America with it’s wide open spaces used supersonic training jets since the 1960s. Europe stayed with simpler slower trainers to go with their crowded skies. African countries weren’t having much luck keeping Mig or Mirage supersonic fighter bombers in service for long. Copying South Africa, they began to eye the European trainers as attack aircraft. Simple easy to fly planes and remember it is not likely the other guys Mig will get off the ground. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
Here we have a nice portrait of an Italian made Aeromachi MB339 looking ready to do more than train pilots. The MB339 was an improved version of the MB 326 with a raised rear cockpit to give a better view. The MB 326 was the huge African success with over 200 used by South Africa and dozens more used by Zambia, Congo, Ghana, Togo, and Tunisia. The MB339 was less successful in Africa but a few went to Eritrea, Ghana, and Nigeria. Notice I did not mention Tanzania. Their Air Force relies on China to provide thier copies of Mig fighters. China earlier attempt at jet trainers failed, see https://the-philatelist.com/2020/04/17/china-1958-dreams-of-a-future-in-aviation/ . So Tanzania tries to keep their 40 year old Migs operational.
Todays stamp is issue A181, a 70 Shilling stamp issued by Tanzania on April 25th, 1994. This was a 7 stamp issue in various denominations that was also available as a souvenir sheet. None of the aircraft models displayed were used by Tanzania. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 75 cents cancelled to order.
South Africa faced a unique problem in the 1970s. The Air Force had a large fleet of French Mirage fighters and British Buccaneer and Canberra bombers. There was a bush war in in South West Africa where there was no air opposition. With sanctions meaning the expensive planes would be hard to replace, it also meant they would be hard to use. Before sanctions bit, South Africa had acquired a license to manufacture the Italian Aeromachi MB326 jet training plane. The South Africans called them Impalas and built over 200 with the capability to drop bombs, strafe, and fire light rockets. Many third world nations saw this as an answer to their inability to maintain expensive supersonic fighters. Casa in Spain. BAE in Britain, Aero in Czechoslovakia, Soko in Yugoslavia in addition to Aeromachi in Italy began to offer their training planes fitted out for combat. Many offered single seat versions, but it was felt it was better to keep the back seat to enhance training functions and even to act as bombardiers in combat.
The South African war in Southwest Africa eventually outgrew the Impalas, see https://the-philatelist.com/2020/01/28/south-west-africa-1981-put-down-your-crowbar-and-we-will-throw-out-the-cubans/ . Angola acquired a force of Cuban flown and maintained Soviet Mig 23s and South Africa returned to using the expensive Mirage fighters. After the change in government, South Africa did not maintain the large fleet of Impalas. Instead they bought a small fleet of quite advanced Swedish Saab Gripen fighters. that rarely fly in the Tanzania style.
China eventually got into the act with the Hongdu K-8. It was much delayed because at the last minute the Chinese had to substitute a Russian engine for the American turbofan the plane had been designed for. So finally Tanzania was able to acquire a modern jet trainer 20 years after this stamp.
Interestingly the South African experience probably held back sales of the improved MB339. It was decided to retain the old Rolls Royce Viper turbojet instead of moving to more efficient turbofans as most new trainer by then offered. This was done in hopes of South African orders, South Africa would not have been allowed the British/French Adour turbofan.
Well my drink is empty and so I will have to wait till Monday when there will be another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.