Atlas (Denel) Cheetah Multi-role Aircraft (1986)
The Atlas-Denel Cheetah represents the most comprehensive upgrade of the basic Mirage III series type.
It is widely believed that the South African Atlas concern received some level of assistance (at least initially) from IAI of Israel for two distinct reasons - 1) South Africa and Israel enjoyed a particularly close relationship during this time and 2) Israel had already garnered intimate experience in upgrading their own French Mirages through the indigenous Israeli "Kfir" fighter endeavor. This participation no doubt supplied a strong understanding when bringing about the new standard for the South African Mirage III. As such, the SAAF aircraft sports various proven Israeli elements as advanced avionics, all-digital systems and quality physical design changes to the airframe (the forward canards for example).
Though retaining roughly 50 percent of the existing Mirage III airframe, the Cheetah basically evolved into an "all-new" aircraft and appeared in a few variants made distinguishable by the identified single-seat or twin-seat derivatives. A fixed in-flight refueling probe was also added to the design for essentially unlimited operational ranges as was the inclusion of additional underfuselage hardpoints (wingtip hardpoints were trialed successfully for the Mirage IIIR2Z which would have become the "Cheetah R" dedicated reconnaissance platform but these never put into production). Higher rated engines were also added to the mix.
The resulting Mirage design was an impressive combination of speed and performance. Armament was centered around the modern multi-role theory from the start with standard twin 30mm DEFA 552 series internal cannons for close-in work and capability for air-to-air (Python/Darter) and air-to-surface missiles of various types. Other munition options included rocket pods (SNEB 68mm) and gun pods as well as conventional drop ordnance and guided bombs (GPS/laser). Two hardpoints were plumbed for jettisonable fuel drop tanks.
Externally, the Cheetah series managed an appearance not unlike the Mirage IIIs it mimicked. The aircraft retained many of its design lines and physical feaures including its long pointed nose cone, forward-set cockpit, side-mounted intakes, single engine installation, low-set delta wings, tricycle undercarriage and single vertical tail fin. Power was via a SNECMA Atar 9K50C-11 series afterburning turbojet engine developing up to 16,000lbs of thrust allowing for a top speed of Mach 2.2 at altitude. Maximum take-off weight was 30,200lbs.
The initial Cheetah would become the single seat "Cheetah C" that featured modernized equipment throughout and is widely considered as the ultimate product of the Mirage III family series. 38 of this type were delivered. There have been 16 "Cheetah D" (twin-seat trainer with secondary attack capability) and 16 "Cheetah E" airframes also delivered for a total inventory of 70 aircraft systems. The Cheetah D was the two-seat trainer with secondary-line attack functionality retained. The Cheetah E were airframes utilized as interim jets until the Cheetah Cs attained operation numbers. The proposed "Cheetah R" was never produced, the SAAF electing instead to outfit its existing strike Cheetah Cs with reconnaissance pods. Introduction of the Atlas Cheetah line as a whole occurred in 1986.
The Cheetah series has since been replaced in the South African Air Force with the arrival of the Swedish Saab JAS J39 Gripen next generation fighter, of which an initial batch were ordered in 1999. As such, the Cheetah family was retired from frontline service with the SAAF in 2008. Some ex-SAAF Cheetahs saw extended service lives in the inventories of Ecuador and Chile. Ecuador purchased 10 Cheetah C models and a pair of Cheetah D models after 2009 with deliveries commencing in 2011. Chile has managed at least five Cheetah E airframes since 2003. both nations were operators of older model French Mirages. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
Atlas (Denel) Cheetah
Multi-role Aircraft
Country of Origin: South Africa
Manufacturer: Denel Aviation (Atlas Aviation) - South Africa
Initial Year of Service: 1986
Production: 70
Focus Model: Atlas (Denel) Cheetah C
Crew: 1
Length: 50.85ft (15.5m)
Width: 26.97ft (8.22m)
Height: 14.76ft (4.50m)
Weight (Empty): 14,551lbs (6,600kg)
Weight (MTOW): 30,203lbs (13,700kg)
Powerplant: 1 x SNECMA Atar 9K50C-11 turbojet engine generating 16,000lbs of thrust with afterburner.
Maximum Speed: 1,460mph (2,350kmh; 1,269kts)
Maximum Range: 808miles (1,300km)
Service Ceiling: 55,774ft (17,000m; 10.6miles)
Rate-of-Climb: 46,000 feet per minute (14,021m/min)
Hardpoints: 7
Armament Suite:
STANDARD:
2 x 30mm DEFA 552 cannons
Mission-specific optional ordnance can include any of the following:
Python 3 air-to-air missiles
Armscor V3B Kukri air-to-air missiles
V3C Darter air-to-air missiles
V4 R-Darter air-to-air missiles
U-Darter air-to-air missiles
Air-to-Surface Missiles
Conventional Drop Bombs (Iron, Cluster)
Matra Rocket Pods (68mm SNEB Rockets)
Laser-Guided Bombs
GPS-Guided Bombs
Reconnaissance Pods
Droptanks
Variants:
Cheetah C - Definitive Cheetah Fighter Variant fitted with contemporary avionics and weapons systems; Atar 9K-50 turbojet engine.
Cheetah D - Two-Seat Attack Variant based on the Mirage IIIDZ; canards; static inflight refueling probe.
Cheetah E (EZ) - Single-Seat Fighter; avionics and airframe improvements ; retains base Mirage III SNECMA Atar 9C powerplant.
Mirage IIIR2Z - Prototype Mirage III with wingtip air-to-air missile mounts; never put into production.
Cheetah R - Proposed Dedicated Reconnaissance Model based on the Mirage IIIR2Z testbed; sans cannons and inflight refueling probe.
Operators: Chile; Ecuador; South Africa
BY DECADE:
• 1900 to 1909
• 1910 to 1919
• 1920 to 1929
• 1930 to 1939
• 1940 to 1949
• 1950 to 1959
• 1960 to 1969
• 1970 to 1979
• 1980 to 1989
• 1990 to 1999
• 2000 to 2009
• 2010 to 2019
• 2020 to 2029
• VIEW ALL
• Compare Aircraft
BY TYPE:
• Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
• Attack Helicopters
• Bomber Aircraft
• Medium Bombers
• Heavy Bombers
• Close-Air Support (CAS)
• Commercial Aircraft
• Dive Bombers
• Electronic Warfare Aircraft (EWA)
• Experimental / X-Planes
• Fighter Aircraft
• Floatplane Aircraft
• Flying Boat Aircraft
• Aerial Refueling Tankers
• Helicopters (ALL)
• Interceptor Aircraft
• Multi-Role Aircraft
• Navy Carrier Aircraft
• Night Fighters
• Reconnaissance / Scout
• Search & Rescue (SAR)
• Scout Helicopters
• Special Purpose
• Torpedo Bombers
• Trainer Aircraft
• Transport Aircraft
• Transport Helicopters
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
• Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs)
COLLECTIONS:
• 4th Generation Fighter Aircraft
• 5th Generation Fighter Aircraft
• US X-Planes
• Classic US Warbirds
• French Military Helicopters
• Grumman "Cats"
• Howard Hughes Aircraft
• Indian Air Force
• Israeli Air Force
• Libyan Aircraft
• Modern Chinese Aircraft
• Modern Chinese Fighters
• Modern Military Aircraft
• Modern North Korean Aircraft
• Modern Trainer Aircraft
• Modern US Aircraft
• Mikoyan Aircraft
• Sukhoi Aircraft
• Syrian Aircraft
• Top 10 Fighter Aircraft of All Time
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT:
• Arab-Israeli War (1948)
• Cuban Missile Crisis (1959-1962)
• Falklands War (1982)
• Indo-Pak War (1965, 1971)
• Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)
• Lebanon War (1982)
• Operation Allied Force (1999)
• Operation Desert Storm (1991)
• Six Day War (1967)
• Spanish Civil War (1936)
• Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989)
• Yom Kippur War (1973)
MISCELLANEOUS:
• Aircraft Cockpits
• Aircraft Manufacturers List
• Aircraft Timeline
WORLD WAR 2:
• 1939 Aircraft
• 1940 Aircraft
• 1941 Aircraft
• 1942 Aircraft
• 1943 Aircraft
• 1944 Aircraft
• 1945 Aircraft
• 1946 Aircraft
• Australian Aircraft
• Battle of Britain Aircraft
• Bombers
• Four-Engine Bombers
• British Aircraft
• British Bombers
• British Transports
• Dive Bombers
• Canadian Aircraft
• Fighters
• Chinese Aircraft
• French Aircraft
• German Aircraft
• German Fighters
• German Flying Boats
• German Jets
• Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
• Italian Aircraft
• Imperial Japanese Aircraft
• Imperial Japanese Fighters
• Mitsubishi Bombers
• Navy Aircraft
• Pearl Harbor
• Polish Aircraft
• Romanian Aircraft
• US Aircraft
• US Bombers
• US Navy Aircraft
• Soviet Aircraft
• Torpedo Bombers
• Trainer Aircraft
• Transport Aircraft
• Tuskegee Airmen Aircraft
• W.A.S.P. Aircraft
• WW2 Aircraft Ranked by Speed
• VIEW ALL
WORLD WAR 1:
• 1914 Aircraft
• 1915 Aircraft
• 1916 Aircraft
• 1917 Aircraft
• 1918 Aircraft
• Aircraft Timeline
• Austro-Hungarian Aircraft
• Bomber Aircraft
• British Aircraft
• Fighters
• Flying Boats
• French Aircraft
• Imperial German Aircraft
• Italian Aircraft
• Scout Aircraft
• Russian Empire Aircraft
• US Aircraft
• WW1 Aircraft Ranked by Speed
• VIEW ALL
KOREAN WAR:
• Australian Aircraft
• Korean War Aces
• Korean War Jets
• North Korean Aircraft
• US Military Aircraft
• VIEW ALL
VIETNAM WAR:
• Helicopters
• North Vietnam Air Force
• US Airpower
• VIEW ALL
COLD WAR:
• 1950s French Aircraft
• British V-Bombers
• Cold War Bombers
• Soviet Aircraft
• Soviet Bombers
• Soviet Interceptors
• Soviet Helicopters
• Strategic Air Command
• US Aircraft
• US Bombers
• US Interceptors
• VIEW ALL
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
