Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet
The Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet was developed jointly by France and Germany as a trainer that could also carry weapons for light-attack missions. Its two compact engines, tandem cockpit, and swept wing gave student pilots experience with handling close to a fighter. German Alpha Jets later served as aggressor aircraft and have become popular civilian display jets. The type remains familiar at airshows, yet genuine military examples are increasingly rare.
.jpg){kind=link}
Did you know?
Originally a Franco-German fighter trainer, the Alpha Jet is now more often seen at airshows than in military service.
Specifications
| Length | 12.5 m (41 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 9.2 m (30 ft) |
| Height | 4.2 m (14 ft) |
| Persons on board | 2 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 7.2 t |
| Range | 1,500 NM (2,778 km) |
| Maximum speed | 540 kt (1,000 km/h) |
| Stall speed | 90 kt (167 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 48,000 ft (14,630 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 25,000 ft (7,620 m) |
| Rate of climb | 11,220 ft/min (57 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 410 m (1,345 ft) |
| Landing distance | 1,250 m (4,101 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 2,500 l |
| Engines | 2x Larzac 04-C6 |
| Units built | 480 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet starts as a Rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Dassault-Dornier, the Alpha Jet family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
Browse all aircraft types, or learn to tell Airbus from Boeing.