Aermacchi MB-326
 

Watching SAAF Silver Falcon air displays as a child is what got me interested in aviation.

Does anyone know of any video footage of Impala´s available on the web?
Have tried Youtube and Google Video but not much luck.

Also if anyone has any interesting stories or news about MB-326´s please post on this thread.

KDY

I was reading a book last night called the "The Chopper Boys" (Al J. Venter ) and it had a chapter on SAAF operations in SW Africa and Angola which included gun camera photos from an Impala shooting down a MIG-17 which had to be a first.

Thanks Argonautical, I will keep an eye out for that one.

They were also quite succesful at shooting down helicopters:

Angola: SAAF Bushwacks Six Helicopters

Kdy.
I am in the UK. I went tpo Ysterplatt show in 2005, where a 326 in private hands was flown in the show. It is in SSAF markings. I don't know how to post the video, but if you're system on DVD [I presume you are in SA] is the same as UK, I will happily do you a copy if you wish. PM me your address if interested.

No Impala ever shot down a MiG-17, you mean a Mi-17 as mentioned in the book.

OOPS...must have been miles away when I posted that. Probably in a Mirage streaking across an Egyptian airfield in 1967 (-:

Anyway back to reality. According to the book, this came about when Jonas Savimbi asked the South Africans if they could do anything about the Angolan helicopters that were being used to re-supply an ongoing offensive against his troops.

After much discussion the SAAF agreed and tactics were worked out using Impalas and Pumas following which the Impalas were deployed to Rundu in Caprivi.

The dates in the book are not consistent because it says the operations took place during the last week of October 1985 but the two sorties when the 6 choppers were downed, were said to have been on the 27th and 29th September respectively.

In the first sortie, 2 helicopters were shot down and the second accounted for 2 Mi-25s and 2 Mi-17s. The wingman in the second sortie shot down a Mi-17 after having to re-light his engine because he suffered a flame out when he fired at the leading Mi-25.