FMA IA 58 Pucará

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FMA_IA_58_Pucar%C3%A1

The FMA IA 58 Pucará (Quechua: Fortress) is an Argentine ground-attack and
counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft manufactured by the Fábrica Militar de
Aviones. It is a low-wing twin-turboprop all-metal monoplane with retractable
landing gear, capable of operating from unprepared strips when operationally
required. The type saw action during the Falklands War and the Sri Lankan Civil
War.

The IA 58 Pucará is of conventional, all-metal (mainly duralumin) construction.
The unswept cantilever wings have 7 degrees of dihedral on the outer panels and
are fitted with slotted trailing-edge flaps. The IA-58 has a slender fuselage,
with a tandem cockpit arrangement; the crew of two is seated under the upward
opening clamshell canopy on Martin-Baker Mk 6AP6A zero/zero ejection seats and
are provided with dual controls and good visibility, at least in the lateral and
front quarters. The clean aerodynamic design allow the Pucará to reach
relatively high speed, higher than the American OV-10 Bronco, another COIN
aircraft. On the other hand, the IA 58 has no cargo bay inside the fuselage as
requested for the American aircraft.

Armour plating is fitted to protect the crew and engines from ground fire. The
aircraft is powered by a pair of Turbomeca Astazou engines, driving sets of
three-bladed Ratier-Forest 23LF propellers; the propellers are also capable of
being used as air brakes.

Fixed armament of the Pucará is about comparable with WWII era aircraft,
directly comparable with the layout used in the German Bf 110. It consists of
two Hispano 804 20 mm cannons mounted under the cockpit with 270 rounds each and
four 7.62 mm Browning FN machine guns mounted on the sides of the fuselage with
900 rounds each. Three hardpoints are fitted for carrying external stores single
or in clusters (as example up to six bombs under the fuselage or two rockets
under each wing) such as bombs, rockets or external fuel tanks, with one of
1,000 kg (2,200 lb) capacity mounted under the fuselage and the remaining two,
of 500 kg (1,100 lb) capacity beneath the wings. Total external weapons load is
limited to 1,620 kg (3,570 lb). Onboard armaments are aimed by a simple
reflector sight.


Role
Counter-insurgency aircraft

National origin
Argentina

Manufacturer
Fábrica Militar de Aviones

First flight
20 August 1969

Introduction
May 1975

Status
In service

Primary users
Argentine Air Force
Sri Lankan Air Force (historical)
Uruguayan Air Force (historical)


Produced
1974–1993

Number built
110

The first units were delivered in May 1975 to the Argentine Air Force (Spanish:
Fuerza Aérea Argentina, FAA), equipping the 2° Escuadron de Exploración y
Ataque, part of the 3rd Air Brigade (Spanish: III Brigada Aérea) in northern
Reconquista, Santa Fe province. They had their operational debut late in 1975,
when a number of Pucarás carried out counter-insurgency strikes from Córdoba
against Communist ERP guerillas in Tucumán Province as part of Operativo
Independencia.

1982 Falklands war

By the time of the Falklands War, about 60 Pucarás had been delivered As one of
the few aircraft of the Argentine service capable of flying operationally from
the small airfields in the Falklands, as the runway at Port Stanley Airport was
not long enough for FAA Skyhawks and Mirages to be deployed, it was decided to
deploy a number of Pucarás to the Falklands, with four arriving at Port Stanley
on 2 April 1982, with a further eight arriving on 9 April. Many of the Pucarás
remaining on the mainland were moved to Puerto Santa Cruz or Comodoro Rivadavia
in southern Argentina where they were closer to the Falklands if needed for
reinforcements, and were used to perform coastal surveillance.

Most aircraft used in combat were armed with unguided bombs, 2.75 inch rocket
pods, or 7.62 mm machine gun pods. Pucarás operated from Port Stanley airport
and two small grass improvised airfields at Goose Green and Pebble Island. They
were used in the reconnaissance and light-attack role.

Three Pucarás were destroyed and one of their pilots killed at Goose Green by
cluster bombs dropped by 800 NAS Sea Harriers on 1 May 1982. Six more were
destroyed in the SAS Raid on Pebble Island on 15 May 1982.

On 21 May a Pucará was lost to a Stinger SAM fired by D Squadron SAS (the first
Stinger launched in combat) and another to 30 mm cannon rounds from Cmdr Nigel
Ward's RN Sea Harrier, the latter after leading a successful two-aircraft raid
on a shed allegedly used as an observation post by British forces. The aircraft
was surprisingly tough, as Ward observed no fewer than 20 cannon hits before the
target started to fall to earth. The other Pucará, piloted by Lt Juan Micheloud,
made good its escape after being chased by Lt Cdr Alasdair Craig's Sea Harrier.
Major Carlos Tomba, the pilot of the aircraft shot down by Cmdr Ward, survived
the ejection and was recovered by friendly forces. On the 28 May whilst
assisting 2 Parachute Regiment retake Goose Green, the Type 21 frigate HMS Arrow
fired 161 shells from her 4.5” gun. This Naval Gunfire Support destroyed 2
Pucaras at Goose Green.

Two Pucarás shot down a Royal Marines Scout helicopter with 7.62 mm machine gun
fire on 28 May, while it was on a casualty evacuation mission during the battle
of Goose Green. This was the only confirmed Argentine air-to-air victory of the
war. One of these Pucarás crashed into Blue Mountain on the return flight to
Port Stanley and was destroyed—the body of the pilot (Lt Miguel Gimenez) was
found in 1986, and was buried with military honours at Port Darwin by his
family, the first Argentine relatives to visit the Falklands since the end of
the war.

Specifications

General characteristics
Crew: two
Length: 14.25 m (46 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 14.50 m (47 ft 7 in)
Height: 5.36 m (17 ft 7 in)
Wing area: 30.30 m2 (326.1 sq ft)
Aspect ratio: 6.9:1
Airfoil: NACA 642A215 at root, NACA641 at tip
Empty weight: 4,020 kg (8,863 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 6,800 kg (14,991 lb)
Fuel capacity: 1,280 L (280 imp gal; 340 US gal) internal, up to 1,736 L (382
imp gal; 459 US gal) in external tanks
Powerplant: 2 × Turbomeca Astazou XVIG turboprop, 729 kW (978 hp) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 500 km/h (311 mph; 270 kn) at 3,000 m (9,800 ft)
Cruise speed: 430 km/h (267 mph; 232 kn) at 6,000 ft (1,800 m) (econ cruise)
Stall speed: 143 km/h (89 mph; 77 kn) (flaps and undercarriage down)
Never exceed speed: 750 km/h (466 mph; 405 kn)
Combat range: 350 km (217 mi; 189 nmi) (Combat radius with 1,500 kg (3,300 lb)
weapons, High-low-high profile)
Ferry range: 3,710 km (2,305 mi; 2,003 nmi) max internal and external fuel
Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
g limits: +6/-3 g
Rate of climb: 18 m/s (3,500 ft/min)

Armament

Guns:
2× 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.804 autocannons
4× 7.62 mm FN Browning machine guns

Hardpoints: 3 with a capacity of centerline 1,000 kg (2,200 lb), wing pylons 500
kg (1,100 lb), total external stores 1,620 kg (3,570 lb)



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