Like other nations following World War 2 (1939-1945), Argentina began to look to the near-future and invest in turbojet-powered aircraft. This brought together a team of experts mainly from Europe, led by Frenchman Emile Dewoitine, to design and develop what would become Argentina's (and South America's) first turbojet-powered platform - the FMA IAe 27 "Pulqui". Despite the European involvement, the design was not a success and only a single prototype was ever built and flown. Manufacture was through the Fabrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) label.
The aircraft was designed as an interceptor-minded, cannon-armed aircraft of single-seat, single-engine arrangement. The approach would include all-modern qualities such as a wholly-retractable tricycle undercarriage and all-metal skin construction. Additionally, there would be a capability for rough-field operations as well as an inherent Short Take-Off (STO) capability. The powerplant of choice became the British Rolls-Royce Derwent V turbojet of 3,600 pounds thrust and this was to a rounded, streamlined fuselage containing a nose-mounted intake, forward-set cockpit (with framed canopy) , and a conventional tail unit - one single vertical fin with low-mounted horizontal planes. The wings were not swept back, however, instead left as straight appendages mounted low against the fuselage sides ahead of midships. Initially these wings featured rounded tips but the finalized form carried squared-off tips. Proposed armament was 4 x 20mm autocannons with a future ability for the wings to mount conventional drop ordnance or rocket-launching rails.
The prototype Pulqui was first flown on August 9th, 1947 but it was soon realized that the design was naturally restricted by inferior performance - especially considering its intended role of interceptor where speed was the primary quality. Range was equally limited as the fuel tanks were forced to be installed into the wing members - the fuselage internal volume being dominated by the engine installation and its applicable ductwork running around the cockpit to the nose intake. Development eventually stalled and was ultimately abandoned as work began on a more promising venture - the FMA IAe 33 "Pulqui II", this design largely based on the World War 2-era Focke-Wulf Ta 183 jet-powered fighter by German engineer Kurt Tank. Tank worked in Argentina prior to his arrival in India to assist in their indigenous jet fighter program.
The FMA IAe 27 prototype, retired from active flight testing in 1951, was saved from the scrap heap and reborn as a preserved showpiece at the National Aeronautics Museum in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Interception
Ability to intercept inbound aerial threats by way of high-performance, typically speed and rate-of-climb.
✓X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.
Length
31.8 ft (9.70 m)
Width/Span
36.9 ft (11.25 m)
Height
11.2 ft (3.40 m)
Empty Wgt
5,203 lb (2,360 kg)
MTOW
7,937 lb (3,600 kg)
Wgt Diff
+2,734 lb (+1,240 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base FMA IAe 27 Pulqui (Arrow) production variant)
Installed:
1 x Rolls-Royce Derwent V turbojet engine developing 3,600 pounds of thrust.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base FMA IAe 27 Pulqui (Arrow) production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
PROPOSED:
4 x 20mm cannons
Conventional drop bombs and aerial rockets would have figured into production-quality aircraft.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 2
IAe 27 "Pulqui" - Base Series Designation; sole example completed and test-flown.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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Argentina
