HFB-320 Hansa Jet
| HFB-320 Hansa Jet | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Hamburger Flugzeugbau HFB-320 Hansa Jet of the Luftwaffe at Basle Airport | |
| Role | Business jet |
| National origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Hamburger Flugzeugbau |
| First flight | 21 April 1964 |
| Retired | 24 June 1994 |
| Primary user | West German Air Force |
| Number built | 47 |
The Hamburger Flugzeugbau HFB-320 Hansa Jet is an all-metal, twin-engine, ten-seat business jet that was built by German aircraft manufacturer Hamburger Flugzeugbau between 1964 and 1973.
The most notable feature of the aircraft is its forward-swept wing, which is mid-mounted in the fuselage. This arrangement allows the wing spar to pass through the fuselage behind the passenger cabin without decreasing cabin volume. As of 2011[update], it remains the only civilian jet ever to use a forward-swept wing.
The prototype first flew on 21 April 1964 and was exhibited at the May 1964 Hanover Air Show. A second prototype was flown on 19 October 1964. After a year of certification flight testing, the first prototype crashed on 12 May 1965, due to a design fault with the T-tail. Hamburger Flugzeugbau's chief test pilot perished in the crash. As a result of the accident, modifications were made to improve the aircraft's stall performance, including a stick pusher.
Assembly of the first ten production aircraft began in May 1965, with the first flying on 2 February 1966. German type certification was achieved on 23 February 1967, with American certification following on 7 April 1967. Italcementi of Italy took first customer delivery on 26 September 1967. Other corporate purchasers of the HFB-320 included the Argentinian state-owned Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales oil company.
The German Air Force had ordered 13 HFB-320s in 1963. As part of the evaluation of the type, two preproduction aircraft were delivered to the ErpSt 61 test wing at Oberpfaffenhoffen in 1966. This resulted in six aircraft being ordered for VIP use by the German Air Force. Production deliveries for use as VIP transports commenced in 1969.
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