Saab Safari
| Industry | Aircraft manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Malmö , Sweden |
| Products | MFI-15 Safari, MFI-17 Supporter |
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Saab MFI-15 Safari, also referred to as the Saab MFI-17 Supporter, is a propeller-driven basic training aircraft operated by multiple air forces.
Development and design
The prototype designated Saab-MFI 15 (SE-301) took flight for the first time on 11 July 1969. Conceived at Malmö Flygindustri, this two/three-seat aircraft was designed for both civil and military training or general utility purposes. Initially, it was equipped with a 119 kW Avco Lycoming IO-320-B2 flat-four engine and featured a conventional low-mounted tailplane, which was subsequently redesigned into a T-tail to reduce damage risks during operations on rough terrain.
On 26 February 1971, the prototype flew powered by a more robust Avco Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 air-cooled flat-four engine, which became the standard propulsion system for the production model named the Saab Safari. This aircraft is a braced shoulder-wing monoplane with fixed tricycle landing gear, though an option for tail-wheel gear was available. It offers side-by-side seating for two occupants with dual controls as standard. The forward-swept wings were engineered to ensure the wing roots do not obstruct lateral visibility from the cockpit, a design feature shared with the ARV Super2 and the Bölkow Bo 208 Junior—the latter being a licensed version of the Malmö MFI-9 Junior.
A military variant initially designated Saab-MFI 17 flew on 6 July 1972. This model was tailored specifically for military training roles, as well as artillery observation, forward air control, and liaison duties; it was later renamed Saab Supporter. In August 1978, Saab introduced a prototype Safari TS featuring a turbocharged Continental flat-six engine producing 157 kW; however, this version did not proceed to production. A derivative trainer based on the Safari’s design was manufactured in kit form in Pakistan as the Mushshak, with 92 units delivered to the Pakistani Air Force. Subsequently, Pakistan produced an additional batch of 120 aircraft entirely domestically.
Out of the approximately 250 complete aircraft assembled by Saab, most were acquired by private pilots. When combined with the 212 Pakistani assembled or locally manufactured units, total production of Safari variants reached 462. The Royal Norwegian Air Force procured their Safaris in 1981 and currently operate sixteen of these aircraft stationed at Bardufoss Air Station.
During the 1980s in Sweden, an experimental version called the MFI-18 was tested featuring an extended composite wing and provisions for ski landing gear; this model never entered series production. The Supporter also proved effective as a counter-insurgency (COIN) platform. Drawing from experience with the earlier MFI 9B MiniCOIN during the Biafran Civil War, Saab developed the Supporter into a close support aircraft capable of carrying various underwing ordnance such as rockets and gun pods.
As of 2022, including its Pakistani successors—the MFI-17 Mushshak and MFI-395 Super Mushshak—the total number of these aircraft in operation stands at 477, ranking it among the most widely used military training platforms globally.[1]
Variants
- MFI-15 Safari – the initial model designed for civilian use.
- MFI-17 Supporter – Saab's military version, known as T-17 in Danish service.
- Saab Safari TS – a prototype equipped with a 157 kW (210 hp) turbocharged piston engine.
- MFI-17 Mushshak – an enhanced iteration of the MFI-17 Supporter produced under license by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.
- PAC Super Mushshak – a further improved variant of the MFI-17 Mushshak manufactured in Pakistan.
MFI-17 Supporter
- Royal Danish Air Force – 32 aircraft[2]
- Royal Norwegian Air Force – 16 units
- Pakistan Air Force – 28 supplied by Saab plus 92 assembled from knock-down kits
Former operators
- Sierra Leone Armed Forces – 2 aircraft
- Zambia Air Force – 20 units
Specifications (Safari)
See also
References
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Schrøder, Hans (1991). "Royal Danish Airforce". Ed. Kay S. Nielsen. Tøjhusmuseet, 1991, p. 1–64. ISBN 87-89022-24-6.
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
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