African Aircraft Manufacturers
 

I didn't know there were any aircraft manufacturers, let alone military ones, throughout the whole continent of Africa!


Then I came across this one based in South Africa :


Africa - First African military aircraft takes to the skies, making aviation history - France 24


I have since found out there were a few more non-Military ones also in South Africa.


But here is a question - Is South Africa the only country within the whole continent of Africa that has aircraft manufacturers?

Probably, yes.

But this is not the first manufacturer in South Africa. Back in apartheid days the government started Atlas Aircraft Corporation, which built under licence the Aermachhi 326.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_MB-326 for more info.

I feel sure aircraft have been built in Egypt in the past.......... The Heliopolis Gomhouria springs to mind. License built Bucker Beastmann.

There's always this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVqQKF7xgTQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJAZRLn0Hig

You have to admire their optimism. http://www.pprune.org/images/icons/mpangel.gif

It depends on what you call an aircraft...

Egypt - The Helwan HA-300, based on a design by no less than Prof Willy Messerschmitt

SA - Atlas Cheetah, albeit its essentially a Mirage

SA - Denel Rooivalk, attack helicopter. This was probably the first true African bred military type

SA - The Sling, a rather smart little light sports aircraft

For other weird and wonderful types, check out the Virtual Aircraft Museum

TCU,

Surely the Denel Rooivalk, like the Oryx, has its origins in the SA330? Irrespective of that, it's a very good attack helicopter whose competence is not reflected in its sales, mostly due to politics I suppose.

And this project by DENEL. Not sure if it ever flew?

http://www.janes.com/images/assets/4...t-_AAD143_.jpg

Still a project, afaik. Done some work for it last year.

African Aircraft
 

Although not strictly a scratch-built aircraft, don't forget the RV-6A Air Beetle that was supplied in kit form to Nigeria in the late 1980/90s as a basic trainer for the Air Force. They were built/assembled at Kaduna Military Airport with the involvement of AIEP Dornier. I remember seeing one flying some impressive aerobatics there, probably in 1990-ish.