FFA P-16
Swiss ground attack aircraft, 1955 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The FFA P-16 was a Swiss prototype ground attack jet fighter designed and produced by aircraft manufacturer Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein (FFA). It was Switzerland's second attempt to develop a domestically designed and manufactured jet fighter, following the EFW N-20.
P-16 | |
---|---|
Role | Fighter |
National origin | Switzerland |
Manufacturer | Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein (FFA) |
First flight | 25 April 1955 |
Status | Cancelled |
Number built | 5 |
Work on what would become the P-16 commenced during the late 1940s. From the onset, the company intended for the indigenously developed fighter to replace several piston-engined aircraft that were then in service with the Swiss Air Force. During 1952, a pair of prototypes were ordered from FFA. On 25 April 1955, the first prototype performed its maiden flight. On 15 August 1956, the second prototype exceeded the sound barrier for the first time. The flight test programme demonstrated the P-16 to be capable of achieving favourable performance; accordingly, a production contract for 100 aircraft was issued by the Swiss Government.
In the aftermath of a pre-production aircraft's crash, the Swiss production order was terminated and soon thereafter replaced by orders for the British-built Hawker Hunter. This cancellation had come before any production P-16s had been completed. While the company continued the program independently for a time, completing a further two aircraft, no buyers could be found for the type. The P-16s were examined by Bill Lear, who later developed the highly successful Learjet family of business jets. However, the P-16 was never introduced into service by any operator, and only a single example of the type remains presently.