Jet Provost

British Aircraft Corporation · United Kingdom · first flew 1954 · fighter

A British side-by-side jet basic trainer developed from the piston Provost, the RAF's standard ab initio jet trainer for decades.

Recognition (WEFT)

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

• Straight low wing with optional tip tanks
• Side-by-side cockpit under a framed canopy
• Single turbojet with rounded wing-root intakes

The side-by-side cockpit, straight low wing and stubby turbojet fuselage mark it out, often with wingtip tanks. It is rounder and less swept than later jet trainers like the Hawk.

Specifications

• The Jet Provost has a length of 10.36 m (34 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 10.77 m (35 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 708 km/h (440 mph).
• Typical crew: 2 (instructor and student).

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Hunting Percival flew the Jet Provost in 1954 by adapting the piston Provost to a turbojet. Production passed to BAC, and successive marks added pressurisation, more power and ejection seats. It introduced generations of RAF pilots to jet flying.

Variants

The T3, T4 and pressurised T5 progressively improved performance; the armed export Strikemaster developed the design into a light attack aircraft.

Where you'll see it

The Jet Provost was an RAF mainstay from 1955 until 1993, used for basic flying training before students progressed to the Gnat or Hawk. Many survive on the civilian warbird and display circuit in the UK.

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• BAC One-Eleven
• BAC One-Eleven 200
• BAC TSR-2
• English Electric / BAC Lightning F.6
• A-4 Skyhawk
• Armstrong Whitworth Meteor F8 Prone Pilot
• Canadair Sabre Mk 6
• Canadair Sabre Mk.5

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