The Helwan HA-300 was a remarkable Egyptian fighter project and one of the smallest supersonic fighters ever flown.

Gallery:

Features:

• Armament: 1x GSh-23L 23 mm cannon, 2x R-3S
• Livery: EAF, Bare Metal
• Approximated flight performance

Controls:

• AG 1 and Yaw: Nose Steering
• AG 2: Drogue Chute
• Throttle>95% for Afterburner
• Trim for trim
• VTOL for flaps

Notes:

• Armament is speculative, but I think plausible given the circumstances.
• Happy New Year, and have a good 2025!

Background:

Work on the HA-300 began in Spain in the late 1950s under Hispano Aviacion. The design was the work of none other than Willy Messerschmitt. It was his first supersonic fighter project, and would prove to be his final aircraft design. The initial concept was too advanced for the time, leading to the project’s termination. Egypt, interested in having a modern fighter of its own, took interest in the aircraft and purchased the rights to it. Work continued there at Helwan. In parallel, development began on an afterburning turbojet engine to use with the fighter, known as the E-300. In the meantime, the prototypes would be test flown with the weaker British Orpheus engine. India also provided assistance in the form of test pilots and flew the E-300 engine with their own HF-24 Marut fighter.

The HA-300 was one of the smallest supersonic fighters ever designed and flown, possessing a wingspan of 19 ft and a gross weight of just 12,000 lb. It was a single-seat, single-engine design with a mid-mounted delta wing. Stabilators provided pitch control and a single vertical tail housed the rudder. The prototypes were unarmed, but likely armament for the production version would have been cannons and short range missiles.

Although the prototype aircraft flew several times with the Orpheus engine, they would never fly with the E-300. Indian support waned, and was eventually withdrawn entirely. Faced with the prospect of developing the fighter and engine alone, still rebuilding their air force in the aftermath of the Six-Day War, and amidst strengthening ties with the Soviet Union, Egypt chose to cancel the program in 1969. All three prototype aircraft survive today and are on display in museums in Egypt and Germany.