BAC Jet Provost

what is it?

The BAC Jet Provost is a British jet trainer aircraft that was in use with the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1955 to 1993. It was originally developed by Hunting Percival from the earlier piston engine-powered Percival Provost basic trainer, and later produced by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). In addition to the multiple RAF orders, the Jet Provost, sometimes with light armament, was exported to many air forces worldwide.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 jet engine · 10.8 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 707 km/htop speed
• range 1,445 kmwithout refuelling
• size 4,173 kgmax take-off weight
• built 588made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 72 years ago, in 1954.
• 🏎️Top speed is 5.4× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 10.8 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 1,445 km: 8× Amsterdam to Brussels.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.3× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

jet: Gas turbine pushing air out the back (turbofan or turbojet): fast and high-flying.

spec sheet

first flight

1954-06-26

introduced

1957

retired

1993

status

retired

number built

588

role

military trainer aircraft

makers

British Aircraft Corporation

engines

1× Armstrong Siddeley Viper Mk.102 / Mk.202

crew

2

length

10.4 m

wingspan

10.8 m

height

3.1 m

max take-off weight

4,173 kg

top speed

707 km/h

range

1,445 km

ceiling

11,201 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.