Egypt has experience in assembly in recent years, but Helwan HA-300 was designed in Helwan factory in Egypt by German engineer Willy Messerschmitt for the airframe and Austrian Ferdinand Brandner, an expert on Turbojet engine design:
Helwan HA-300 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following article also has some background information about overall arms industries and their financing where KSA and UAE were involved with Egypt from 1973-1979:
Arms Industries of the Middle East | Middle East Research and Information Project
Indigenous Egypt: Aircraft Made By AOI Aircraft Factory | malaysiaflyingherald
Indigenous Egypt: Aircraft Made By AOI Aircraft Factory
Posted on May 9, 2013 by hafizuddinsulaiman
The AOI Aircraft Factory was initially established as the Helwan Aircraft Factory in 1950 as part of Egypts aspiration to become self reliance in providing military equipment to its armed forces as well as to strive in the aerospace technology.
Throughout its existence, the company had built several types of aircraft and UAV for the Egyptian Air Force including the HA-200 Al-Kahirah subsonic trainer, HA-300 supersonic fighter prototype, Alpha Jet trainer, EMB-312 Tucano turboprop trainer and the K-8E Karakoram jet trainer.
The HA-200 Al-Kahirah subsonic trainer is an Egyptian variant of the Hispano HA-200 Saeta trainer designed by Germanys fame engineer Willy Messerschmitt. The Helwan Aircraft Factory had built 90 of such aircraft under license.
HA-200B Al-Kahirah
Willy Messerschmitt would countinue his cooperation with the Egyptian, when he brought his ultra light fighter design in 1959 to Egypt. His fighter design, known as the HA-300 was powered by an Orpheus engine and flew for the first time in 1964. Unfortunately though, the tragic loss of Egyptian military to the Israelis during the Six Days War led to the termination of the project in 1969 as the Government has diverted the budget for the development of such fighter to other pressing defence needs such as procurement of military hardware to replace those destroyed during the war. Ony three of such aircraft were built throughout the period of 5 years.
HA-300
In 1978, the Arab Organisation for Industralisation (AOI) and Westland Helicopters had established the Arab British Helicopter Company in which the Westland Gazelle and Westland Lynx helicopters were built under license from its facility in Helwan.
108 Gazelle were built by the Arab British Helicopter Company
In early 1980′s, the Egyptian Government had ordered 30 Alpha Jet MS1 from Dassault. The French aircraft manufacturer supplied four completely built aircraft while the remaining 26 aircraft were assembled by AOI from knockdown kits.
EAF Alpha Jet
In December 1983, Egypt signed a contract with Embraer of Brazil which saw 10 complete EMB-312 Tucano turboprop trainer to be initially delivered followed by 110 others being assembled by AOIs Heliopolis Aircraft Work. Of these 80 of such aircraft built locally by AOI were delivered to the IQAF while the rest entered service with the EAF. 14 more aircraft were ordered making total local production of the Tucano to 124.
EAF EMB-312 Tucano
In 2000, the EAF began to order Hongdu JL-8 for its advance trainer requirement. The Egyptian variant of the aircraft was known as the K-8E. Over 110 were locally built by the AOI.
EAF K-8E advanced jet trainer
The Sino-Egypt relationship was further strengthen when the latter bought the ASN-209 UAV. AOI Aircraft Factory was tasked to assemble UAV for the Egyptian Armed Forces. During the first phase of production, the Egyptian had built 6 of such aircraft. As of 2012, it has been reported that the second phase of the UAV local production will see another 12 of such aircraft being built by AOI.
ASN-209 UAV similar to those built by AOI Aircraft Factory
