Hispano Aviácion HA 300
The HA 300 was the last aircraft development from Willy Messerschmitt. The two-jetted interceptor was designed for a top speed of up to Mach 2. According to the provisions of the consultative contract with the Spanish company Hispano Aviacion, Messerschmitt had his first drafts by 1953 and developed the model by 1959. In 1960, the project was completed in Spain after which the USA allowed extensive military help to be given to Spain. The Casa soon began a licensed construction of the American aircraft types. The construction documents of the HA 300 were sold to Egypt. Messerschmitt and a team continued work on the flight tests. After the construction of three prototypes and the development of the E300 engine by Ferdinand Brander, the project was abandoned.
After World War II, Spain realized that many Western countries did not want to sell new weapons, aircrafts or engines. A suggestion from Willy Messerschmitt in 1951 insisted that a performance-capable, independent aviation industry be created. He suggested the development of a jet fighter and a jet engine. According to the consultative contract with Hispano Aviacion, he established his own construction office in Seville.
Messerschmitt knew that he would have to deal with Ernst Heinkel, an old rival, during the HA 300 project. He had promised the Spanish Aviation Ministry the development of a fighter and the prototype construction by the national Casa was supposed to follow. Messerschmitt thought that the newest position would be the supersonic fighter instead of the subsonic one.
By mid 1956, there were contacts between Hispano Aviacion and the Egyptian government led by Gamal Abdel Nasser. They led to the purchase of the Spanish license constructed Me 109 as well as the cloning of HA 200. The interest of the Arabian nation awakened Spain's hopes in finding a partner that would help divide the development costs of the HA. During these negotiations, Egypt had made it clear that the initial flight of the HA 300 was the prerequisite for the contract of the licensed construction.
The Spanish government's lack of foreign exchange delayed the development of the HA 300. Wind tunnel measurements were interrupted, the procurement of material as well as processing machines for the experimental production were recalled or remained incomplete.
The development of the cell and the wings could still propel the aircraft. In 1956, the testing of the start and land behavior of the wooden model was 1:1. On June 25, 1959, the C211- a Spanish licensed Heinkel He 111- which landed in gliding flight.
The debate over the engine was a critical problem for the HA 3000. The Orpheus engine of the British company Bristol was chosen.
In 1959, the Bristol company made it clear that it would not take on all of the development costs for the after-burn version 12R of the Orpheus engine alone. In Spain, there was no debate concerning the dividing of the expenditures. The prototype construction was then implemented since the drafts for the cell were completed and the machinery was already ordered.
In 1960, the Egyptian government purchased the documents for the HA 300, the Hispano Aviacion refunded all of the development costs up until that point. All construction groups of the jet fighter as well as the volplane HA 300 P were overtaken by the purchaser.
On March 7, 1964, first prototype of HA 300 started on its initial flight to Cairo. During 1965, the second flight took place. Both prototypes were equipped with Bristol Orpheus 703-engines. For the third prototype, the Orpheus 12 was used and the aircraft was expected to achieve Mach 2 speed. The engine manufacturer aborted the development, however. Egypt kept the engine despite its development costs, however it was denied. Willy Messerschmitt was asked to develop his own engine. Though he was no engine constructor, he found help from Ferninand Brandner. The Jumo 222 was developed and was the strongest German aircraft engine of the Second World War. Brandner later went to the Soviet Union where he developed the stronger propeller turbine jet air engine in the world, the Kuznetow NK-12M with 8,800 kW.
The turbo jet engine E300 with 33.3 kN thrust suggested by Brandner and the 49 nK with afterburn was not just expected from the HA 300, but also for the fighter HF 24 Marut which Kurt Tank had been developing for the Indian government. A corresponding contract between India and Egypt was signed in September 1964.
The cell of the HA 300 had to be altered for the new engine. Problems concerning the procurement of construction parts delayed the project. After the outbreak of the Six Day War in 1967, Messerschmitt and Tank had contracts for the development of a third prototype of the HA 300. In 1969, the development was aborted and the German engineers had to evacuate the country due to tensions with the Federal Republic of Germany which led to a standstill in work. Egypt made close contacts with the Soviet Union and purchased aircrafts instead of developing them itself.
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