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Noticias Argentinas

October 7
FMA announced today that its engine division is currently undertaking development work on a new 450hp 9-cylinder radial engine nicknamed “El Gaucho”. It is hoped the first flight trials will take place in 1939 with full production in 1940.

October 15
SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile) which is developing a nickel-rhenium alloy and some molybdenum alloys has entered an agreement to supply alloys to Fabrica Militar de Aviones for their rocket research programme. The current rhenium alloy is very expensive but has an extremely high melting point (second only to carbon and tungsten). The rhenium-alloy is too expensive for mass use but FMA intends to make use of the alloy until slightly cheaper molybdenum alloys become available from SQM.

October 18
The latest home-designed tank, the T-3M36 Leopard, has entered production at the Arsenal Esteban de Luca. Total numbers ordered by the Army have not been revealed but it is clear that contrary to earlier reports all Leopards will be armed with the Italian 47mm gun and these tanks will become the main equipment of the Armoured Regiments alongside the light T-4M38 (Pz II Arg) and the heavy T-5M38 (Vickers Valentine).

Here is the rest of the Q4 news for Argentina. Not much going on, everyone's enjoying the summer sun.

November 15
The RP-1 (I.Ae 10) first flew under rocket power in July 1938 powered by an FNO-103 rocket but today the first flight was undertaken (flight No.9) with a flight-ready standard FNO-104 rocket engine and a speed of 490mph was reached at 30,000ft. Capitan de Aero Alfonso de Bastian was again at the controls and has undertaken all nine flights so far. It seems a further eight flights have been cancelled since July due to technical problems.

December 18
Capitan de Aero Alfonso de Bastian escaped injury and managed to land his crippled RP-1 (I.Ae 10) rocket-propelled aircraft when the FNO-104 rocket engine exploded during the initial climb. The structural damage is not believed to be too serious and the aircraft will be repaired and undergo modifications to allow for air-dropping so to extend the flight time and ceiling of the aircraft. A heavily modified Accrisius B-3 bomber has been seen recently around the FMA facility at Neuquen and at the Cordoba factory and this is believed to be the mother-ship for the Phase III trials scheduled for next year. This flight was only the second with the new FNO-104 rocket engine. An FNO-104 is now undergoing ground checks and will be installed in a Vanquish bomber for air trials to satisfy the FAA authorities that it is safe for flight.