IDS Prototypes

There were 10 prototypes built, allocated as follows, Britain 5, including 1 trainer and 1 static test airframe, Germany 3 and Italy 2. 

D-9591 was taken by lorry from Ottobrun on 12th November 1973 to Manching for final assembly. After completing ground run testing of the early RB199 engines it was finally re-engined with flight ready engines. It subsequently flew as LUNA 23 on 14th August 1974.

The early prototypes were limited to M1.3 and 40,000ft by the then current engines.

All the prototype aircraft carried an extensive test equipment that was capable of monitoring 460 parameters of the aircraft.  This system was also capable of transmitting up to 150 parameters at any one time to a ground station.

ADV Prototypes

Britain produced 3 ADV prototypes under the designation F2, ZA254, ZA267 and ZA283. The first to fly, ZA254 did so on 27^th October 1979 in the hands of David Eagles. A total of 18 F2s were subsequently ordered, but during production a newer version of the RB199 power plant was produced. This newer version incorporated a longer jet-pipe which gave a significant increase in thrust. This engine was designated the RB199-34R Mk 104. The first six F2s were trainers, designated F2T. The new engine being about 14" longer than the Mk 103 required an airframe modification before they could be installed. ZA267 was the first airframe to fly utilising the new engines and in doing so really became the F3 prototype.