General characteristics of the Strikemaster included a wingspan of 36.9 feet, a length of 33.7 feet and a height of 10.10 feet. Her empty listed weight was in the vicinity of 6,200lbs with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 11,500lbs. Power was supplied via a single Rolls-Royce Viper Mk 535 series turbojet engine delivering a maximum speed of 480 miles per hour with a range equal to 1,382 miles and a service ceiling of 40,000 feet at a 5,250 feet per minute rate-of-climb.
Beyond its training capabilities, the Strikemaster could be armed with an array of light ordnance. 2 x 7.62mm FN internal machine guns were fitted as standard while up to 3,000lbs of external stores could be carried under the wings. This ordnance could include 7.62mm machine gun pods, 20mm cannon pods, unguided air-to-surface high-explosive rocket pods, lightweight conventional drop bombs and napalm. Operational distances could be increased by the carrying of 2 x external drop tanks in lieu of some of the underwing armament. For bombing training purposes, the Strikemaster could be fitted with training drop bombs.
Production of the Strikemaster spanned from 1967 to 1984 to which some 146 examples were ultimately delivered. Two major production types eventually emerged and these included the original "Strikemaster 80" series and the follow-up "Strikemaster 90" produced in numbers of 136 and 10 respectively. Operators included Botswana, Ecuador, Kenya, Kuwait, New Zealand, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Yemen and Sudan and these were assigned specific designations to reflect the customer.
The Strikemaster Mk 80 was 25 aircraft sent to Saudi Arabia and these were followed by 20 more as the Strikemaster Mk 80A. The Strikemaster Mk 81 was sent in four examples to South Yemen. A dozen Strikemaster Mk 82s were delivered to Oman and these were followed by 12 more Strikemaster Mk 82A models. Kuwait received 12 examples of the Strikemaster Mk 83 and Singapore took on delivery of 16 Strikemaster Mk 84s. Kenya received six Strikemaster Mk 87s. New Zealand stocked 16 Strikemaster Mk 88s and these were affectionately known as "Blunty". 22 Strikemaster Mk 89s made their way to Ecuador and these were followed later by several Strikemaster Mk 89As. Sudan became the last Strikemaster customer, receiving their last airframe in 1984 and operating the type as the Strikemaster Mk 90 into the new millennium - though only three aircraft were deemed "air worthy" by this point.
In the 1970s, a revised Strikemaster was considered with a more powerful Rolls-Royce Viper turbojet but this endeavor fell to naught.
In practice, the Strikemaster proved successful in export hands. Its rather low procurement cost ensured that it would stock the inventories of several developing air forces around the world. The Strikemaster exuded rugged field qualities and good low-level handling. It could operate from make-shift air fields if needed and could serve a dual purpose in both pilot training and light attack. Oman utilized their Strikemasters in anger during the Dhofar Rebellion (1962-1975) against "liberation" fronts, resulting in a coalition victory (alongside Britain, Iran and Jordan) against insurgent forces. Other notable actions placed the Strikemaster in combat service with Ecuador to which the aircraft was used against Peruvian targets.
As such, the Strikemaster family line enjoyed a solid presentation throughout its decades of service. It was not until structural fatigue-based cracking was found at the wings of New Zealand Strikemasters that the type was forced into limited service from there on and, ultimately, forced into retirement. The fatigue issue caused several accidents including one incident involving a civilian-owned Strikemaster that crashed, killing both occupants, on October 5th, 2006. The crash was blamed on a separation of the right wing assembly from the fuselage due to cracking.
Today, most Strikemasters were flown in civilian hands or are under the care of museums and few, if any, are being flown by active militaries.
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