Cheetah "R" no 855:
In order to have an advanced reconnaissance capability for future use, a feasibility study was conducted as a possible further extension to the Cheetah upgrade program. This involved a single Atar 9K50 Mirage III R2Z no 855 converted to Cheetah standard. The so called sole Cheetah "R" featured a newly designed nose section that housed a similar camera configuration as the Mirage III R2Z in the bottom of the nose. The new nose also houses the compact radar of the Cheetah E, but the pitot was relocated above the nose, instead of below. Other sensors could be carried further aft, accessed via hatches in the sides of the nose.
To conserve weight and increase the maximum dash speed, the cannons were removed and the canon ports faired over. Only one such aircraft was converted and later fitted with the ACW (Advanced Combat Wing). The aircraft was extensively used for systems testing, testing of the flight envelope of the ACW and integration of the 9K50 engine to the Cheetah program. This was the only Cheetah not fitted with a refuelling probe. But the SAAF did not select the Cheetah "R".
The next chapter in the history of the Cheetah contains various degrees of false information and it is very difficult to distinguish the facts. As number 855 was exhibited during 1994 as the Cheetah "R" leading aerospace publications picked up on the story that apparently an entire new fighter program was underway in South Africa. The SAAF was not the culprit in this chapter, but rather the aerospace journalists who became victims of their own selfishness to be first with the "story". A number of different reports were published each claiming to be as accurate as the previous report.
Some of the reports suggested that the existing Cheetah Es were refitted with Atar 9K50 engines from the retired F1CZ aircraft, some claimed the Cheetah "R" was the latest type under Project 855 or Project Bark and even quoted the total cost of this project, while others claimed the Cheetah "R" was actually the new Cheetah C under development. There were even reports that South Africa had developed a twin Atar 9K50 fighter aircraft and a model of this type at an aerospace exhibition fuelled more speculation that "Project Cava" existed. Although the model was essentially a single engine aircraft. But the sole Cheetah "R" fuelled the majority of reports as many concluded the SAAF was in need of reconnaissance aircraft as very few aircraft remained in the SAAF's inventory that could be used for this role. The SAAF simply capitalised on wrong reports in the media to protect its current black project which was well underway.
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