Promavia Jet Squalus Explained

The Promavia F.1300 Jet Squalus, also known as Promavia Jet Squalus F1300, was a two-seat light jet trainer designed by Italian Stelio Frati and built by Promavia in Belgium with support from the Belgian government.

Development

The Jet Squalus was designed by Frati and based on his earlier lightweight jet trainers the F.5 Trento and the F.400 Cobra. It was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with retractable landing gear. The Jet Squalus was powered by a Garrett TFE109 turbofan with engine intakes in above the wing root. The prototype, registered I-SQAL, first flew on 30 April 1987. The aircraft was fitted with four underwing hard points for disposable stores to allow weapons training.

Operational history

With the demise of the similar American Fairchild T-46 trainer in 1986 the support for the engine disappeared and it was planned to re-engine with the Williams-Rolls FJ44. The aircraft was exhibited at the Farnborough Air Show in September 1988, but the project folded and Promavia went bankrupt in 1998. An unflown second prototype was to be modified for airline pilot training, and the unfinished third prototype was to be pressurised.

The sole aircraft built was last reported to be stored in a hangar at Foothills Regional Airport, Alberta, Canada.

Variants

F1300 NGT:The baseline jet trainer version of the Procaer Cobra lineage.

F1300 AWS-MS/SAR:Proposed Maritime surveillance/search and rescue.

F1300 AWS-R: Proposed Reconnaissance.

F1300 AWS-W: Proposed Armament trainer or Police/Border defence.

F1300 AWS-TT:Proposed Target tower.

ATTA 3000: Proposed Advanced Trainer/Tactical Aircraft for the United States JPATS program. Single- and twin-jet versions were proposed. The ATTA 3000 could have been armed with 7.62-mm or 20-mm guns, 70-mm rocket launchers, infra-red air-to-air-missiles, or bombs.

ARA 3600: Proposed Attack/Reconnaissance Aircraft powered by twin TFE109-3 turbofans and armed with 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of external stores.

References

• Book: Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1985–86 . registration . Jane's Publishing . London .
• Book: Lambert . Mark . Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1991–92. 1991 . Jane's Data Division. Coulsdon, UK .
• Book: Lambert . Mark . Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–94. 1993 . Jane's Data Division. Coulsdon, UK . 0-7106-1066-1.
• Book: Taylor . John W. R. . John W. R. Taylor. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89. 1988. Jane's Information Group. London. 0 7106 0867 5.
• Book: Taylor, Michael J. H. . Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation . 1989 . Studio Editions . London .
• Book: Simpson, R.W.. Airlife's General Aviation. 1991 . Airlife Publishing. England . 1-85310-194-X.