WesWorld

New Aircraft for Argentina 1942


FMA I-02L Pulqui
This is a lightweight variant of the basic I-02II with entry into service planned for late 1942. The armament is reduced to two 13mm HMG and there is 4mm armour plate behind pilot. Numerous structural and equipment changes have been made to reduce weight and drag and a new wing has been designed based on that of the I-02N. Production aircraft will all have a Spartan-designed and built pressurised cabin. Construction numbers will be C/N01001-C/N01144.
Dimensions: span 11.2m; length 10.3; height 3.42m; wing area 195sq ft; wing loading 32.05 lb/sq ft; power loading 0.24 lb/hp
Structure: all-metal monocoque fuselage with I section fames and L section stringers with stressed light alloy covering, light alloy used for cantilever tail construction and tailplane covering. Cantilever metal wing with two steel spars, all-metal split flaps and aluminium framed ailerons with aluminium covering. Rudder and elevators aluminium framed with aluminium covering. Retractable hydraulically raised main undercarriage with single oleo-pneumatic legs with twin pneumatic brakes and a retractable castoring tail wheel. The cockpit windscreen is of 15mm thick armoured glass.
Weights: empty 5,425lbs, maximum take-off 6,250lbs
Powerplant: one 1500hp Spartan 1500S-SS V-12 inline engine with two-stage supercharger, maximum sea level output to 15,000ft
Performance: max speed 435mph at 15,000 feet; service ceiling 41,500ft; rate of climb 3,638 ft per minute at 1,500ft; range 363 miles full fuel load
Capacity: pilot in enclosed cockpit armoured windscreen and 4mm thick armoured bulkhead behind
Armament: two 13mm Browning HMG in wings
Equipment: full controls and navigation equipment including receiver/transmitter, reflector sight and Sperry autopilot, flare pistol

FMA I.Ae 23

In early 1940 FMA brought the plans, research data and jigs of the cancelled Ju-187 dive-bomber project from Junkers when the Argentine Air Staff began looking at modern dive-bomber studies. FMA had a large task on its hands, translating the documentation in Spanish, understanding it and completing wind tunnel testing and structural testing. A new engine type had to be found and integrated and of course all the equipment would be different and the construction methods would need to be simplified.
The I.Ae 23 dive bomber is armed with two forward-firing 13mm Browning HMGs in the inner wings and is capable of carrying a bombload of up to 1000 kg internally, with up to 500 kg carried externally under the wings (though using all the load capacity requires reducing the range to only 400 nm, so the normal load is a 500-1000 kg bomb carried internally). It is equipped with cockpit and engine armour plating along with self-sealing fuel tanks. The wide-track inward-retracting main landing gear is housed in the inner wings. Later developments will include provision for a large 900 litre droppable internal fuel tank to increase the aircraft's range and a naval variant. This was planned by Junkers and formed the basis of the Ju-187 basic design so little work is needed to restore the folding wings and arrestor hook. First flight 3rd March 1942, second prototype flew in June and production began November.
Dimensions: span 13.7m; length 11.4m; height 3.9m; power loading 3.62 kg/hp
Structure: all-metal monocoque fuselage with H section fames and T section stringers with stressed light alloy covering, light alloy used for cantilever tail construction and tailplane covering. The cockpit is armoured and an armoured windscreen is also fitted. Cantilever metal wing with two steel spars, all-metal split flaps and aluminium framed ailerons with aluminium covering. Slatted pneumatically-operated dive brakes are fitted near the trailing edge of the landing flaps. Rudder and elevators aluminium framed with aluminium covering. Retractable hydraulically raised main undercarriage with single oleo-pneumatic legs with twin pneumatic brakes and a retractable tail wheel. Provision for an arrestor hook.
Weights: empty 4,139kg; max weight 6,531kg
Powerplant: one 1,800hp Austral Incitatus 2W-11 radial engine (1,650hp at 16,900ft / 5,150m; 2,030hp with water injection at sea level)
Performance: max speed 350mph; cruising speed 260mph; range 1,612 miles with 2,080 lb payload, rate of climb 1,721 ft/min and service ceiling 31,000ft
Capacity: pilot in an enclosed cockpit
Equipment: full controls and navigation equipment including a radio receiver/transmitter and HF/DF, reflector sight, Sperry autopilot, flare chute and dingy and provision for one ventral camera.

I.Ae 24 Calquin (Golden Eagle)
Designed 1942 as a fast light bomber. To be powered by radial engines. An inline engined version will be the I.Ae 28. First flight due June 1943.
Dimensions: span 16.3m; length 12m; height 3.4m; wing area 38 sq m; wing loading 189kg/ sq m; power loading 3.42kg/hp
Structure: wooden monocoque fuselage plywood covering developed by Instituto Aerotechico and Entel. The fuselage is constructed as two separate halves which are subsequently joined together. Wooden tail and tailplane construction with plywood covering (the plywood is entirely produced by the Instituto Aerotécnico). Rudder and elevators wooden framed with fabric covering. Mid position wing with two wooden carry-through spars and stringers wooden framed ailerons with fabric covering, wooden slotted flaps and two landing flaps. Retractable main undercarriage with hydraulic brakes and twin oil-air shock absorbers on each leg and a retractable tail wheel.
Weights: empty 5,340kg; max weight 8,164kg and payload 1860kg
Powerplant: 1200hp Ripon R-1200-010A supercharged radial engines with Hamilton Standard Hydromatic 23-E-50 propellers
Performance: max speed 273mph [366mph with in-lines]; cruising speed 236mph; range 708 miles; rate of climb 2,460ft/min and service ceiling 32,800ft
Capacity: pilot and navigator/ bomb-aimer seated side-by-side in an enclosed cockpit with ventral door
Armament: Four 13mm HMG or 20mm in lower nose, bomb bay for 800kg bombload and 12x 75mm rockets underwing
Equipment: full controls and navigation equipment including a radio receiver/transmitter, HF/DF set, naval co-operation beacon and Sperry autopilot, two cameras can be fitted in cabin floor, one flare chute, two rescue dinghies and mechanical bombsight

Tucan T-1
A single-engined single-seat light touring monoplane designed by Alfredo Turbay.
Dimensions: span 7.22m; length 5.55; height 1.9m; wing area 7.2 sq m (23.8/ 18.2/ 6.2/ 77.5 sq ft)
Structure: semi-monocoque fuselage structure of spruce and plywood. The wing is a high-position braced monoplane in two sections joined on the centreline and carried above the fuselage on a steel tube cabane. Vee bracing struts. The wing has two spars with piano wire bracing and the leading edge is plywood covered, the remainder fabric covered. Slotted flaps are mounted inboard of the ailerons and there are Handley-Page slots in the leading edge. The fin and tailplanes are integral with the fuselage with similar construction to the wings. The undercarriage is tailwheel configuration and is of the fixed cantilever type with Goodyear low pressure tyres with brakes. The cockpit is fully enclosed with a sliding canopy. A fuel tank is mounted in the fuselage.
Weights: empty 285kg (627lbs), maximum loaded weight 450kg (990lbs)
Powerplant: one 65hp Continental A65 four-cylinder horizontally opposed piston engine driving a two-blade Tucan wood propeller
Performance: max speed 127 mph; service ceiling 13,780ft; range 680 miles (1100km); endurance 6 hours

IMPA is building 100 ENAER/ Accruisius Avenger torpedo-bombers under licence during 1942

No offense, but why develop that hideous Ju-187 when you've got the license for the Alicanto? It seems a rather pointless replication of effort.

[SIZE=1]And the Ju-187 is ugly too. [/SIZE]

The I.Ae.23 is optimised for land-attack and is an Air Force project. It is heavier than the Alicanto but smaller in diemensions and of course is single-seat. At some point I'll change the 13.2mm MGs for 20mm cannon. Also within 3 years there will be rockets underwing too. I see this as an Argentine Skyradier!

The Alicanto is ideal for naval use and has all the usual naval bits and bobs while the I.Ae.23 lacks these. I feel the two-seat Alicanto is probably not agile enough for battlefield duties given the RSAF fighter strength etc.

I'm surprised at the choices made with the FMA I-02L Pulqui. Only a pair of heavy Brownings? That might suffice to deal with a fighter aircraft - barely - but I think it is wholly inadequate to deal with a modern bomber; the weight of fire is too little. The OTL BF109F was a great performer but proved incapable of dealing with something like a B-17.

Quoted

Originally posted by Hood
The I.Ae.23 is optimised for land-attack and is an Air Force project. It is heavier than the Alicanto but smaller in diemensions and of course is single-seat. At some point I'll change the 13.2mm MGs for 20mm cannon. Also within 3 years there will be rockets underwing too. I see this as an Argentine Skyradier!

The Alicanto is ideal for naval use and has all the usual naval bits and bobs while the I.Ae.23 lacks these. I feel the two-seat Alicanto is probably not agile enough for battlefield duties given the RSAF fighter strength etc.

Meh, I don't agree, given that the historical Grace was usually compared to an A6M in maneuverability. I just don't understand why you're creating two aircraft to do one job - it just seems unnecessarily luxurious for a country like Argentina.

Bruce,
You are right. The firepower is not enough. However the Staff wanted an interceptor, good though the I-02II is they wanted something with more climb and ceiling to combat possible RSAF heavy bombers. Without radar sites etc. the air force relies on interceptors being able to get as high as possible as quick as possible. Weight was saved from everywhere, partly to compensate for the pressure cabin etc. It's a flawed plane, in any case I doubt more than 40-50 will be built. 1 Sqaudron per I-02 equipped Group.
Now if anyone can point me in the direction of a 20mm cannon that weighs the same or slightly more than a Browning please forward proposals to the Argentine Air Staff.

Brock,
It's worth remembering that the I.Ae.23 project started a long time before decision to purchase the Alicanto. It was procured to replace the M.B.2 single-engined bomber and complement the new Henschel Hs-129Arg fleet.The time taken to study the plans from Junkers, find a new engine and make changes to the plans have probably delayed the entire project by a year. Now the Navy could have had a naval I.Ae.23 BUT, its not two-seat so has no navigator, would need a new folding wing, new arrestor gear, undercarriage changes, it cannot carry a torpedo and finally would probably not fly until late 43/ early 44 leaving the Navy with the current Spartan TBN-7 for too long.
The Navy wisely said, "fine we'll find a new modern aircraft and build it ourselves (that decision was also vital if IMPA was not to be left without orders and in danger of closing or take-over by FMA).

Quoted

Originally posted by Hood
Brock,
It's worth remembering that the I.Ae.23 project started a long time before decision to purchase the Alicanto. It was procured to replace the M.B.2 single-engined bomber and complement the new Henschel Hs-129Arg fleet.The time taken to study the plans from Junkers, find a new engine and make changes to the plans have probably delayed the entire project by a year. Now the Navy could have had a naval I.Ae.23 BUT, its not two-seat so has no navigator, would need a new folding wing, new arrestor gear, undercarriage changes, it cannot carry a torpedo and finally would probably not fly until late 43/ early 44 leaving the Navy with the current Spartan TBN-7 for too long.
The Navy wisely said, "fine we'll find a new modern aircraft and build it ourselves (that decision was also vital if IMPA was not to be left without orders and in danger of closing or take-over by FMA).

Eh, I guess that rationale makes sense to me. I've kinda done the same thing myself elsewhere.