WesWorld

Note: no armament fitted to Italian aircraft. They will be used as development craft only to study various characteristics at high speeds, then disected for study of manufacturing techniques.

Isn't 800+ aircraft for Brazil quite a lot?

*Shrugs* remember this is the nation that was eager to tackel the SAE over territory lost over, what 100 years ago? I would think the order would be spread over 4 years.

Can anyone else say "block obsolescence"?

Thats what Brazil ordered and that what its gonna get. Of course if Brazil hassles Argentina and relatons get worse then "production delays" might push back delivery times. ;0)

Columbia has also placed an order for 16 aircraft.

With all these exports FMA will be rich, expect that to help pay for a better develoment programme.

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Of course if Brazil hassles Argentina and relatons get worse then "production delays" might push back delivery times. ;0)

Perhaps that is Brazil's plan...

To shoot themselves in the foot?

Block obsolesence or not thats still quite a few aircraft.

Compare that number to historical data from Germany, Britain or others in WW2 and you´ll get an idea of just how far from realisty it is.....and we´re talking Brazil and Argentina here whos industrial potential can hardly be compared with the nations named above. I doubt Brazil can affort so many fighters, train enough pilots, build enouigh airfields and maintain the whole stuff while I also doubt Argentinas airframe industry is capable of delivering so many planes of a single type in such a short time. During peace time, that is.

For example the Germans build 449 Me109 in 1939, 1693 in 1940 and increasing. However, this was war time production and 6 years in advance from now.

Brazil orders 800+ planes of this type... Argentina can't produce that many in the next years (something Brazil is aware of)... Brazil accuses Argentina of not keeping to their end of the deal as they do not delivering enough planes... Brazil invades Argentina... another war in South America...

Very unlikely... but you never know. :-)

Heh, that could be why Argentina's messing with Paraguay: get some buffer space.....

Now that you mention that... it suddenly seems a bit more likely... ^_^

Historically Argentina had the most advanced aeronautical industry in South America and far ahead of Brazil. Bearing that in mind I have three companies, FMA, Tucan and IMPA. All of these are real-world companies even if all the products are not real.

Tucan is handling most of the trainer orders under licence so FMA is concentrating on the I-100 programme. Saying that I can see the Brazil order streching to 1936-37 at least. Home orders come first. I checked with Brazil when he made the order as it seemed high to me and Fyrwulf confirmed that is was the correct amount.

Saying all this about production figures India, Phillipines, South Africa (even Argentina) etc by 1950 hadn't built anything large than a sloop. Let's not get too booged down in realistic production figures. We must assume a degree of capacity increase over the real world.

Don't think the I-100 cannot be adapted for newer engines and those six 13mm HMG aren't peashooters. It will still be a viable fighter until the late 1930s.

Now everything in Paraguay makes sense to you all, you've tumbled my plot. Get there before Brazil does.

Perhaps the 800, while a block of units, is meant to keep Brazil in fighters for some time as they are delivered over the next several years.

Looking at He112 production orders, a typical order seemed to be 30 planes. But then this is for one fighter type when many countries seemed to be ordering lots of different models of planes that did more or less the same mission.

Agreed. It looks like Brazil has selected the FMA I-100 as it's standard fighter, like Germany did with the Bf-109, and is not buying trial quantities of this and that and the other fighter. An order for 30 is a trial number, you're buying enough to outfit a squadron or two and have some spares, but you're not committting to that design. Unless, of course, your air force only HAS two squadrons, that is.

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Don't think the I-100 cannot be adapted for newer engines and those six 13mm HMG aren't peashooters. It will still be a viable fighter until the late 1930s.

I'm not so sure. The Mercury eventually produces 995hp on 100-oct fuel [not likely in SA anytime soon] and 840hp with 87-oct. I don't think its possible to replace it with a larger Pegasus. You could maybe get away with mounting a Taurus but that'd require a lengthening of the fuselage to balance the extra weight forwards.

As for it remaining competitive until the late 30s. Maybe in South America but I can't see it being competitive with other designs: Spitfire, Bf109, C.202 etc or the CR.35 posted earlier in this thread.

Another option, Brazil builds some I-100's in its own factory's under licence?

Siam communicates its desire to Argentina to (more-or-less) double its order of I-100 type interceptors, to a total of 66 aircraft.

Argentina welcomes the enlarged order but don't expect all of them to be delivered until 1936. Should get the first batch next year.