KFIR C2/C7

The IAI Kfir C-2 / C-7 was a single-seater, Israeli-made assault fighter plane with a full-metal, half-shell structure in the so-called duck arrangement. The drive is provided by a single General-Electric J-79-J1E engine. The prototype's flight took place in 1973, and the machine was put into service in 1976. It is still there. The IAI Kfir C-2 / C-7 was created by combining a very successful Mirage 5 airframe and the American General Electric engine - the same that powered the F-4 Phantom II fighters. The avionics of the machine was also significantly changed and - in later versions - a tail in the front part of the fuselage was added, which significantly increased the maneuverability of the new machine. In the end, a plane was created with much better performance than the Mirage 5 or Phantom II, better maneuverability and better electronics. Several development versions of the Kfir aircraft were produced in the course of serial production. The first mass-produced was the Kfir C-1, shortly after that the Kfir C-2 version was created. In 1983, the delivery of the C-7 version, which was a specialized assault variant, began. Kfir C-2 / C-7 planes took an active part in all of Israel's armed conflicts after 1976, mainly in the intervention in Lebanon. The planes were used primarily by Israel, but were also exported to Ecuador, Colombia and Sri-Lanka. For several years - on a loan basis - they were also used in the US Navy for training purposes.