Helwan HA-300
Helwan Air Works (HAW) · Egypt · first flew 1964 · fighter
The HA-300 was an Egyptian single-seat supersonic fighter designed with Spanish and German assistance, intended to give Egypt an indigenous advanced combat aircraft.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, delta |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Single ventral fin below the rear fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Slender needle-nosed delta-wing single-engine jet
- Very thin, sharply swept delta wing with no horizontal tailplane
- Single ventral fin below the rear fuselage
Unmistakable needle-nosed profile with a very slender fuselage and a low-mounted pure delta wing of extremely thin section. No horizontal tail surfaces. Circular nose intake dominates the front view. The combination of extreme length-to-span ratio and the tailless delta planform is unique among its contemporaries.
Specifications
- The Helwan HA-300 has a length of 12.4 m (41 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 5.84 m (19 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 2123 km/h (1319 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The project originated under German aeronautical engineer Willy Messerschmitt, who was contracted by Egypt in the late 1950s to design a supersonic fighter. Work transferred to the Helwan factory near Cairo, with the prototype first flying in March 1964. Despite demonstrated Mach 2+ potential, the programme was cancelled in the late 1960s due to cost and the difficulty of developing an adequate indigenous engine; political shifts following the 1967 war sealed its fate.
Variants
Three prototypes were built; a two-seat trainer variant was planned but not completed.
Where you'll see it
Never entered production service; the three flying prototypes served only as development test aircraft.
Related aircraft
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