THE AIRFORCE - AIRCRAFT - CN 235
Aircraft Stats:
CN 235
The SAAF inherited its CN235 in 1994 from the Bophuthatswana Defence Force Air Wing, who acquired theirs in 1991.
The type originated as a joint venture between Casa of Spain and IPTN of Indonesia, at the time manufacturing Casa 212s under license. The CN235 sports high wings, an unswept rear fuselage with ramp and a retractable tricycle landing gear, with the rear wheels retracting into external fairings to ensure an unrestricted cabin. Like the C212, the C235 is a short-take-off and landing aircraft with a rough field capability. It is also said to have excellent low-level flying characteristics - for tactical penetration missions.
The SAAF CN235 (tail number 8026) was the original prototype built by Casa. It first saw service in SA with the now defunct Bophuthatswana Defence Force Air Wing with tail number T330 in 1991. It became part of the SAAF inventory in 1994 when the SANDF was brought into being.
The aircraft was retired from service in late 2011 and placed on display at the SAAF Museum, AFB Swartkop.
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