| HA-200 Saeta | |
|---|---|
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| |
| Role | Two-seat advanced jet trainer |
| Manufacturer | Hispano Aviación |
| Designer | Rafael Rubio Elola Willy Messerschmitt |
| First flight | 12 August 1955 |
| Introduction | 1962 |
| Primary users | Spanish Air Force Egyptian Air Force |
| Number built | 212 (90 in Egypt) |
| Developed from | HA-100 Triana |
The Hispano HA-200 Saeta (English: Arrow) is a twin-seat jet advanced trainer designed and produced by Spanish aircraft manufacturer Hispano Aviación. It has the distinction of being the first Spanish aircraft to harness jet propulsion.
The German aircraft designer Willy Messerschmitt can be largely credited for his role in designing the HA-200, which reused a substantial portion of the earlier piston-powered HA-100 Triana. On 12 August 1955, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight. It was not until 1962 that the first production aircraft performed its first flight. That same year, deliveries of the trainer aircraft commenced to the Spanish Air Force. It would be used in this capacity by the service for multiple decades.
The HA-200 was later further developed into the Hispano Aviación Ha-220 "Super Saeta", which functioned as a dedicated ground attack platform, armed with rockets, bombs, and other munitions. The HA-220 served in the Spanish Air Force throughout the 1970s, seeing action during the Polisario uprisings against insurgents. The HA-200 was also exported, the type being produced under license by Egypt, where it was designated as the Helwan HA-200B Al-Kahira. During the 1980s, the more capable CASA C-101 was introduced to Spanish service, supplementing and eventually succeeding the older HA-200 in both trainer and light attack roles.