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Atlas Aircraft Corporation Atlas Cheetah

Atlas Aircraft Corporation · Multirole Fighter (Upgrade) / Air Superiority / Ground Attack · South Africa · Cold War (1970–1991)

Atlas Aircraft Corporation Atlas Cheetah — Multirole Fighter (Upgrade) / Air Superiority / Ground Attack
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The Atlas Cheetah is a South African fighter aircraft designed and produced by the aviation company Atlas Aircraft Corporation. It was primarily designed and developed to be operated by the South African Air Force (SAAF).

Specifications

Category
Fixed Wing
Sub-Category
Fighter
Domain
Defence
Era
Cold War (1970–1991)
Country
South Africa
Manufacturer
Atlas Aircraft Corporation
Co-Manufacturer
IAI
Operator
South African Air Force (retired)
Primary Role
Multirole Fighter (Upgrade) / Air Superiority / Ground Attack
Status
Retired
Service Entry
1986
Produced
38
Propulsion
Turbojet
Engine
1x SNECMA Atar 9K50 turbojet
Thrust / Power
15,870 lbf (with AB)
Launch
Ground
Length (ft)
51
Wingspan (ft)
27
Empty Weight (lb)
15763
MTOW (lb)
30200
Service Ceiling (ft)
55000
Range (mi)
900
Max Speed (mph)
1460
Max Speed (Mach)
2.2
Armament
Guns: 2 × 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 552 cannons with 125 rounds per gun; Bombs: 8,800 lb (4,000 kg) of payload on five external hardpoints, including 250 kg Laser-guided bombs (LGB), GPS-guided bombs, 250 kg 'booster' bombs, a variety of unguided 'iron' bombs, reconnaissance pods or drop tanks; Missiles: 2 × Python-3 AAMs, V4 R-Darter (BVR missile), V3S and/or Matra R530 missiles.; Rockets: 4 × Matra…