UT Is, this tank been fuly cor hat since the tank be was fi then the D2Z was whereas if al other Si BG? 22 ute secrecy due to South At ate 1980s and ea similarly powere this snot the case; the was removable. Int eI South African Air Force (SAAF) Cheetah continues in li mode! powered by models, the ventral ait longitudinally, ‘service today, Recent upgrades mean thatthe at to 9K-50C- the left side’ tel forming pat ofthe let wing’ seat Cheetahs wil not be withdrawn untl 2012 when It was this engine that made the R el supply, and the right side ofthe tank part ofthe Mirage Mi mode in the SAAF er Project Recipient, a total of ten operational in the tactical reconnaissanc ual-seat Cheetahs were upgraded over an means ie! Somewhat against the grain approximate two-year per equipped withthe Atar 09C tr These included five Cheet a5 were the OZ, EZ and RZ models, while the BZ and C2 models were tar 098 powered. Other supersoi surviving Cheetah Ds (839-841) were not upgraded engines in included the Atar 950A" The Cheetah original {and it has been offically confirmed that they were 20 ofthe Mirage series Requirement 15/81 dated September 1981 for the ‘obvious external dferences, it is upgrading ofthe now obsolete Mirage Il. The fist known that both the 022/R2Z submission ofthe project stusy emerged in October wing tanks, situated 1982, and the following January approval was right wing’ supply. Furthermore, during refueing/ ‘etueing, al fue respectively going toleoming fro the wing fans, had to fist passthrough the venta ching its destination emerged from SAAF Staff Subsequently retired and placed up for disposal. But before discussing the details of Recipient, its necessary to accurately establish the modification state of the relevant SAAF Mirage Ill between the wing root and notch carrying 137 litres _frtheaming for the uporade of an oficial quo ‘models prior to tir Cheetan conversion, {G0 Imp gal of fuel per wing, this raising the total figure of 37 Mirage Ils. Contractual negotiations internal fuel a e OZ/R2's 2736 tres larch 1983, the fina 2 (600 Imp gab to imo ga y aviation journals What made the Mirage lID2Z unique among SA irae ls was the adtion ofa runway arrestor hook. Test Fight and Development Centre at Bredasdorp the Mirage 11DZ/02Z and RZ/R2Z, to date none Nave thatthe rear fuselage ventral (now AFB Overberg), was scheduled to become $0 sirlercesmonthiy.comthe first dual Mirage converted to Cheetah status een Ce eee cas in Israel in May 1985, only arriving back at Atlas on Pee weer ts Coe a eared Serre ete) Ciera eae ee et was established at Pietersburg on July 1, 1986, ery ea ate eran) Le ea re tte ory Cs, which the israelis insisted be zero-houred at eee were very low-houred airframes, al the Chetan D/D2s continued thei airframe hours count from Cees Cine erred b2zs was converted at Atlas, conversion periods PL tuucantce ae ious Project Cushion involved the conversion to dual Cheetan status of two disparate Mirage models See aco RR ie) eae errs The frst Mirage 5s arrived at Atlas on April 22, Ce eee ae was the first of the pair delivered to the SAAF on eh ony gee Cheetah 8 (862) delivered on July 28,1988. ee kc Ee ers) scheduled to become Cheetah Ds. No.839 was the fist to commence upgrade at Atlas on December 9, ee ce et Care eto ced dae eet ete cnet nord loss on take-off from Pietersburg on an unknown ere ete ee eet) ra em Ree ea i Cee ey Re ie rs) equivalent from a Mirage 5. This included the entire Cee ee eles ote ey eer Pe ckensebaten dues bea bend att ey the final Cheetah D and, in fact, the last of 16 dual Cee coer eg Pra err ha eee ee rts single-engine factor. Besides 844 already detaled, er Cec Cee aero eee ang eee ue eee ee eee) era Te eyPE a rioknn caine, EY re a ee ae ie ee a Perce aedat least three times as many landings between changes than coul the alder ste! brakes Finally, a single-piece windscreen has replaced the original three-piece unit inherited from the Mirage I. The stretched acrylic transparency offers Superior optical quality compared to its acrylic and glass predecessor, while the elimination of both metal frames has greatly benefited forward No. Sat Mage Cheetah Alas SAP Serial Node! ode! Delivery Deliery 9 moe > oper zonass 2 om Dsus zamna 2 on Wm 0 anes nee 400 mare ass eer Som moze m2 OUR 06s 6 os mez ue aes 1 ume me itsas soRas a ee) 9 oe mz mesma 04st mex moze onas mar ne mz mos Res 8 zo oo Doe se oer Wise amet eons Som $8 mm meee we se ommaT rae Above: This erin! Mirage 1027 sevaled 844 was ‘eventually upgraded toa Cheetah D2 before becoming ‘the prototype for Project Recplnt * Left Pretatype Cheetah D2, 845, 5 seen here Inthe ‘mid1990s Beng used te fest the Kentron MUPSOW (Wtipurpese Stand OF Weapon. Right 2 Sgn based at Makhae Ar Base i the only ‘operation! unt ying the Cheetah Below: Cheetah 861s the most strikingly decorated ual seat Cheetah. twas palnted inthis colour scheme 1 200 ust prior fo the African Aviation and Defence (1AD) 2004 exhibition t Waterkoa. 2s Visibility. The new wrap-around windscreen was originally conceived for the Cheetah C feet, but has naw been retrofitted to all qual Cheetahs. It offers improved bice strike resistance, being able to withstand the impact of a 397%b (L8kg) bird at 2Bé6mph 460km/n What is surprising is the length of time it has taken for the SAF to implement these upgr Fate 6 Renae Wiotersle Wiese Wo230787 00K) ented eel (Pe 210698 for pretty pe Now ted sete ceed S95 ean an ten nse te SAF Miu 2297 Aatne sete sate especially when one considers thatthe dual upgrade prototype, Cheetan D2 844 fist flew in late 1994, That these upgrades took almost a decade to apoly has mos ely been costrelated Recce Under the initial upgrade masterplan all surviving examples of the photo reconnaissance dedicated Mirage lIRZ/R2Z models were tobe upgraded to a common Cheetah R standard under Project Bark. To achieve this, the O9C engine on the RZ would need to be substituted with the 9K50 that already powered the R22. Accordingly, in the late 1980s both Mirage lIRZ 836 and IIR2Z 855 became the respective prototypes for Cheetah conversion and engine standardisation To cores, Cheetah R85 was fitted witha modified version of the Weapons Delivery and Navigation System (WONS) as ited othe Cheetah E, but without the radar, backup computer and air-to-ground functions of the Cheetah E's system. To this was added two KSIS3A oblique cameras (oe 8Omm and ‘one 610mm focal length), vertical cameras beneath the nose, a video footprint viewfinder system and associated functions for mantring and contol The Camera and Stores Management System (CSM) transmitted relevant data for adaptation (on exposed frames within the cameras. An w 19213 December 53PU Ce eer cd eee et ee ee ern nent rn Pore eae ene ee enh rere ie Sete pronase reaper einer art naer ea tY tect er ere eer ent Ta eet ee ce nC me ee pares ee ee ed eee en mea ne came necessat ee ae ta talus on March 3, 1986. It was the last of eight when, due to heavy headnind turbulence and oh fate countermeasures tobe deployed against them, 02Zs to commence conversion and, ike the similar technical factors, the fighter was unable to eee ee ee it had flown from the required minimum quantity of fuel trom a 60 Sere ea meee ee ed ee oo ee eee eer met on ee eae ae he ai-toair mode only. Also fitted was a Martin- fights it also became the final D2 celivered to the induced hard landing at Upington Baker Mk 1L ejection set, infght refueling probe SAAF's renamed Cheetah conversion uni, 89 CFS, main undercarriage sequence jack and combat performance-enhancing nose strakes, aso at Petersburg on June 30, 1987, with 0249 units and causing the aircraft to sink eet tyne total alrrame hours. It underwent is first Cheetah 1300 ite (285 imp gal) drop tanks. The tanks bok Inthe early 1990s, the SAAF experienced a change major service in 1989 at 1221 hours, followed by on the runway surface and te frcton-generate f heart and elected to phase out the existing a second ‘minor’ that incorporsted an electronics het set the leaking fuel aight. The fie services on Creare ee eee ete ee ee ete eae Se ee ee ee eee eer et eee later would only be able to undertake from AFB Louis Trichardt (now Makhado) to AFB in opening the access gates eee eae elem ere er ene ee eer ce ee ae ee cee? Sere eed nnn See ee ey etc ta rn perenne aetna tt ore ee een nt ene Not long afterwards, the Cheetah C received its amera pod capability inthe form of the Vinten ee eee ie eee Brana rte an rece are rarer ae eee ek een ts eae a ta eee ce ust eters ert es peanut scene a ae Te Mirage ti022 peste Er aetetr irene eer eedWitn 89 CFS crea December 1987. nas classitieg pair and quently deemed a write-off jowing the SAAF's abandooment ofthe Ch oro demise could not have occurred at ‘more opportune time for Dene, whi ng more representative ‘ Although these up 1 Cheetah $tertained future hopes of courting the existing Mirage IS, ational mark hy might have been interested i imoroving its Dassault fighters as cheaper alternative to buying new. The final agreement between Denel andthe SAAF = as that 844 we atter, becoming 2 Research an RD) test-bed withthe formes ars, upgrades epais was the need la le simulta mbat Wing 1es mistakenly termec is had a fixed nereased camber, but with 2 slg sweep angle over the outer 20% enabling the addition of a misie launch rail for a short-range aictoair missile. Two additional leading edge fuel tanks outboard of the natch marginally increased the tactical radius in the ruse The badly burt rear fuselage and 09C engine of Cheetah 844 were replaced with the rear fuselage and later 94-50 powerplant from converted Mirage IIRZ 836, Besides the new engine undercaane wheal brakes, air intakes, windscreen and ACW, a number of visually obvious systems improvements we Incorporates: On Ju 7, 1994, work started on repating and upgrading 844, adit ew ints naw contguration forthe frst time on November 25 that yea. made ts international debut, abet only asa tate eet, at the is ir Salon at Le Bourget. Tis was the fist ‘occasion on which a Cheetah (ot any mode) appeared poses its second eK, and its first “major” as a (Chestah at 622 airframe fa ‘one not ultimately adopted onthe dual Cheeta let was the ACW, This fact however in no way discredits the ACW whi jer test and evaluation exceeded al Indeed, at least one country ~ belived to ried to have shown more than just a passing interest init However, due to the poltical limitations imposed by South Africa's National Conventional Arms Control Commitee, this genuine intrest apparently could not be pursued to a successful conclusion by ARMSCOR (South Africa's oficial arms acquisition and marketing agency), on Dene's bert Following the completion of 844's research and ase, the SAF offically conated jatype to Denel on June 24, 1998, Once nated to industry, its weapons capably had to be removed. The writer was offical assured that this capability could be very easly restored should he need arise, although itis unlikely to happen ‘Given the planned delivery of the Gripen within the next couple of years. But the eventual retirement of the Cheetah will mark the pasing of another charismatie fighter Loft Two Mirages are see being reworked into Cheetane atthe Atlas Kempton Pak Tally. Atlas brcame Dene in 1992. ob. va Tow sion This lew clearly shows the sections of ear fuselage (stl in primer) then trom Mirage RZ 836 torebulé 644 after Its ecient. New wings ad tal fin were also adaee ov 20108