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| Development of the FMA IA 58 Pucara ground-attack aircraft began in August 1966 and led to the flight of an unpowered aerodynamic test vehicle on 26 December 1967. The first powered prototype, by then known as the AX-2 Delfin, and with two 674kW Garrett TPE3311/U-303 turboprop engines installed, was flown for the first
time on 20 August 1969. Subsequent prototypes were powered by Turbo-meca Astazou XVIG engines and fitted to all production aircraft. A cantilever low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, the Pucara has what is virtually a T-tail, a retractable tricycle landing gear, and accommodation for a pilot and copilot in tandem on Martin-Baker ejection seats beneath a large transparent canopy. The initial production version, the IA 58A, flew for the first time on 8 November 1974 and first deliveries of 108 ordered for the Argentine air force began early in 1976 and continued until 1986. Six were also ordered for the air force of Uruguay. Forty improved IA 58B Pucara Bravos with advanced avionics and more powerful armament (30mm instead of 20mm cannon) were ordered for the Argentine air force in 1980 but were completed as IA 58As following the Falklands campaign. A single IA 66, a Pucara with more-powerful 746kW Garrett TPE331 engines, began its flight test programme in 1980 but did not proceed any further. Pucara production ended with a batch of 40 IA 58As built from 1986 onwards but no further sales were subsequently announced and they are believed to be in store as 'white tails'.
| CREW | 2 |
| ENGINE | 2 x turbo-prop Turb. "Astazou XVIG", 760kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 6800 kg | 14992 lb |
| Empty weight | 4037 kg | 8900 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 14.5 m | 48 ft 7 in |
| Length | 14.3 m | 47 ft 11 in |
| Height | 5.4 m | 18 ft 9 in |
| Wing area | 30.3 m2 | 326.15 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 550 km/h | 342 mph |
| Cruise speed | 500 km/h | 311 mph |
| Ceiling | 10000 m | 32800 ft |
| Range w/max.fuel | 3400 km | 2113 miles |
| Paul Scott, e-mail, 28.03.2015 20:31 Amazing, intesting story about Rockerfeller Dr Croft! reply |
| Dr. Michael Craft Sr. D.D., e-mail, 18.11.2014 18:32 The Pucara is a very nice plane and should be used in the "BUSH" against both armor of terrorist combat personal and all terrorist organizations at large! The Pucara is cheap to fly and can take off and land on grass or hard dirt! Jets can not use fresh ground! I was Nelson Rockefellers go to guy when he was Vice President and do know a little! My father had been 'Rocky's" bag man for years thus Rocky knew me as a youth! I know War, unfortunitely! I hate War! I love the Pucara and would like to say that it has 3 50 caliber machine guns that can fire in tandum, thus the Pucara can cut any opposition in two at will! It is a great terrorist combat plane! Thank You, Dr. Mike reply | | THEBATTLEMASTER, 13.12.2012 22:37 Sorry forgot to give credit to all the countrys who helped us out in WW2. We would have failed if it wasnt for all the countrys we had. There was SO MANY countrys in the allies. reply | | THEBATTLEMASTER, 13.12.2012 22:35 It is an alright plane. Still in use. I only say it is alright because I live in america lol. The U.S. used to be the best military in the world (we were able to take out germany, a super power). Now we only have the best Air Force our army is not the best. I don't know about the navy we might be the best. reply | |
| | Roberto Mendieta, e-mail, 16.06.2012 02:23 Back in 1978, Nicaragua tested and considered buying the Pucara for its Air Force, instead they bought the Cessna 337 (Civil version of the 02), I believe that if we have had the Pucara at the time the story would have been different!! reply | | trebosc, e-mail, 15.05.2012 20:29 Bonjour,
Les hélices du Pucara étaient fabriquées par Ratier-Figeac. reply | | guillermo, e-mail, 27.02.2012 05:32 You will see good drawings in: airwar.ru reply | | Mario D, e-mail, 25.08.2011 00:52 que bueno hubiera sido una version con 2 pequeños turbofan algo asi como un mini A10 reply | | dashanya, 21.06.2011 06:35 What do we (modelers) have to do to get the kit companies to listen to us, to get a kit made of this aircraft ???? Thanks reply | | gabriel novaro, e-mail, 13.03.2011 07:41 No se quejen, amigos argentinos. Que envidia su industria y qué buen uso le dieron en las Malvinas. Mexico, mi tierra, no pudo, los gringos nos forzaron a firmar un tratado que por décadas nos prohibio fabricar aviones (entre otras cosas, motores, etc) para sacarnos de la jugada y vendernos lo que quisieran. Uds no sabne la lata que es tener al país más poderoso del mundo justo tras la puerta! reply | | Aero99, 12.02.2011 20:19 I thought FMA didn't make many aircraft. I was wrong. reply | | Guillermo, e-mail, 12.02.2011 17:26 This plane was designed originally for antiinsurgency (antisubversive) missions, not fot open air to air combat.
I think that in Malvinas they do much more than his originally function was.Perhaps they wasn't too much because the logistics was too poor. reply | | Joao, 30.06.2010 14:47 1 is in Duxford. 1 saw it yesterday. It misses some pieces because UK used it to complete another that flown for test. reply | | Ron McDonald, e-mail, 07.07.2010 12:21 There are several kits of this aircraft in 1 /72: the aforementioned Airfix kit, the Special Hobby kit, and the Rareplanes vac-form. They all suffer from lack of underwing stores so you will have to raid other kits to get ordnance. reply | |
| | Thanatos, e-mail, 02.08.2010 11:53 Also sold some Pucaras to Sri Lanka and Colombia. As for models, in Argentina there is a company which is called "Aconcagua Resin Models" that are manufactured in resin and are of excellent quality, very good details, completion and decals. The Pucaras are excellent aircraft that provided a great service in THE MALVINAS WAR. Sorry if the translation is bad, because it is made with google. Regards reply | | lt.arbust, e-mail, 07.08.2010 18:47 IA-58C PUCARA charlie version monoplaza proa modificada 2 cañones de 20mm y uno de 30mm reply | | Bob, e-mail, 20.03.2010 20:21 During the falklands war the Britd captured one and took it back to England, I believe it's at duxford but don't know the condition reply | | Jorge, e-mail, 21.08.2009 18:40 I saw it fly in Argentina, very quiet, nice, very good aircraft for the time. It was flown on biofuel.
Remember that in Faklands the pilots were half trined and the ground support was conscript.
A very good successor of the Skyrider. Could be develloped. reply | | Alberto Pagano, e-mail, 22.07.2009 19:54 Its still in use in Argentina. Saludos reply | | Ian, e-mail, 22.04.2009 12:01 These were used to reasonable affect during the Falklands conflict. Para Reg troops were strafed & bombed (napalm has been mentioned in some accounts) by them.
Had they been in an area of air superiority & hadn't lost many to the Pebble Island raid they might have produced more results, as the Skyraider did in Vietnam.
I beleive one was shot down by an SAS trooper with a stinger missile, the combat debut for that weapon. reply |
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