 MFI had been developing an airplane for some time, for artillery spotting and liaison operations and training, and which made its maiden flight on 11 July 1969 (SE-301), promised to be ideal for both of these purposes. Designed by Bjorn Andreasson, the plane could easily be equipped either with a nose wheel (this version being known as the MFI-15A trainer) or with a tail wheel (the artillery spotting version designated MFI-15B). The Swedish Air Force decided to purchase the Beagle Bull-dog while the MFI-15, later renamed Safari, test program was still in progress. The plane was converted into an efficient weapons carrier by increasing the engine power and making some structural modifications as the MFI-17. |
