Who designed the C-101's rear fuselage?

Short answer

The rear fuselage and tail section of the CASA C-101 Aviojet were designed by the German company Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), while Northrop handled the wings and engine air intakes. The CASA aircraft first flew on 27 June 1977.

Published: November 2, 2026 · Updated: November 2, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

CASA C-101 of the Patrulla Águila and Pilatus PC-21 of the future Formación Mirlo flying together at the Aire 25 festivalRB7MRV (CC BY SA), vía commons

A trainer to replace the HA-200

The C-101 was designed in response to a requirement issued by the Spanish Air Force in 1975, calling for a new jet trainer to replace its aging fleet of Hispano HA-200 and Ha.220 aircraft. The CASA C-101 Aviojet is an advanced trainer and light attack aircraft, low-wing, single-engine and jet-powered, designed and built by the Spanish company Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA). The development contract awarded to CASA on the basis of its proposal required the construction of two static airframes and four flyable prototypes intended for testing, at a cost of 1,297 million pesetas (22 million dollars).

The design split with MBB and Northrop

The rear fuselage structure and tail section were the work of engineers from the German company Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), while the team from the American company Northrop was responsible for the wings, the wing profile and the engine air intakes.

Prototypes and flight test campaign

The first flight took place on 27 June 1977, although the flight test phase, which included vibration, flutter and spin tests, did not begin until 17 April 1978. The Spanish Air Force placed an initial order for 88 aircraft, built as a pure trainer version, designated C-101EB-01 by CASA and E.25 Mirlo by the Air Force.