It is debatable I suppose.
Just that the J-79 in the Mirage III airframe as the Kfir was not, initially anyway, a match made in heaven. Fatter, heavier, and needed extensive revising of the cooling situation, not the least of which was additional scoops.
Certainly initially, there were performance losses, with some Israeli pilots lamenting it’s performance compared to their Mirage C’s and Neshers with the lower powered ATAR 09C. It is worth pointing out that the later ATAR 9K50 and J-79 have pretty much the same twr.
When looking at an engine for the Kfir, the ATAR 9K50, Spey, and J-79 were all considered.
The J-79 won out primarily due to maintenance and spares inventory, as the F-4 Phantom was used in large numbers by Israel, and military credits could also be availed of.
Cheetah C and Kfir both have a similar theoretical max load too, although to emphasise, it is theoretical.
I completely agree………between the two it probably comes down to the pilot…..and personal preference. I’m wondering what the Spey would have done for the airframe?
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