements, mainly minor elements of the production equipment of a given country. 573 machines were built. 403 for England / France, 54 for Oman / Ecuador / Nigeria, 116 for India (70 produced under license). The Jaguar is armed with two fixed 30mm ADEN single-barreled cannons on the underside of the hull. On four under-wing pylons, one under-fuselage, it can carry: cluster bombs (Belouga, BL.755); classic bombs (EU3, 454 kg); delayed fall bombs; bombs to destroy runways (Durandal, BAP.100); laser guided bombs (GBU-10A, BGL.400); air / ground rockets; Sea Eagle guided anti-ship; anti-radar ARMAT or ALARM (air / ground AS-30L); unguided air / ground rockets; nuclear bombs AN52. In addition to self-defense, the Jaguar can be armed with air-to-air AIM-9 Sidewinder or Matra R.550 Magic missiles or jamming pods on two pylons above the wing. The Jaguar's hull is elongated with a large oblique tail. Intakes for two rectangular jet engines. Wings in a high wing configuration. Two-wheel undercarriage assemblies. Technical data (SEPECAT Jaguar A version): length: 16.83 m, wingspan: 8.68 m, height: 4.89 m, maximum speed: 1700 km / h, speed of climb: 101.6 m / s, maximum range: 3524 km, ceiling maximum 14000m.