ALR Piranha
Aviation Ligère de Reconnaissance (ALR) · Switzerland · first flew 1984 · fighter
The ALR Piranha was a Swiss privately-developed lightweight fighter technology demonstrator of the 1980s, intended to prove that a small, affordable combat aircraft could be built by a neutral European nation.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, delta |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.5 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | No tailplane |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tailless delta-wing lightweight fighter concept with canard foreplanes
- Single engine with a bifurcated intake below the nose
- Very compact airframe with no horizontal tail surfaces
Very compact tailless delta with prominent canard foreplanes ahead of the main wing. The single engine is fed by a chin intake below the nose. The configuration superficially resembles the Dassault Mirage but at a significantly smaller scale. The canard-delta combination and clean external lines distinguish it from the pure-delta fighters it was inspired by.
Specifications
- The ALR Piranha has a length of 9.5 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.2 m (24 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 1400 km/h (870 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed by a small Swiss company, the Piranha was an attempt to create a low-cost fighter alternative for nations unable to afford front-line Western jets. The prototype flew in 1984 and demonstrated satisfactory handling, but the project failed to attract the necessary funding or orders to proceed to production. It remained a single-prototype programme, notable primarily as evidence of Swiss aerospace ambition beyond their watchmaking and banking reputation.
Variants
Only one prototype was completed; no production variants resulted.
Where you'll see it
Never entered service with any air arm; the sole prototype was used only for demonstration flights.
Related aircraft
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