Edrissa TE-03 (Kingdom of Mali)

The Edrissa TE-03 is a Mali single-engined, single-seat, mixed-construction fighter aircraft of World War II. Design on a Mali high-performance aircraft first started late in 1937. The result, finished in early 1938 was the TE-03, a single-seat fighter of radical design with contra-rotating propellers and an engine housed behind the pilot. It had initially been proposed to do away with ailerons on the wings, and replace them with "slot-spoilers" for lateral control, however this idea was abandoned early in the project. It took flight in mid-1938, offering very good flying characteristics. It's cheap construction and ease of maintenance made it a very popular choice for African nations, which kept the type in service up until the 1950s.

Operators

Mali

—• Mali Air Force

Central African Republic

—• Central African Air Force

Rhodesia

—• Rhodesian Air Force

Imeria

—• Royal Imerian Air Force

Specifications

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 9.25 m
Wingspan: 9.60 m
Height: 2.60 m
Empty weight: 1,600 kg
Max takeoff weight: 2,425 kg
Powerplant: 1x Daimler-Benz DB 605A-1 V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,455 hp

Performance

Maximum speed: 510 km/h at 4,500 m
Range: 1,000 km
Service ceiling: 9,000 m
Time to altitude: 4,600 m in 6 minutes 15 seconds

Armament

Guns:

- 1x 20 mm Madsen autocannon firing through the propellor
- 4x wing-mounted 7.92 mm machine guns