The aircraft designed by germans, italians and others foreign technicians in the FMA.
FMA Ia-27 Pulqui I:
In August 9, 1947, at 5.25 PM, the normally quiet skies over Córdoba hills, in central Argentina, were forever altered by the sight of an aircraft that had unique characteristics. It was the Pulqui (meaning arrow in the native Araucarian language), flown by Argentine Air Force Lieutenant Edmundo Osvaldo Weiss. This event marked the beginning of a new era in Argentina’s aviation technology. From that moment on, the country had added itself to the privileged circle of nations capable of designing, building and flying jet airplanes.
This historic flight was the culmination of the research and design work which had started a year earlier at the Córdoba Aerotechnical Institute (Instituto Aerotécnico de Córdoba). The task had been carried out by a team of engineers: the Frenchman Emil Dewoitine and the Argentines Cardehilac, N. L. Morchio and H. J. Ricciardi.
the result was a monoplane, single-engine aircraft that embodied a sophisticated solution to multiple technological problems. This proved to the world as well as Argentines themselves that the skill of Argentine engineers and technicians, once they had overcome the “believing that we can’t” barrier, was capable of laying the foundations for future National aerospace production.
[COLOR=navy]Type: Fighter[/COLOR]
[COLOR=navy]Power plant: one -1633 kg thrust Rolls-Royce Derwent 5[/COLOR]
[COLOR=navy]Span: 11,25 m[/COLOR]
[COLOR=navy]Wing area: 19,70 m2[/COLOR]
[COLOR=navy]Length: 9.69 m[/COLOR]
[COLOR=navy]Height: 3,29 m[/COLOR]
[COLOR=navy]Empty weight: 1358 kg[/COLOR]
[COLOR=navy]Max take-off: 2.041 kg[/COLOR]
[COLOR=navy]Max speed: 720km/h[/COLOR]
[COLOR=navy]Service ceiling: 15,500m[/COLOR]
[COLOR=navy]Max range: 900 km[/COLOR]
[COLOR=navy]Weapons: 4 20 mm guns (not fitted[/COLOR]
In flight:
Cockpit:
Pulqui I preserved in the Argentinean Air Force museum in Buenos Aires.
Of note is also Horten flying-wing glider suspended from the ceiling.
Ia-38:
The IA-38 was a R. Horten desing indeed, it was a transport to carry cargo from the north eastern provinces of Argentina to the capital.
It suffered of a low priority material asignment ( the Kurt Tank working group always get more money) and lack of power (4 x 450 hp radials) so the performance were far of be impressive.
Powerplant: 4 x El gaucho 9 cilinders radials, 450 hp each coupled with two bladed variable pitch propellers.
Height:4,60 m
Wing surface: 133 m2
Empty weight: 8.500 kg
Payload: 7.500 Kg
Maximum take off weight: 16.000 kg
Max wing loading: 120 Kg/m2
Speed max: 352 km/h;
Crusing speed :255 Km/h;
Landing speed : 140 km/h
Range: 1.250 kilómeters.
Aditional images:
FMA Ia-30:
The Ia-30 was probably the most elegant and beautiful plane ever made by the FMA, it used two powerful RR Merlin and had a top speed of 750 km/h. The IA-30 is a work of the emigrated (another ) italian engineer T. Pallavecino and some argentine technicians.
The IA-33 Pulqui II. Part 1
…to be continued soon.
A native “Mosquito”, The IA-24:
Traditionally, it has been taken for granted that the “DL” 24 “Calquin” (“Royal Eagle”) is a derivative, a copy or was developed with inspiration drawn from the famous British DH 94 “Mosquito” airplane, and also that the Calquin was originally designed to be equipped with the Rolls Royce Merlin in-line engines, that the British airplane had.
This affirmation is not without basis, since in fact, in the National Aeronautical Magazine, Nr. 339 (September-October 1997) issue, researchers Ferretti and Giró presented a detailed report on the Fabrica Militar de Aviones (Military Aircraft Factory – FMA) up to that time, and they make reference to the IAe-24.
We hasten to make clear, that the study we refer to, is one of the most complete and better done of all that have been published to date, and its excellence transcends time, while at the same time, it is not deserving of any polemic. The idea is not to continue that study or anything like that.
Reading the document - a rich and interesting document, by the way - will be enough to corroborate what has been stated in the first paragraph that is, that the verbal tradition assumes the Argentinean product to be a copy of the British one, and destined to carry the same powerplant.
Not so much, and not so little. As we will see later, there are elements that could help to conclude that the similarity between both aircraft (aesthetically at least) it is due only to coincidences arising from the styles of that time, due to industrial influences and, why not, even due to “sympathy” for British products.
Before entering into that discussion, we will attempt to concisely present the technical features of the airplane, as well as part of its history, and we will also be including some data, in reference with the Fuerza Aerea Argentina’s (FAA) employment of the aircraft, at the beginning of its operational life.
* The Airplane
Twin engine, mid-wig, two-seat, tandem airplane. It was designed primarily for attack missions, although other roles were considered for the basic model. When it comes to the building of the airplane, we must keep in mind the scarcity of materials due to the Second World War. And for this reason, native woods were employed for its construction.
Construction techniques that had been successfully employed with the “DL” 22 were employed, and as an example we will mention the wing, built in one section, with a central wing box. Landing gear was retractable and folded backwards to store in the wing section of the engine nacelles and becoming completely enclosed by the integral wheel covers. The “conventional” landing gear arrangement, had a retractable rear wheel, but without having a wheel cover. All three wheels were equipped with pneumatic-oil shock absorbers.
Control surfaces were made of fabric-covered wood, their leading edges reinforced with plywood. Two adjustable tabs completed the control surfaces. Crew safety was by the means of armored shatter-proof-glass windshield and side windows, the nose cone was transparent, and the remainder of canopy greenhouse was built of Plexiglas. Engines were installed one per semi-wing, on nacelles supported by Cr-Mb steel mounts and covered with a traditional design cowling enclosing the 14 cylinder-double-row engines. The power plants were the Pratt & Whitney R-1830-SCG “Twin Wasp”, producing 1050 HP SAE @ 2300 RPM, driving variable pitch, three-bladed Hamilton Standard Hydromatic E-50 propellers.
- Performance and Technical data
Wingspan: 16.30 mts.
Height: 3.40 mts.
Length: 12.00 mts.
Wing Surface: 38.00 sq. m.
Empty Weight: 5,340 Kg.
MTOW: 8,164 Kg.
Maximum Speed: 455 km/h.
Cruise Speed: 380 km/h.
Theoretical Ceiling: 10,000 mts.
Range: 1,140 km.[/QUOTE]
Pictures: Aeroespacio magazine.
IA-33 Pulqui II, part II:
Source:
I will add more information and images of the post K.Tank period later.
Aditional images.
Pulqui II glider proto:
Windtunnel model.
V1.
Wow… Inedit pics, Marcelo. Congratulations.
Changing topic…
New helicopters to the Argentine Army
The Argentine Army will incorporate 40 units of the Chinese helicopter Zlin Z-11, in order to replace their light weight helicopters Aerospatiale Lama and Hiller Raven, which had been used by the force by decades.
The Z-11 is a license-made Eurocopter Ecureuil/Fennec, produced in China, a nation which signed lot of economical, politicall and millitary agreements with Argentina in the last three years.
Look very nice, but Chinese ?..I am not sure about the quality of this :rolleyes:
But in the end everything new is welcome.
Continuing with the Argentine Army helicopters, the force informed that is ready the sixth UH-1H Huey modified to Huey II.
The Argentine Army has a UH-1H fleet which overpass the 40 units, and in 2003 was signed the contract with Bell in order to modify all of them to the standard UH-1N Huey II. Although the instalation of two twin engines had been planed, it had been cancelled in the last years by the decision of install only one engine, so the Argentine Army practically invented its own Huey model, the UH-1H+ Huey II, the Huey with the avionics and systems than the UH-1N Huey II, but with only one engine, as the UH-1H and its similars. I’ve said that the Argentine Army invented its own Huey because Bell had been designed the improvement only to the twin-engine Huey (UH-1N or 212), or passing the UH-1H to this version by a engine structure change, but never an improvement to finish with a single engine product. But luckely the project succeeded.
The entire fleet will by transformed for the next year. Argentina, in a smart and clever maneuver, succeeded in incorporating a “new” system totally adaptable to the actual national and international necessities, spending a little fraction of money (10%) that it would have spent if she would decided to incorporate new helicopters from similar sizes, as UH-1N Twin Hueys, Blackhawks, Dauphins or Cougars.
An advert made by Bell, promoting its product
A veteran UH-1H from the Argentine Army
First UH-1H+ Huey II, with special scheme, presented the past year.
And, as a gift, I show this beautiful pic from a massive Huey flight over Campo de Mayo (May’s Camp), the most important Army Airbase from Argentina, in the Army’s day parade.
Yeah, it would be better a real Ecureuil or Fennec… from the Eurcopter ones, but as you said, those Z-11 are by far better than the oldies Lamas and Hillers… Look at them!
http://www.avejer.ejercito.mil.ar/GalFot/Lama%20lateral.jpg
Aerospatiale SA-315B Lama
http://www.avejer.ejercito.mil.ar/GalFot/Hiller.jpg
Hiller H-23 Raven
By the way, is a new national project from the Cicaré Helicopters factory, in order to replace the Hillers. If that is concreted, the number of the Z-11s will be reduced.
Cicaré presented a very light trainer helicopter, the CH-2002, in order to replace the actual training fleet without spending great quantities of money on assitance and manteinance.
Cicaré CH-2002
And, as a gift, I show this beautiful pic from a massive Huey flight over Campo de Mayo (May’s Camp), the most important Army Airbase from Argentina, in the Army’s day parade.
See?
That is why we need Eagle, good information of the modern army ( I am a ethernal nostalgic guy :rolleyes:)
Gracias, this image is excellent, wallpaperized righ now.
Nah! Thats just a recreation of Apocalypse Now! 
The Huey has to be the AK-47 of Helicopters.
Probably as well for most of the Argentine equipment!!!
True, some is old, but I am nostalgic in the sence of comparing the powerful, respected and well commanded combat force that was several years ago our Navy, Army and AAF…and the small one that has become in this last 30 years.
That is my eternal nostalgia. :neutral:
LOL, if you are a nostalgic guy, I’ll be a bad person and I’ll make you feel worse…
Some beautifull pics:
http://www.histarmar.com.ar/Armada%20Argentina/Portaaviones/25deMayo/01medium.jpg
The aircraft carrier “25 de Mayo”, with 10 A-4Q Skyhawks, 3 S-2E Tracker and 3 SH-3 Sea King in its deck. Year of the snapshot: 1978
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/tandil2005/historia/GLOSTERS100.jpg
A huge line of Gloster Meteors in the Moron Airbase. In those stages the Argentine Air Force counted with more than 300 first line combat fighters. Today we have only 70, and all of them with more than 30 years of service. Year of the snapshot: 1950
http://www.samoloty.ow.pl/fot/fot254.jpg
FMA, Fabrica Militar de Aviones (Military Aircrafts Factory). In the picture is an assembly line of the bombers Ae.MB.2 Bombi. Argentina was one of the so little countries in the world that could design and make its own bombers. Moreover, in the FMA were assembled Hawk 75 fighters, and years later Argentina became the first country in peace that designed and produced a jet-propulsed aircraft, the IA-27 Pulqui. The factory succeeded in building more than 200 Dientes de Leon trainers/attackers, 20 Bombi bombers, 120 Pucarás attackers, 50 Guaraní transports… Nowadays, under north americans hands, started to make six light trainers Pampas. The work started in 2003 and until today the aircrafts aren’t finished. Year of snapshot: 1940
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Pulqui_II_04.jpg/320px-Pulqui_II_04.jpg
IA-33 Pulqui II. By a lot of aviation students, the best fighter in the world by the time it was designed, over the F-86 and the MiG-15. The Pulqui II was the first fighter to use arrow-wings, wich was adapted by the most of the combat aircraft in the same age. A symbol of the Argentine industry. Year of snapshot: 1950
http://www.fav-club.com/articulos/1mayo/ar7esch.jpg
Eight A-4Q Skyhawk from the Argentine Navy. In determinated moments the Argentine Navy had more than 50 modern fighters/attackers (Super Etendards, Skyhawks, MB-326 and MB-339). Nowadays it has 11 Super Etendards and 6 EMB-326 Xavantes, aircrafts with more than 20 years of service and without any improvement over its standard equipments. Year of snapshot: 1981