# Argentinian Air Force and Navy Air Arm



## gekho (Apr 13, 2011)

Argentina was early in its development of a military air element. First usage of 'air power' took place in 1866 when balloons were used for aerial observation in the Guerra de la Triple Alianza (the war of triple alliance) against Paraguay. In those years the aerial demonstration scene was dominated by European daredevils never finding a big following by Argentineans until Christmas 1907 when the first take off was organised by Argentineans themselves. With a hot air balloon Aarón de Anchorena and Jorge Newbery managed to cross the River Plate to Uruguay, a feat that was never accomplished by Latin Americans before (although Americans had done it in 1887). This spurred aviation interest in Argentina. On 8 January 1908 the Aero Club Argentino was formed by a select group of enthusiasts putting Argentina in the forefront of Latin American aviation development. This led to the first motorised flight on 30 January 1910 (by Italian pilot Ricardo Ponzelli in a 50hp Voisin) and the inauguration of the first airfield on 23 March of the same year at Villa Lugano, Buenos Aires. The military showed increasing interest in aviation and the Aeroclub was tasked to integrate military aviation in the army. Eventually, the Escuela de Aviación Militar (military aviation school) was formed 10 August 1912 (later, in 1954, this became the official 'day of the air force').

El Palomar in the Campo de Mayo military area was adopted as the home base of military aviation. The early days saw a big influence from the Aeroclub, especially engineers Alberto Mascias and Jorge Newbery because the government simply lacked knowledge, funds and equipment. In honour of their achievements they were granted military aviator status before the first class of officers graduated. Jorge Newbery sadly died in a plane crash 1 March 1914, the Aeroparque airport of Buenos Aires is named after him. Involvement of the civil Aeroclub in military Aviation School ended in 1915 when the military was sufficiently trained to organise flight instruction and air operations renaming the school in Escuela Militar de Aviación in the process. The name reverted to Escuela de Aviación Militar again in 1944 and it is still known by that name today.

In 1919 the first Army air service was formed and after inception of the Grupo 1 de Observación in January 1922, the school was initially dissolved into this unit, but was re-instated in January 1925. After years of operating various small aircraft of European origin (Nieuports and Ansaldos for example), 1926 saw the arrival of about thirty Brequet XIV light bombers. Significant progress in Argentinean aviation was also achieved when on 10 October 1927 the Fábrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) was created at Cordoba. FMA started building Avro 504K, Dewoitine D21 and Curtiss 75 aircraft enabling the first international flight to Rio de Janeiro with FMA built aircraft in 1933. The military aviation school eventually relocated to Cordoba as well in 1937 and was re-equipped with the license built FW44J Stieglitz. Shortly after that a military passengers service was created with Ju-52 aircraft that eventually led to the formation of the air transport group in December 1941 at El Palomar. The first state airline was formed shortly after: Líneas Aéreas del Estado (LADE).

As can be read in the general military aviation history part, the flying units were still part of the army in 1940. The quest for independence gained momentum in the forties. A revolution in 1943 brought a lieutenant colonel from the aviation branch to power among others and the formation of the independent air force was imminent. Subsequently, Air Force command was formed 11 February 1944 and the secretary of Aeronautics on 4 January 1945. The air force also adopted its own badges and ranks in the intervening period. Although the structure was in place, much of the necessary infrastructure still needed to be created. Paved runways and both military and civil airfields were introduced and the late forties and early fifties saw an influx of modern aircraft. The Gloster Meteor was the first jet aircraft adopted in any Latin American country. They arrived in 1947 and by December of that year the first unit, Regimiento 4 de Caza Interceptora (4th Fighter-Interceptor regiment) became operational at Tandil. Other typical aircraft of that era were Lincoln bombers and DC-3, 4 and DC-6 transports. Meanwhile the FMA produced some indigenous aircraft designs as well like the Pulqui and Calquin. The forces were no longer concentrated in the Buenos Aires province as other military aviation regions were formed from 15 March 1950 onward. These included six Brigadas Aéreas (I at El Palomar, II at Paraná, III at Reconquista, IV at Mendoza, V at Villa Reynolds and VI at Tandil). Moreover, other commands were formed at staff level further enhancing the professionalism of the fledgling air force. Many of these commands and brigades are still operational today.

The sixties saw the first Antarctic base, Base Aérea Vicecomodoro Marambio, being constructed and the first participation of the Air Force in an UN mission in Congo. This decade marked the last one in which American equipment could be obtained (the F-86 and A-4 for example) easily. The seventies saw some harsh internal struggles that demanded attention of government resources. It also led to the restriction of arms sales to Argentina. The FAA had to rely on indigenous manufactured aircraft from the mid-seventies like the IA-58 Pucara and fighter nonetheless received aircraft from several countries (like Daggers from Israel). Thus slowly but gradually modernising its forces the 1982 Malvinas campaign in which the Falkland Islands were captured from the British could be launched successfully. Although some heroic air-to-air and air-to-ship operations were executed, the Argentinean forces failed to ward off the British forces, which recaptured the islands destroying and capturing various Argentinean air assets in the process.

Aided by befriended countries the FAA reinforced itself again to make up for the encountered losses. Mirage 3C were obtained from Israel, Mirage 5 were provided by Peru. More modern trainers were obtained in Brazil (EMB312 Tucanos) to augment the venerable Beech B45 still performing that job at Cordoba. The Pampa project was started aimed at building an advanced trainer and light attack aircraft to replace the MS760 Paris that was still in service in that role. Due to several circumstances the programme was ill-fated and the Paris had to soldier on. More Tucanos were obtained to make up for the delay in Pampa deliveries as well. With a grim economic situation the prospects were not that good for the FAA in the late eighties and early nineties. Noteworthy light at the end of the tunnel was the arrival of the A-4AR Fightinghawk, an upgraded version of the Skyhawk, in the second halve of the nineties. The subsequent boost in the indigenous aircraft manufacturing plant (effectively taken over by Lockheed) meant another leash of life for the Pampa programme as well. Together with Mirage 5 aircraft brought up to 'Finger' standard, the A-4AR forms the backbone of the current FAA which still has a way to go with regard to force-wide modernisation.

*Note: This thread is a remake. I am going to add more information and new pictures, but it will basicly contain all the data provided before.*


----------



## gekho (Apr 13, 2011)

The SPAD S.XIII was a French biplane fighter aircraft of World War I, developed by Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés (SPAD) from the earlier highly successful SPAD S.VII. It was one of the most capable fighters of the war, and one of the most-produced, with 8,472 built and orders for around 10,000 more cancelled at the Armistice. Only two units were acquired by Argentina.


----------



## gekho (Apr 13, 2011)

The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 was a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Although the first examples reached the Western Front before the Sopwith Camel and it had a much better overall performance, problems with its Hispano-Suiza engine, particularly the geared-output H-S 8B-powered versions, meant that there was a chronic shortage of S.E.5s until well into 1918 and fewer squadrons were equipped with the type than with the Sopwith fighter. Together with the Camel, the S.E.5 was instrumental in regaining allied air superiority in mid-1917 and maintaining this for the rest of the war, ensuring there was no repetition of "Bloody April" 1917 when losses in the Royal Flying Corps were much heavier than in the Luftstreitkräfte. Civilian Pilot Grant Jorge Luro, assigned to the ESAN, donated this aircraft, that was used for advanced flight training until its destruction by accident in 1929.


----------



## gekho (Apr 13, 2011)

At the end of 1925, the second prototype D 12 single-seat fighter was re-engined with a 500hp Hispano- Suiza 12Gb (HS 50) 12-cylinder W-type water-cooled engine and redesignated D 21. Intended essentially for export, the D 21 was first demonstrated in January 1926 at Bruxelles-Evere. The first export contract came from Turkey, this calling for two D 21s for evaluation. Czechoslovakia ordered three and Argentina procured 18, plus the prototype. Of these, the three Czech aircraft and seven of the Argentine aircraft were assembled by the EKW in Switzerland. A manufacturing licence was obtained by Czechoslovakia, Skoda building 26 D 21s during 1928-29 (as Skoda D 1s) with Skoda L engines (derived from the HS 12G) of 562hp. Argentina also procured a manufacturing licence and the Fabrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) built 40 examples during 1930-31, but with Madsen machine guns and the licence-built Lorraine-Dietrich 12Eb W-type engine. They thus became effectively D 12s, although the designation D 21 was retained. In the autumn of 1927, Turkey placed a follow-on order for 10 D 21s, these being delivered during 1928-29.


----------



## Gnomey (Apr 13, 2011)

Good stuff!


----------



## vikingBerserker (Apr 14, 2011)

gekho, you have some of the most imformative threads, well done!


----------



## gekho (Apr 15, 2011)

The Savoia-Marchetti S.57 was an Italian single-engine biplane flying boat intended for aerial reconnaissance, built by Savoia-Marchetti for Regia Aeronautica after World War I. Of wooden construction with a single-step hull, with pilot and observer/gunner in tandem open cockpits in the bow, the S.57 was powered by a single 186 kW (250 hp) Isotta-Fraschini V6. The observer had a single ring-mounted 7.7 mm (.303 in) FIAT machine gun. Eighteen S.57s were accepted by Regia Aeronautica in 1925 and used as trainers. A sole S.57bis (improved) was built, with a 224 kW (300 hp) Hispano-Suiza 42 engine. A single unit was acquired in 1928 by Italian aeronautical added in Buenos Aires, who had for private use. Assigned to the BAPB and then to the ESAN. He served until 1934.


----------



## gekho (Apr 15, 2011)

Built as a private venture by the Stearman Aircraft Company of Wichita (bought by Boeing in 1934), this two-seat biplane was of mixed construction. The wings were of wood with fabric covering while the fuselage had a tough, welded steel framework, also fabric covered. Either a Lycoming R-680 (PT-13) or Continental R-670 (PT-17) engine powered most models, at a top speed of 124 mph with a 505-mile range. An engine shortage in 1940-41 led to the installation of 225-hp Jacobs R-755 engines on some 150 airframes, and the new designation PT-18. The US Navy's early aircraft, designated NS-1, eventually evolved into the N2S series, and the Royal Canadian Air Force called their Lend-Lease aircraft PT-27s. (The Canadians were also responsible for the moniker "Kaydet," a name eventually adopted by air forces around the globe).

The plane was easy to fly, and relatively forgiving of new pilots. It gained a reputation as a rugged airplane and a good teacher. Officially named the Boeing Model 75, the plane was (and still is) persistently known as the "Stearman" by many who flew them. It was called the "PT" by the Army, "N2S" by the Navy and "Kaydet" by Canadian forces. By whatever name, more than 10,000 were built by the end of 1945 and at least 1,000 are still flying today worldwide.

After the WWII, there were many remainning planes available for foreigners customers, and that allowed Argentina to acquire 60 units of PT-17 version. At the beginning, they were assigned to the Aviation Naval School, being later transfered to the General Purpose Aeronaval Squadron, where they were used for very different tasks. In 1958 many were retired, although some examples were bought by sport association or sold to other neighbouring countries.


----------



## gekho (Apr 15, 2011)

The prototype of the Fairey III was the N.10 floatplane, which was designed and built in 1917 by Fairey Aviation (along with the smaller N.9) to meet Admiralty Specification N.2(a) for a carrier-based seaplane for the Royal Naval Air Service during the First World War. N.10, also known by its constructer's number F.128 was a two-bay biplane with folding wings and powered by a 260 hp (190 kW) Sunbeam Maori engine. It first flew from the Port Victoria seaplane station on the Isle of Grain, Kent on 14 September 1917. Following tests both as a floatplane and with a conventional wheeled undercarriage, production orders were placed for two versions both powered by the Maori, the IIIA and IIIB, with 50 and 60 aircraft planned, respectively. The Fairey IIIA was a reconnaissance aircraft intended to operate from aircraft carriers, and as such was fitted with a wheeled or skid undercarriage, while the IIIB was intended as a floatplane bomber, with larger span (increased from 46 ft 2 in/14.19 m to 62 ft 9 in/19.13 m) upper wings and a bombload of three 230 lb (105 kg) bombs. While all 50 IIIAs were built, only 28 of the IIIBs were completed as intended, as a new improved bomber/reconnaissance floatplane, the Fairey IIIC was available, of which 36 were produced, which reverted to short equal-span wings like the IIIA but was powered by the much more powerful and reliable 375 hp (280 kW) Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engine and could still carry a useful bombload. Many of the IIIBs were completed as IIICs.

The first major production model was the IIID, which was an improved IIIC, with provision for a third crewmember and capable of being fitted with either a floatplane or a conventional wheeled undercarriage. It first flew in August 1920, powered by a Rolls-Royce Eagle, and initial production for the Fleet Air Arm, together with aircraft produced for Australia and Portugal retained the Eagle, while later aircraft were powered by the more powerful Napier Lion. The naval variants were usually three-seaters; pilot, observer and gunner and the wings would could be folded back parallel to the fuselage for storage aboard ship. In floatplane configuration, carrier-borne Fairey IIIs would be launched from the deck using a trolley and would land on the water upon their return. The Fairey III floatplane could also be catapult-launched from a ship. The IIID had a wooden, fabric-covered fuselage and usually a wooden, two-blade, fixed-pitch propeller. One IIID was built with metal wings and floats. A total of 207 IIIDs were produced for the Fleet Air Arm and RAF, with a further 20 being built for export.

A Fairey III floatplane (G-EALQ) with a 450 hp Napier Lion was entered into the Air Ministry Commercial Amphibian Competition of September 1920. The most prolific and enduring of the Fairey IIIs was the final model, the IIIF, which was designed to meet Air Ministry Specification 19/24 for a three-seat spotter/reconnaissance aircraft for the Fleet Air Arm and a two-seat general purpose aircraft for the Royal Air Force. The IIIF, which first flew on 20 April 1926, had a more streamlined engine installation and initially a fuselage of mixed metal and wooden construction, with similar wings to the IIID, although later production aircraft were fitted with an all-metal fuselages and wings. Over 350 IIIFs were operated by the Fleet Air Arm, making it the most widely used type of aircraft in Fleet Air Arm service between the wars. In fact, of the British military aircraft in the inter-war years, only the Hawker Hart family was produced in greater numbers. Three IIIFs were modified as a radio-controlled gunnery trainer, known as the Fairey Queen. The Fairey IIIF was also the basis for development of the Gordon and Seal.


----------



## gekho (Apr 15, 2011)

Six units were bought at the UK in 1930. The floats were made of aluminum, with a weight of 100 kg, what made them lose the 10% of its speed and autonomy. They were sent to the Patrol Plane Squadron first, and later to the Reconnaissance Sea Fleet. In 1935 these planes were fitted with the new Armstrong Siddeley Panther IV engines, which improved its performance. One of them (R-54) was lost in an accident, and the goverment decided to acquire a new unit, this time a Fairey IV "Seal", with a better performance than the others. At the end of its life they were destinated to the "Punta Indio" Aeronaval Base, were they were used as light bombers. They were withdrawn from service in 1940.


----------



## gekho (Apr 15, 2011)

From 1928 until 1937 the company Aeroposta Argentina SA, on all routes operated by aircraft Laté Laté 25 and 28. Subsequently, on February 2 '37 by Decree No. 99,184, issued by General Agustín P. Fair, authorized the company to extend services to Buenos Aires from Rio Grande (Tierra del Fuego) and Bahía Blanca and also established the Civil Aeronautics Administration, to establish a new contract whereby the parties agreed to give valid 10 years from that date. Among the obligations under its terms, Aeroposta should "... be replaced within the first year of flight equipment in use, modern aircraft that meet the needs and conveniences in particular the safety, regularity, speed and convenience of the public service ".

Importantly, continued to use his monoplane Aeroposta Laté 28 until October. But in parallel and in order to comply with the provisions of the preceding paragraph, signed a contract with the German company Deutsche Lufthansa Aktiengesellschaft for the acquisition of three Junkers Ju-52/3m unit cost amounted to 160 000 reischmark. The aircraft, equipped with engines of 625 HP BMW Hornet were registered and baptized as LV-AAB (W.Nr. 5824) Patagonia, LV-AAH (W.Nr. 5833) Pampa and LV-CAB (W.Nr.) Quichua. Oct 14 '37 began regular flights between Buenos Aires (Aeropuerto de Quilmes) and Rio Grande (Tierra del Fuego), with stops at Bahia Blanca, San Antonio Oeste, Trelew, Com. Rivadavia, Puerto Deseado, San Julián, Santa Cruz, Rio Gallegos and Rio Grande. This Ju-52 served until 1947, when they were replaced by Douglas DC-3.

Given the good performance of the Junkers F-13 and K-43 already serving in our country, the Army Aviation Command, in charge of the military airline by 1945 would become LADE (Lineas Aereas State ), managed by 1940 the acquisition of five Junkers tri Ju-52/3m, provided a complete navigation instruments including remote compass, artificial horizon, gyro directional gyro, autopilot and radio equipment, with capacity for 17 passengers and a flight attendant and had sanitary facilities, essential for long flights which would be allocated. Although the planes were formally assigned to the Monitoring Group No. 1, based in El Palomar, the benefit from these new devices were the two airways passenger and correspondence that depend on this command, initially LASO (Airline South West) and from LANE also 1943 (North-East Airlines). By late 1939 the German war production was in full operation, with the objective of sustaining the prevailing needs. That is why the five aircraft required by the Aviation Command are sent to our country disarmed by sea, and no other but with the corresponding helices. Once received, were assembled in the Military Aircraft Factory of Córdoba.


----------



## rochie (Apr 15, 2011)

nice pictures, but the Ju 52 in the middle pic, is it fitted with American radials maybe from a C-47 and the guys in front are holding a spinner cone ?????


----------



## gekho (Apr 15, 2011)

rochie said:


> nice pictures, but the Ju 52 in the middle pic, is it fitted with American radials maybe from a C-47 and the guys in front are holding a spinner cone ?????


 
Dont know if it´s a C-47 radial, but sure it is not its original engine.


----------



## gekho (Apr 16, 2011)

Junkers W 34 was a German-built, single-engine, passenger and transport aircraft. Developed in the 1920s, it was taken into service in 1926. The passenger version could take a pilot and five passengers. The aircraft was developed from the Junkers W 33. Further development led to the Junkers Ju 46. One Junkers W 34 be/b3e managed to break the then current altitude record on May 26, 1929 when it reached 12,739 meters (41,402 feet). That aircraft carried the markings D-1119 and it was equipped with a Bristol Jupiter VII engine. The airplane was flown by Friedrich W. Neuenhofen. A single unit was bought by Argentina, that used it for trainning purposes, althought sometimes it was used for photograph and reconnaissance duties.


----------



## gekho (Apr 16, 2011)

The Vought O2U Corsair was a 1920s biplane scout and observation aircraft. Made by Vought Corporation, the O2U was ordered by the United States Navy (USN) in 1927. Powered by a 400 hp (298 kW) Pratt Whitney R-1340 Wasp engine, it incorporated a steel-tube fuselage structure and a wood wing structure with fabric covering. Many were seaplanes or amphibians. In 1927, a total of 291 O2Us were produced. The O2U-2, -3 and -4 were ordered in 1928 with minor changes. By 1930 they were being superseded by the O3U which was basically similar to the O2U-4, one of which was fitted with the Grumman float, and were manufactured until 1936. A total of 289 were built. Many of them had cowled engines and some had enclosed cockpits.

Export versions included the Corsair V-65F, V-66F and V-80Fp for the Argentine Navy. A total of 12 units were sent to Argentina in 1933 (eleven V-65-F and a V-66-F). They were used for many different duties, like fighters, light bombers and as reconnaissance aircrafts for the navy. They were used also in numerous raids across the country. For example: feb1933 raid BAPI-Ushuaia with the R-61; nov1933 another raid Patagonia with 3 devices, which is recognized by 1 ° time since the air around Lake Musters; abr1935 BAPI-Posadas raid, raid mar1935 Patagonia with 6 devices; ene1937 Bermejo River survey with the R-62, etc. These seaplanes could be changed quickly with the placement of a central pontoon and a smaller one on each wingtip. They were retired in 1949.


----------



## gekho (Apr 16, 2011)

Initially created to compete for a United States Navy contract dated February 28, 1928, the prototype Model 9, XPY-1, was designed by Captain Dick Richardson and Isaac M. 'Mac' Laddon. Beginning construction in March 1928, the aircraft was ready for its first flight by the end of the year. Lieutenant A. W. Gorton made the first flight out of Anacostia NAS, Washington, D.C.. The production contract was opened to other bidders, and the Glenn L. Martin Company undercut and was awarded the contract to construct the plane as the Martin P3M-1 and P3M-2.

A new contract was placed by the US Navy on May 26, 1931, for a prototype of a developed version of the Model 9, XPY-1, designated the Model 22 Ranger by Consolidated. Incorporating features of the Model 16 Commodore such as the enclosed flight deck, designated the XP2Y-1 by the Navy, this new prototype had the same 100 ft parasol wing, but became a sesquiplane with a smaller wing mounted lower, at the top of the hull, replacing the booms that had supported the stabilizing pontoons on the XPY-1. Two Wright R-1820-E1 Cyclone engines, were located close below the top wing and had narrow-chord cowlings. A third similar engine was mounted on a strut along the centerline above the wing, but removed after the first test in April 1932. The Navy ordered 23 P2Y-3s as production models similar to the P2Y-2s that were modified from the original batch of P2Y-1.

The Argentinian Navy bought six units in 1936. They were armed at the BAPB workshop and joined the Patrol Boat School, replacing the Southamptons. They took part in very important misions, travelling to the Falkland islands. In 1946/47 they were transfered to the ESAN, being replace two years later by the Catalinas.


----------



## gekho (Apr 16, 2011)

After Argentina signed the Rio Pact in 1947, three Grumman Geese, 0184/PGM-1, (C/N B.53, BuNo 37800), 0185/PGM-2, (C/N B.29, BuNo 37776) and 0186/PGM-3, (C/N 1100, BuNo 3846), were suplied by the U.S.A. to this country to be operated by the Navy. The first couple (0184/PGM-1 0185/PGM-2) were of the JRF-5 model, while the third (0186/PGM-3) started life as a JRF-1 model in 1939 but in 1940 it was part of a batch of ten JRF-1 aircraft converted to the JRF-4 model, which allowed them to launch depth charges. This first batch of three aircraft would in the years to come serve with the Armada Nacional de Paraguay (ANP). Then in 1947 three more Geese of the G-21A model, 0293/PGM-4, 0294/PGM-5 and 0295/PGM-6, would be acquired. From 1946 to 1957 all of the Geese would initially use serials of the Prefectura Naval Argentina (PNA) but in fact they were operated at discretion by the Navy which was in control of the Prefectura at that time. This was done to hide this purchase from the government of that period which was politically against the Naval Aviation. This forced the Prefectura to buy some four Nord 1203 Norécrin to perform some of the functions required. 

Since all of these aircraft were equipped with radios they were ideally suited for fishery control, patrol, surveillance, SAR, MEDEVAC, light logistics and general utility duties, but in practice they saw limited flying. Last but not least, they did operate in the Antarctic in four summer campaigns. It seems that, even thought they could be armed with one rack under each wing for either a 250 lbs bomb or a 325 lbs depth charge, they were never used by the Argentinean Navy, nor by the Prefectura, with any kind of weaponry. They were based at B.A. Jorge Newbery and operated by the Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Patrulleros. By 1957 another couple of Geese, PNM-7 and PNM-8, of unknown model would be acquired. For a brief period, just before being finally transferred to the operational use of the Prefectura sometime in 1957, they were reserialled as follows, 3-P-21 to 3-P-25 and 3-P-50 to 3-P-52. The service of these Geese was very similar with the Prefectura with the exception of the Antarctic missions performed by the Navy. When finally operational control was transferred to the Prefectura they were reserialled as PM-1 to PM-8. They finally were retired in from service in 1963 and some of them, PM-1, PM-2, PM-3 and probably PM-5, would be transferred in 1967 to the Armada Nacional de Paraguay. The fate of the reminders is unknown.


----------



## Gnomey (Apr 16, 2011)

Interesting shots!


----------



## vikingBerserker (Apr 16, 2011)

Excellent.


----------



## gekho (Apr 17, 2011)

The Douglas Dolphin was an amphibious flying boat. While fewer than 60 were built, they served a wide variety of roles: private ” air yacht”, airliner, military transport, and search and rescue. It began in 1930 as the twin-engine “Sinbad,” intended as a luxury aircraft. It was a high-wing monoplane, with two radial engines mounted above the wing. Its six to eight passengers looked out picture windows, and their baggage was stored in a 30-cubic-foot area. The Depression curtailed demand for such extravagance, so the Sinbad was sold to the United States Coast Guard. 58 of the next version, the Dolphin, were built between 1931 and 1934. The Dolphin retracted its landing gear for water landings and evolved into 17 variants to meet military or civilian needs. It . Among the first purchasers were the Wilmington – Catalina Airline and Standard Oil of New Jersey. A sigle unit was sold to Argentina in 1933. It served with the Navy Departament and also as a transport aircraft and giving logistic support to the operative squadrons. It was retired in 1948.


----------



## gekho (Apr 17, 2011)

The Fleet Model 1 (originally the Consolidated Model 14 Husky Junior) and its derivatives were a family of two-seat trainer and sports plane produced in the United States and Canada in the 1920s and 30s. They all shared the same basic design and varied mainly in their powerplants. They were all orthodox biplanes with staggered, single-bay wings of equal span and fixed tailskid undercarriage. The model 11 was a version with Kinner R-5 engine. Ten units were sold to Argentina in 1931 and used as advanced trainers. They were retired in 1940.


----------



## gekho (Apr 17, 2011)

The Supermarine Walrus was a catapult-launched, biplane amphibian with pusher propeller, developed from the Seagull. The Prototype desigjnated the Segull V had one 635hp Pegasus IIM2 engine, it was initially built as a private venture, this then became a production model for RAAF. The first production models in 1935 were the Walrus Mk I, redesignated from the Seagull V for service with the RAF and FAA; some fitted with ASV radar. The Walrus was rather rectangular in outline, and did not show that it was built by the same manufacturer as the Spitfire. It was the standard catapult- launched reconnaissance and SAR (Search And Rescue) aircraft for some time. 740 were built between 1936 and 1944.

The first two units, bought in 1940, were coded 2-0-1 and 2-0-2 and served until 1948. Eight more Walrus were acquired between 1946 and 1950, being transported by the cruiser "La Argentina". However, these new units were Mark.I; they were fitted with Bristol Pegasus IV engines and could reach a speed of 230 km/h.


----------



## gekho (Apr 17, 2011)

In 1929-1930, Fairchild (Canada) designed an eight-seat transport known as the Model 81. The single prototype was powered by either a 575 hp Pratt Whitney Hornet or Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar. The design was a "one-off" and did not enter production. In 1934, the parent company had also developed the Super 71 variant of the Fairchild 71, but reception in the marketplace was lukewarm. Undaunted, the company continued to refine the design and produced the Model 82 the following year. This retained the stretched forward fuselage and separate flight deck that had been a feature of the Super 71, but increased passenger and load capacity. The resulting aircraft proved a modest success, with three sold to the government of Venezuela, one to the government of Mexico, and another seven going to various Canadian regional airlines. Variants with various powerplant changes followed, three of which were sold to the Argentine Navy. They were retired in 1947.


----------



## gekho (Apr 17, 2011)

The Curtiss-Wright CW-16 "Light Sport" born in the United States in the early '30s as a high performance sport trainer, responding to Ted Wells designs and Herbert Rawdon respectively. The CW-12 and CW-16 share the same basic design as two-seater biplane in which instructor and pupil are located in tandem. The biggest difference between the two is that the front cabin of the CW-12 had a single seat, the CW-16 could accommodate two people side by side. Both versions were available with a variety of engines, although the most common would be equipped with the Wright Whirlwind 540-E, located in the export version "E" of the CW-16, introduced in our country for the well-known efforts of Lawrence Leon .

Acquired in the United States of America, a first batch of 15 aircraft were armed in the workshops of Punta Indio Naval Air Base, while another provision of 13 would be built under license in them. They were called "Kelito" in naval parlance as a family nickname, due to their small size and yellow color they were painted, which resembled a candy wrapper of the same name of the national firm NOEL. Completed their active duty, a copy of these aircraft built in our country was donated by the Navy Flying Club, Argentina to El Carmen, and while some are still in flying condition, we see a close at the Museum of Naval Aviation.


----------



## gekho (Apr 17, 2011)

During 1934, the Fairchild company designed a business or executive aircraft with five seats, designated the Model 45. It first flew on 31 May 1935. The Model 45 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a conventional cantilever tail unit and a retractable tailwheel landing gear. The aircraft was powered by a 225 hp (168 kW) Jacobs L-4 radial engine and had a luxury five-seat interior as standard. Flight testing showed that the aircraft performed well although it was described as sedate. Fairchild upgraded the protoype with a larger engine, the Wright R-760 radial, for evaluation. In this configuration it was designated the Model 45-A. This configuration was placed in production, with about 16 units being completed. Argentina bought three units in 1937 for the Navy, to be used as VIP transport and photografic aircraft. They were retired in 1948.


----------



## Wayne Little (Apr 17, 2011)




----------



## gekho (Apr 18, 2011)

Designed to meet a requirement of the New York, Rio, and Buenos Aires Line (NYRBA) for an aircraft to serve the coastal routes in South America. Consolidated designed the Model 17 Fleetster. The Fleestster had a streamlined all-metal monocoque fuselage with a wooden wing. The powerplant was a 575 hp (429 kW) Pratt Whitney R-1860 Hornet B radial engine. It was available as a landplane or seaplane and could accommodate up to eight passengers, although the three NYRBA aircraft were fitted with two full-width seats each for three passengers. A parasol-wing version (the Model 20 Fleetster) was also developed with the wing supported by four short struts. The open cockpit was moved to behind the passenger cabin and the space used as a cargo compartment. In 1932 a carrier-borne dive bomber version (Model 18) was evaluated by the United States Navy as the XBY-1, it was not ordered but was the first stressed-skin aircraft, and the first aircraft with integral fuel tanks in the wings operated by the Navy. A single unit served with the Argentinian Navy; acquired in 1932 and coded T-204 first, and later 2-GT-3, it was retired in 1936, when it was donated to the Agriculture Department.


----------



## gekho (Apr 18, 2011)

Like its forerunner, the Super Universal was a conventional, high-wing cantilever monoplane with a fully enclosed flight deck and cabin. Standard undercarriage consisted of fixed tailskid type with divided main units, but it was also available as a twin-pontoon seaplane. The Super Universal was received enthusiastically in the marketplace, selling better than any other of Fokker-America's designs (some 80 aircraft), and required the company to expand its factory space to keep up with demand. A further 15 aircraft were built by Canadian Vickers, and around 100 by Nakajima with some of these Japanese aircraft seeing military service as the Ki-6. The United States Navy also evaluated the Super Universal for military service, under the designation XJA-1, but decided not to purchase the type (the JA designation was later re-used for the Noorduyn Norseman). A single unit was bought in 1931 for the Navy. It was used for logistic support, reconnaissance and photografic duties. This aircraft operated in the south of the country, under a very bad climatological circumstances. It was retired in 1942.


----------



## gekho (Apr 18, 2011)

The Grumman J2F Duck (company designation G-15) was an American single-engine amphibious biplane. The J2F was an improved version of the earlier JF Duck, differing by having a longer float. The J2F-1 Duck first flew on 2 April 1936 powered by a 750 hp (559 kW) Wright R-1820 Cyclone, and was delivered to the US Navy on the same day. The J2F-2 had a Wright Cyclone engine but boosted to 790 hp (589 kW). 20 J2F-3 variants were built in 1939 for use as executive transports for the Navy with plush interiors. Due to pressure of work following the United States entry into the war in 1941, production of the J2F Duck was transferred to the Columbia Aircraft Corp of New York. They produced 330 aircraft for the Navy and US Coast Guard. Several surplus Navy Ducks were converted for use by the United States Air Force in the air-sea rescue role as the OA-12 in 1948.

15 units were acquired between 1939 and 1940. The differences between the G-15 and G-20 were only on the propeller. They served on Observation Squadron of the Fleet and some of them were embarked in the argentinian navy cruisers between 1939 and 1947, when they were replaced by the J2F5 and 6.


----------



## gekho (Apr 18, 2011)

The V-142 was a single-engine biplane, two-seat attack and dive-bombing or horizontal. It has a conventional fixed landing gear suitable for landing on aircraft carriers. Similar to the SBU-2 of the U.S. Navy. 14 units of these biplanes were purchased in 1937, integrated between 1937 and 1945 Attack Squadron FA # 2. Were passed to the BAPI integrating Bombardment Squadron plummeting in 1946/48.


----------



## vikingBerserker (Apr 18, 2011)

Excellent!


----------



## Gnomey (Apr 18, 2011)

Good stuff!


----------



## gekho (Apr 19, 2011)

The Reliant is a three-place high-wing land monoplane powered with a Lycoming Model R-680-13 Engine. The engine is fitted with an 8'6" constant speed propeller and the conventional landing gear is equipped with hydraulically-operated brakes. Wing flaps are vacuum-operated." 1,327 were made from 1933 to 1941, in different models, from SR-1 to SR-10. The final model, the Stinson Reliant SR-10, was introduced in 1938. The SR-10 was used by the U.S. Army in World War II as a utility aircraft, designated UC-81, and as trainer designated AT-19. They were also used by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force for light transport and communication duties. After the war they were sold on the civilian market as the Vultee V-77. The V-77 was a spartan version of the SR-10 with the 300hp Lycoming R680-E3B, a single door on the left side and the traditional "Bump" cowl was replaced with a simpler smooth cowl.

Two units were bought in 1937 for the Argentinian Navy; the aircraft coded 1-E-67 was destroyed in an accident in 1941, while the other one flew with the Navy until 1944, when it was replaced by a Vultee BT-13 A. They were used as light transports, basic trainning and as reconnassaice aircrafts.


----------



## gekho (Apr 19, 2011)

The Argentinian Navy acquired three units on 1937. By that time this magnificent product of the Curtiss was having a successful life, and the Navy used one of them as a transport and parachute aircraft, another one as VIP transport and the last one as flying ambulance. They were the pioneers of the Aeronaval Transport Command, and after many years of services, they were retired in 1947. These three Condors were the last ones built at the Curtiss´s St. Louis factory, and they were bought to transport the Wrights engines, due to their big deck.


----------



## gekho (Apr 19, 2011)

Originally designed as a two-seat civilian biplane for pilot training and sport flying, the Stieglitz (German for Goldfinch) prototype first flew in 1932. After test and modifications to increase the plane's strength and improve its flight characteristics, the final Fw 44 design proved to have excellent maneuverability and aerobatics capabilities. Famous German pilots of the 1930s including Ernst Udet, Gerd Achgelis and Emil Kopf all flew the Stieglitz in aerobatic displays and air shows in Germany, and flight schools and flying clubs placed orders for the new plane in large numbers. The demand was so great that Focke-Wulf opened a new factory just to build the Stieglitz. Orders also came from a dozen other countries and in some, Fw 44s were produced under license.

A second version of the design was the Fw 44B, which used an Argus As 8 four-cylinder inverted inline air-cooled engine of 120 horsepower. This gave the plane a more slender, aerodynamic nose that the bulkier Siemens radial engine. This model was produced in limited numbers and followed by the Fw 44C. The final C model was powered by the Siemens radial engine and was produced in the largest numbers. With a fuselage of welded steel-tube and wings of wooden spars and ribs, the Stieglitz design was fabric covered with metal panels behind the engine. The two cockpits were open, with the pilot or student pilot flying from the rear cockpit and a passenger or instructor in front.

In 1940 four units were acquired and delivered to Argentina, being used mainly for trainning and acrobatic duties. They were later used as a general purpose aircrafts until 1958. By that time they were stored and in 1967 the last survivor was donated to the Veronica Aeroclub.


----------



## gekho (Apr 19, 2011)

The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to go into regular use by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934. It was also the first mass-produced bomber whose performance was superior to that of the Army's pursuit aircraft of the time. The B-10 served as the airframe for the B-12, B-13, B-14, A-15 and O-45 designations using Pratt Whitney engines instead of Wright Cyclones.

When the B-10 design was released for export in 1936, several countries purchased the export version of the bomber, the 139W, for their armed forces. Argentina bought 35 Martin 139Ws, including 12 for the Argentine Navy. After many years of service, the obsolete bombers were used for various types of training. The B-10 displayed at the USAF Museum was the last used as a ground-training tool for Argentine engineering students at the "Jorge Newberry" National School of Technical Education, No. 1, in Buenos Aires.


----------



## Gnomey (Apr 19, 2011)

Nice stuff!


----------



## vikingBerserker (Apr 20, 2011)

Excellent!


----------



## gekho (Apr 20, 2011)

The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, was an American designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of the both the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation of combat aircraft—a sleek monoplane design making extensive use of metal in its construction and powered by a powerful radial engine. Obsolete at the onset of World War II and best known as the predecessor of the Curtiss P-40, the P-36 saw only limited combat with the United States Army Air Forces, but it was used more extensively by the French Air Force, both during the Battle of France and by the Vichy France armed forces, and also by the British Commonwealth (where it was known as the Mohawk), and Chinese air units. Several dozen also fought in the Finnish Air Force against the Soviet Air Forces. With around 1,000 aircraft built, the P-36 was a major commercial success for Curtiss. This article also covers the YP-37 and the XP-42 prototypes based on the P-36.

Argentina bought a number of the simplified, fixed landing gear Hawk 75Os, (intended for rough-field operations and ease of maintenance) and purchased a manufacturing license for the type. These aircraft used the same engine, Wright Cyclone R-1820-G5 as the Martin 139WAA's (B-10) and Northrop 8A-2s used by the Argentine Army Aviation at the time. Usually armed with 1 x 11.35 mm Madsen machine gun and 3 x 7.65 mm Madsen light machine guns, there was provision for up to 10 bombs of 30 pounds each on underwing pylons. The last Argentinian Hawks remained in service until November 1954.


----------



## gekho (Apr 20, 2011)

The Douglas DC-2 was a 14-seat, twin-propeller airliner produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247. In 1935 Douglas produced a larger version called the DC-3, which became one of the most successful aeroplanes in history. Five used units were bought in Venezuela. When the planes arrived to Argentina, they were in very bad conditions and it was decided to replace their engines, being fitted the Glen Martin B-139 WAN. They were destinated to the Naval transport Squadron, operating between 1946 and 1958. Four of them were sold in 1959.


----------



## gekho (Apr 20, 2011)

The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. This model saw military service during and after World War II in a number of versions including the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) C-45 Expeditor, AT-7 Navigator, AT-11 Kansan; and for the United States Navy (USN), UC-45J Navigator and the SNB-1 Kansan. In addition to carrying passengers the aircraft's uses have included aerial spraying, sterile insect release, fish seeding, dry ice cloud seeding, aerial firefighting, airborne mail pick up and drop, ambulance service, numerous movie productions, skydiving, freight, gun- and drug-smuggling, engine test bed, skywriting and banner towing. 

Concerning the Beechcraft 18, at least 4 units were bought in 1948 for general porpouses. The AT-11s were acquired in 1946; at the begining they also were used for general porpouses, but in 1950 they formed a bomber squadron. In 1965 all of them were withdrawn from service, being replaced by the C-45H.


----------



## gekho (Apr 20, 2011)

Argentina purchased 30 Model 8A-2s in 1937 and received them between February and March 1938. Their serial numbers were between 348 and 377. These remained in front line service until replaced by the I.Ae. 24 Calquin, continuing in service as trainers and reconnaissance aircraft until their last flight in 1954. They served at the Grupo "A" de la Escuela de Aplicación de Aviación based at BAM El Palomar and at the Regimiento Aéreo Nº3 (Air Regiment No.3) de Bombardeo Liviano (Light Bombing) based at BAM El Plumerillo. This version was fitted with fixed undercarriage, ventral gun position and powered by 840 hp (626 kW) Wright R-1820-G3 Cyclone.


----------



## gekho (Apr 20, 2011)

Argentina did not benefit from the Lend-Lease Program (nor from its successor, the ARP), primarily because of its pro-Axis, totalitarian stance. As a result, aerohistorians can only ponder what "might have been" had the political climate been different in Argentina during the 1940's. For political and budgetary reasons, the Argentine Naval Aviation Command (Comando de Aviacion Naval Argentina) did not benefit, as did the Argentine Air Force, from indigenous production of the FMA I.Ae. DL-22 training aircraft. By 1946, the CAN was in desperate need of reequipment. Especially needed were modern trainers, since most of those in service were 1935-vintage biplanes or worn former service types. Identities of the Navy's "Valiants" have so far not been traced, so it is conceivable that the 30 aircraft acquired from September 1946 onward may have included all versions of the type (e.g. BT-13, BT-13A, BT-13B, SNV-1, SNV-2, and even BT-15) as only one is known (the former 42-90302).

Three had been lost by January 1949, and 17 still remained by mid-1950. One, of course, was passed to the Paraguayan Navy in 1959. This Argentine form of "military assistance" presaged the end of the Argentine "Valiants", and 17 were offered for sale by December 1960. Fate of the remainder is unknown, although it is believed they were scrapped. CAN codes for its "Valiants" appear to have run 1-E-100 through 1-E-129, but the four-digit Navy serials assigned to the aircraft (similar to USN "Bureau of Aeronautics numbers) are completely unknown.


----------



## Gnomey (Apr 20, 2011)

Good stuff!


----------



## Loiner (Apr 21, 2011)

Those are great photos of the cruiser 'La Argentina' and her Walruses in post #22. I have been reading about her in a new book as she is an interesting case, being British built to a similar design to the Town class light cruisers with a similar armament.


----------



## gekho (Apr 22, 2011)

With the outbreak of World War II, many Argentines are descendants of British volunteered in all weapons to fight against Germany. Among them was Captain James Storey, born in Rosario, who finished the war brought from England a Spitfire for the purpose of use for aerial photography work. This variant was PR.Mk.XI, the last of the Spitfires with Merlin engine, the most important allied reconnaissance airplane on the European front, being used by the RAF and USAF missions alone and unarmed to targets as distant as Berlin. Most equipment in this version had the rudder pointed and all the retractable tail wheel, but the hallmark of this variant was the crop disarmed under the engine, resulting from the huge reservoir of oil needed for so long missions. During World War II Storey had flown most of the time in Spitfire. In recognition of this, bought the machine directly to the Air Ministry, which authorized him to make the crossing of the Atlantic, becoming the first device of its type that came to Argentina. Vickers-Armstrong company made a overhaul, was installed additional fuel tanks and equipped with three cameras f.8 Williamson F.24 (2 vertical and 1 oblique). DeCola to Buenos Aires on April 29, 1947 at 10.50 from Hurn, England, on the plane that was built in 1944 (registration PL-972) and only had 20 hours of flight. Phases of flight were Gibraltar, Dakar, Natal, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo and Buenos Aires. Notably, due to an obligatory stop in Africa due to an intense storm that lasted several days and forced the pilot to a landing in the desert, being the only drawback I had throughout their raid. The aircraft was equipped for this long journey with only a VHF radio. For lack of other instruments for air navigation, the ocean crossing was made to accompany an Avro York of the British South American Airways (BSAA), while the oil company Shell as refueled and offered help along the extensive route. This plane had a fuel capacity of 315 gallons, adding two additional 20-gallon tanks in the wings and one of 170 gallons in the fuselage, which amounted to more than 10 hours of battery life to economic cruising speed of 400 km / h, or about 4,000 km. unreserved range. For the Atlantic crossing he needed 8 hours 30 minutes.

In Buenos Aires it received the civil registration LV-NMZ. During the short time it operated in our country Storey helped search for English civil aircraft lost (the Lancastrian "Star Dust" registration G-AGWH) that was lost on August 3, 1947, whose pilot, Major Reginald Cook , was partner in the RAF. This machine was recently found in 1998 in Tupungato hillside, with his body half-buried in a glacier. Mainly due to bureaucratic problems, Storey used the plane really little, but deserves mention a flight at the end of '47 linking Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile in record time, setting a brand new improved one Aerolineas Argentinas Caravelle years' 60. Storey machine was seized in late 1948, being intended for the Military Aviation School and then at the Instituto Cordoba Airman, being used inter alia in a comparison with the only Fiat G-59 that had the Air Force Argentina. In mid-1949 he made changes and was equipped with a movie camera to film a mock driving test a rocket engine pump being developed by the Institute. As PR.XI was curved windshield to prevent deformation of the film was adapted flat windshield Mk.IX. In November 1949 during a flight test pilot Luis Valloni, The Spitfire was an engine problem, making an emergency landing with retracted train in a field near Alta Gracia. The plane suffered only minor damage, but was never repaired, he kept a while in a hangar at the factory, until he was finally discharged. He was then disarmed, dismantled and sent his remains to the smelter.


----------



## gekho (Apr 23, 2011)

Only one example of Hurricane Mk.IV, serial KW908, arrived in 1947 as a present from the British Government to the Argentines. The airplane was packed in 27 boxes and arrived to Buenos Aires on August '47 aboard the ship SS Durango. On July 7 of that year the aircraft was on public display in an exhibition mounted in one of the main squares of Buenos Aires, with other airplanes like a Lancaster and Fiat G55. In autumn of that year was sent to a flight school of the Argentinian Air Force located in Cordoba, where was painted the national insignia and repainted their camouflage colours; it is known that remained there until the early '60s.


----------



## gekho (Apr 23, 2011)

When the United Kingdom's Bomber Command was given the difficult missions of destroying German dams in the Ruhr valley and sinking the Bismarck-class battleship Tirpitz in a Norwegian fjord, their aircraft of choice was the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber. With four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines giving a top speed of 287 mph and a range of 1,660 miles, the Lancaster’s’ seven-man crew could provide a knockout punch with a typical load of 18,000 pounds of high explosive over the target. Along with the Handley Page Halifax, the Lancaster gave the UK the offensive striking power needed to penetrate German air defenses during World War II. As Winston Churchill instructed the Air Ministry in 1942, the UK must "…make sure that the maximum weight of the best type of bombs is dropped on [Germany] by the aircraft placed at their disposal."

Entering service at the beginning of 1942, the Lancaster’s design grew out of a failed predecessor, the Avro Manchester. While its’ airframe offered a stable platform for heavy bombing assignments, the Manchester’s twin engine design was inadequate to the task. By upgrading to four Merlins, the resulting aircraft met the nation’s needs and 7,366 Avro Lancasters were built during the war, the most of any British bomber. Armament included eight to ten Browning machine guns for fighter defense (depending on model variant) mounted in the nose, upper dorsal turret and the tail. Experience with a variety of bomb loads eventually led to adoption of the ‘Grand Slam’ 22,000-pound bomb, the largest carried by any aircraft in the war. For the dam-busting strike in May 1943, the Lancaster dropped British designer Barnes Wallis’s ‘bouncing bombs’ which skipped on the surface before impact. Wartime Lancaster sorties totaled about 156,000 during which roughly 608,000 tons of ordnance were dropped on the enemy.

As the war in Europe drew to a close, the Lancaster was readied for service against Japan as part of Bomber Command’s ‘Tiger Force’, but the war’s end put a halt to this plan. Apart from its primary bombing tasks, the versatile Lancaster was also used for maritime surveillance, photo reconnaissance missions and, later, as an engine test bed platform. The final airframe was delivered in February 1946, but the plane flew for many years in civilian guise and as a warplane when sold to other nations. A number of Lancasters were preserved and still can be viewed at museums, but only two still fly under their own power to airshows -- one in Canada and one in the UK.

Immediately after the end of World War II, the Argentinean Air Force began a process of modernization, incorporating aircraft such as the Gloster Meteor jet fighter, thus becoming the first air force in Latin America equipped with jet-propelled aircraft. In addition, a number of Avro Lincoln and Avro Lancaster bombers were acquired, creating a powerful strategic force in the region. Although the acquisition of the Lancaster’s may have also been seen as a stopgap solution until the Lincolns arrived. They were received in June 1947, 15 Lancasters (registered B-031 to B-045) previously operated by RAF.


----------



## gekho (Apr 23, 2011)

The Avro Type 694, better known as the Avro Lincoln, was a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were known initially as the Lancaster IV and V, but were renamed Lincoln I and II. It was the last piston-engined bomber used by the Royal Air Force. The Lincoln became operational in August 1945, too late to see action in the Second World War. It was assigned to units of Tiger Force, a British Commonwealth heavy bomber force, intended to take part in Allied operations against the Japanese mainland. However, the Lincoln did see action with the RAF during the 1950s, in the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya and with the RAF and RAAF during the Malayan Emergency. In all 604 Lincolns were built. The type also saw significant service with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Fuerza Aérea Argentina (Argentine Air Force), as well as some civil aviation usage.

The Lincoln served with the Fuerza Aerea Argentina from 1947: 30 aircraft were acquired (together with 15 Lancasters), giving Argentina the most powerful bombing force in South America. The Argentine aircraft were used in bombing missions against rebels during the attempted military coup of September 1951 and by both the government and rebel forces during the 1955 Revolución Libertadora coup that deposed Juan Perón. Lincolns were also used to drop supplies in support of Argentinean operations in the Antarctic.


----------



## gekho (Apr 23, 2011)

The Avro 691 Lancastrian was a British passenger and mail transport aircraft of the 1940s and 1950s developed from the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber. The Lancaster was named after Lancaster, Lancashire; a Lancastrian is an inhabitant of Lancashire. The Lancastrian was basically a modified Lancaster bomber without armour or armament and with the gun turrets replaced by streamlined metal fairings. The initial batch was converted directly from Lancasters; later batches were new builds.

Two aircraft of this type were operated by the FAA, transferred by FAMA in 1948, the Avro Lancastrian Mk III, registered T-65 and T-66 to cover the services of the CMEA. Both aircraft took part in 1948's II Final Flight of the EAM. In 1949 were assigned to the Air Transport Regiment 2, but operated by crews of Bomber Group 1. At T-65 is low management started in 1950 by severe corrosion. The T-66 flew until October 1958 that crashed during landing in El Alto, La Paz (Bolivia).


----------



## gekho (Apr 23, 2011)

The "Fabrica Militar de Aviones" (FMA) AeMB.2 Bombi was a bomber aircraft developed in Argentina in the mid 1930s. It was a low-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration. It was fitted with fixed tailwheel undercarriage, the main units of which were covered by long, "trouser"-style fairings. The initial AeMB.1 configuration was fitted with a dorsal machine gun turret, later removed from the AeMB.2 to improve stability. Fifteen production examples saw service with the Argentine Air Force between 1936 and 1945. Only two were lost to air accidents.


----------



## Gnomey (Apr 23, 2011)

Nice stuff!


----------



## gekho (Apr 24, 2011)

The I.Ae. 30 "Ñancú" was an Argentine twin piston engined fighter designed by the Instituto Aerotécnico (AeroTechnical Institute) in the late 1940s, similar to the de Havilland Hornet, but made of metal rather than wood. Only one prototype was completed; the project was abandoned in favour of a jet aircraft.The I.Ae. 30 "Ñancú", named after an indigenous eagle of Patagonia, was designed by Italian engineer Cesare Pallavecino, who had come to Argentina in 1946. Pallavecino led a team of Argentine technicians and engineers in developing the concept of a high-speed escort fighter, intended to be operated in conjunction with the Avro Lincoln bombers used in the Argentine Air Force.

The I.Ae. 30 had a metal structure, its powerplants consisted of two Rolls-Royce Merlin 604 engines, each developing 1,800 hp at 3,000 RPM, and four-bladed propellers. The armament would consist of six 20 mm Oerlikon automatic cannons mounted in the nose, although later plans called for 20 mm Hispano-Suiza cannons as well as a 250 kg bomb under the fuselage and two batteries of five 83 mm rockets fitted underneath the wings. Nevertheless, the prototypes were unarmed. By the end of 1947, a contract was received for the first of three projected prototypes. On 9 June 1948 the first prototype was ready for ground tests and on 17 July 1948, the I.Ae. 30 took to the air for the first time, piloted by Captain Edmundo Osvaldo Weiss.

The test results proved that the aircraft possessed good flying characteristics as well as meeting performance specifications. During a cross country flight, from Córdoba to Buenos Aires, the Ñancú reached a level speed of 780 km/h, setting a new piston engined speed record in South America, an achievement that has not been surpassed. Although the prototype was achieving design goals, the Fuerza Aérea Argentina was already considering the jet I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I as their future fighter program. With official interest diminishing, in early 1949, the sole flying prototype was badly damaged in a landing accident when test pilot Carlos Fermín Bergaglio misjudged a landing and crashed. Although the pilot was uninjured and the aircraft could have been repaired, the Fabrica Militar de Aviones made a decision to abandon the project with the wrecked prototype, as well as the two unfinished prototypes still at the factory, being scrapped.


----------



## gekho (Apr 24, 2011)

The FMA I.Ae.24 Calquin was a 2 seat light attack bomber. It had two 1,050 hp Pratt Whitney R-1830-SC-G Twin Wasp radial piston engines. The max speed was was 273 mph (440 km/h) at optimum altitude with an initial climb rate of 2,460 ft/minute. It was armed with four 20mm cannons and up to 1,764 lb (800kg) of bombs. Its design was influenced by the de Havilland Mosquito. The prototype first flew in June 1946 and was later ordered into production. The first production plane flew in July 1947 and eventually 200 aircraft were made as the Argentine air force's standard light bomber.

Despite the lower performance obtained in testing, the I.Ae.24 Calquin was able to undertake an attack and light bombing role, replacing the Northrop A-17 in the Argentine Air Force inventory. A total of 100 aircraft were ordered, with the first production example flying on 4 July 1947. Fifty pilots and crew members were killed in accidents related to Calquín operational service and trials. Test pilots considered the aircraft unstable "on all three axis" and required careful handling. Series production was completed by 1950, with operational service continuing until 1957 although a small number of aircraft were still in squadron use until 1960. Several I.Ae.24s took part of a series of air-to-ground attack missions during the 1955 Revolución Libertadora.


----------



## gekho (Apr 24, 2011)

During the WWII Argentina stood neutral, and because of that the country suffered a lack of raw materials necesary for aviation, especially duralumin. Due to the situation and the need of continuing with the advanced trainning of the argentinian pilots, the goverment requested to the Aeronautical Institute (Instituto Aeronautico or I.A.e) the development of an advanced trainer that could be made with the raw materials available at the country. The result was an aircraft very similar to the NA T-6 Texan, but made entirely of wood, and fitted with a Whirlwind engine built under licence. The proyect was baptized I.A.e. 22, and nicknamed "Diente de Leon" (Lion´s tooth).

The 29 of may 1944 was introduced by Juan Domingo Peron, by that time War Minister of Argentina. The Aviation Command oredered two series of 100 units each one, being delivered 201 aircrafts for 1950. The last examples were fitted with the new Armstrong Siddeley "Cheetah" engine, increasing slightly their performance. The first units were delivered to the Military Aviation School (EAM), being used as armed advanced trainers. However, these aircrafts saw real combat during the 1955´s coup d'état, when the EAM rise up against the goverment of Juan Domingo Perón, being used as ground attack fighters and reconnaissance aircrafts. They were retired from service short after, since the wood wasnt suitable for Argentinian weather.


----------



## gekho (Apr 24, 2011)

Argentina received its DC-3 in early 1943 when the goverment acquired it to the company Air France; it was the F-ARQJ, registered 169 in May to join the Transport Group. In August two other aircrafts are acquired, coded T-151 T-172, modified after T-174 and T-175. The following year, another change took a digit to the plates that became T-16 (ex 169), T-17 (ex T-174), T-18 (ex T-175), and added the T- 20, T-21, T-26 and C-47 T-49 (which would become a DC-3 and assigned to CJFAA), all recently acquired. In 1947, the Transportation Group in Group II had a budget of 16 twin DC-3/C-47. Four DC-3 (T-50, T-51, T-52 and T-53) were transformed into C-47, leaving the endowment, in 1951, with 17 aircraft, 9 DC-3, 5 C-47 and 2 DC-3 to the Ministry and the CJFAA respectively. In 1955 he purchased four C-47 in the U.S. and in 1958 was converted to C-47 T-67 and Reissues as T-31. On October 16, 1958 was the first fatal accident with a DC-3, T-19 that crashed at 2000 meters from the track after a night off Trelew.

In 1959 fees were allocated to T-01 T-30 for the Douglas DC-3 and T-31 T-40 to the C-47. That same year he purchased in the U.S. two C-47 (TC-33 and TC-34). It began using the initials TC for cargo, the difference is the reinforcement of the floor and the double doors on the left. Receives two C-47 for the four groups of CB, but only received IV Ae Br C-47 TC-35. On 20 September 1960, the Ministry of Defense assigned to the Department of Aeronautics DC-3/C-47 Douglas 12 aircraft (ten C-47 and two DC-3, of different models, each with capacity for 28 passengers) that had been acquired Royal Airways do Brasil by the Secretary of War. These aircraft were known as the banana. On December 10, 1962 caught fire during takeoff Research Station Ellsworth on C-47 TA-33 (formerly TC-33), disabling almost entirely, without loss of life. The aircraft had been modified in the workshops I Br Ae, placing DC-4 engines, fuel tanks in the cargo compartment, skis and other accessories. It was the first aircraft of the FAA, who flew from Rio Gallegos and anevizó in Antarctica.

During 1964, Ae Br I had an endowment of 11 DC-3 and 5 C-47. The Ae Br IV, the EAM, ILM and CRT were assigned a C-47 and the DGCA a DC-3, T-20, LQ-CAA Reissues then, being the total of 21 aircraft the FAA DC-3 / C -47. Also in 1964 another Modified Antarctic DC-3/C-47 tasks, the T-31 with the nose and tail of the T-21 accident, which became the TA-05 which was installed a turbine-IIIC Marboré 3 in the tail cone, thus becoming a unique example in the world with those characteristics. Dubbed El Montanes transpolar the first flight of the FAA in December 1965.

In 1966, lifting intertroncales routes in Patagonia, south of Comodoro Rivadavia and the Tierra del Fuego, Aerolineas Argentinas transferred to the FAA DC-3/C-47 twelve airworthy Douglas, who joined the provision of Group 1 Transport R Br Ae. LADE took over these services with crews in Group 1. Actually they were all C-47A (8 processed DC-3), originally acquired by ZONDA Aeroposta and then passed to the ownership of airlines. Some of these were mixed configuration, with eight or twelve passenger seats immediately behind the cockpit, a screen with a door and the cargo compartment. That same year, joined the provision of Group 1, two HC-47A aircraft registered TA-06 and TA-07, characterized by different due to the nose radome, greater autonomy by having two fuel tanks at the and be equipped with a GTC (Gas Turbo Compressor) for start-ups.

In 1967 the allocation of R Br Ae DC-3/C-47/HC-47A was 30 aircraft, with the following fees: DC-3: T-02, T-03, T-04, T-08, T-09, T-10, T-11, T-12, T-14, T-16, T-22, T-23, T-24, T-25, T-26, T-39 and T- 40 (assigned to CJFAA), the LQ-ACF (S-3) and S-4 of the Ministry of Public Health of the Nation, the C-47: TC-15, TC-17, TC-19, TC- 20, TC-21, TC-32, TC-34 and E-304, TA-05 and HC-47A TA-06 and TA-07, the latter would be allocated in late 1967 to the newly created Special Task Squadron the BAM Tandil. C-47 continued with the IV Br Ae, EAM, ILM and CRT, with a DC-3, the DGCA, with the total FAA DC-3/C-47 35 aircraft, including those that had belonged to the Ministry of Public Health of the Nation and transferred to the FAA this year.

In 1969 deprogram those assigned to the I Br Ae, from maturity to inspection of 1500 hours and above. The unit, original seat of these aircraft since 1943, had no assignment of this material and DC-3/C-47 28 aircraft available at that time, 16 were assigned to other units of the FAA, and the remainder donated sold or retired. On May 5, 1969 the second fatal accident occurred with one of these aircraft, the C-47 TC-28, assigned to the TRC, which tried to land with the rudder locked, caught fire and completely destroyed the five crew members perished 6 passengers.


----------



## Airframes (Apr 24, 2011)

Great pics, and a couple I hadn't heard of.


----------



## Gnomey (Apr 24, 2011)

Great shots!


----------



## gekho (Apr 25, 2011)

At least 17 Catalinas were bought at Canada between 1946 and 1948, entering of service only 12 of them, being the rest used as spare parts. They were coded 2-P-2, with the exception of one unit, that was used as a trainer and was coded 1-G-1. These aircrafts had a great importance at the argentinian navy, since they were the first aircrafts to conect the Antarctic and Buenos Aires, they took part in many war actions in 1955, they searched lost ships, they patroled the south of the Patagonia etc.....


----------



## gekho (Apr 25, 2011)

The Argentinian Navy acquired several aircrafts; a total of 94 units of the BC-1A, AT-6 and SNJ-4/5 versions that were modified to operate from carriers. The first T-6s arrived in 1947, joining the Aeronaval Fighter Squadrons, General Porpouses units and Naval Air Arm Schools, where the T-6s were until 1969, when they were retired, the main trainers of Argentina.


----------



## gekho (Apr 25, 2011)

The last prototype airplane North American built at the General Aviation plant in Dundalk, Md., was for the NA-16 trainer series, later produced in California. The low-wing monoplane had open cockpits in tandem and a fixed, unfaired undercarriage. Made mostly of metal, but with some fabric on the rear fuselage, it was submitted to the Army Air Corps for evaluation within a month of its first flight. The design was selected for production as a basic trainer, although the Air Corps requested the cockpits be enclosed, fairing installed on the undercarriage and the engine changed to a 600-horsepower P&W R1340 engine. With these modifications, and a new designation of NA-18, the prototype was eventually sold to Argentina. The production versions launched North American as a manufacturer of training aircraft, starting with 267 BT-9s and 330 BC-1 "basic combat" trainers. In all, more than 17,000 derivatives of the NA-16 were built in North American's Los Angeles, Calif., and Dallas, Texas, plants during the 1930s and 1940s.


----------



## gekho (Apr 26, 2011)

Used as the personal transport of the Navy Minister, it was also used as aerial navigator trainer. It was destroyed due to an accident in 1944, when the brakes failed and the aircraft went to stop over the railway tracks, being run over by a train.


----------



## gekho (Apr 26, 2011)

Some aviation experts consider the FIAT G55 Centauro the best single seat fighter produced for the Italian air force in World War Two. The Fiat G55 Centauro was a redesigned version of the G50 Freccia. Differences included a DB 605 A-1 engine, an improved fineness ratio of the fuselage and a redesigned wing, built in 2 sections ,bolted together at the centerline for greater efficiency. Metal stressed skin was used and the metal framed airlerone was fabric covered. The first prototype was flown on April 30, 1942 and production started in the beginning of 1943. The initial model was the G55/0 which held a 20mm MG 151 cannon and (4) 12.7mm Breda SAFAT machine guns.

The “O” model was succeeded by the “I” model which held three 20mm MG151′s and two Breda SAFAT machine guns. Deliveries of the G55 to the 53rd Stormo and the 353rd Squadriglia of the 20th Gruppo just started when Italy surrendered to the Allies on September 8, 1943. Because of Italy’s surrender, the G55 did not see combat with the Regia Aeronautica. However, factories which were building the G55′s were still under the control of the Republica Sociale Italiana (Salo Republic) in northern Italy, and several thousand were ordered. The G55 became the RSI’s standard aircraft for their air force. Shortages began to develope as the DB 605 A-1 engines became scarce and only 105 FIAT G55′s were produced by the time the Allies overran all of Italy. Other models developed based on the G55 which were the G55/II with 5 20mm cannons and the G55/S Torpedo Fighter, which carried one 2,176 lb Whitehead fiume torpedo beneath the fuselage. Both of these variations of the G55 flew in 1944.

After the war, production of the G55 resumed for foreign export and the newer G55/A’s and G55/B’s were built. Fiat reinstalled the production lines to produce the G.55A armed with either 2 wing-mounted 12.7mm machine guns or 2 20mm canon plus the 2 12.7mm machine guns in the cowling. 19 went to the Italian air force and 30 were supplied to Argentina. Argentina returned 17 that were then sold to Egypt in 1948, being armed with 4 12.7mm machine guns. A 2-seat trainer version, the G.55B was built in 1946 with 10 going to the Italian air force and 15 to Argentina in 1948.


----------



## gekho (Apr 26, 2011)

The Fiat G.46 was a military trainer developed in Italy shortly after World War II. It was a conventional, low-wing monoplane with tailwheel undercarriage, the main units of which retracted inwards. The pilot and instructor sat in tandem under a long canopy. Testing revealed excellent flying characteristics and suitability for aerobatics, and the type was ordered into production. Apart from the 150 ordered by the Aeronautica Militare, 70 aircraft were exported, to Austria, Argentina and Syria.

The G.46-2 delivered to Argentina between 1948 and 1951 corresponded to the export model. They had a machine gun Breda-Safat of 7.7 mm in the right wing and a basic look at the forward position, for the student. This was a poor weapon performance, and premature wear of the drive mechanism led to the gradual disarmament of the entire aircraft. The power plant was an engine de Havilland Gipsy Queen 30, 250 hp six-cylinder inline inverted, unlike the Alfa Romeo 115, the aircraft of the AMI. The Gipsy Queen improved both the performance of the G.46 that the Italians increased engine power in its later versions. During the nearly 10 years at the FAA, the G.46 was allocated mainly to the Military Aviation School and Br VII Aé. Moron. They are also distributed in different Brigades and Detachments Military Air Airlines where he served liaison aircraft and general purposes.


----------



## gekho (Apr 27, 2011)

The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and Brewster-built aircraft F3A. From the first prototype delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1940, to final delivery in 1953 to the French, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured by Vought, in 16 separate models, in the longest production run of any piston-engined fighter in U.S. history (1942–1953). The Corsair served in with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, Fleet Air Arm and the Royal New Zealand Air Force, as well as the French Navy Aeronavale and other, smaller, air forces until the 1960s. It quickly became the most capable carrier-based fighter-bomber of World War II. Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II, and the U.S. Navy counted an 11:1 kill ratio with the F4U Corsair.

The arrival of the Corsair to the Naval Aviation comes to life in August 1956 with the creation of the Naval Air Combat Squadron. But the history of the F4U-5 in the Navy Argentina, began in 1955, when it tried to acquire surplus aircraft from the U.S. Navy. The idea was to get the AD Skyraider, but because France was at war in Algeria, the USN prioritized the sale of those planes to Aeronavale, with whom they were more commercial interests. Following this, the USN offered two models of the famous Corsair: the F4U-4 and F4U-5 at a higher price. After sending experts and technicians decided to buy the latest model to have greater benefits and fewer years of service. The initial order for 12 aircraft was F4U-5 model, which was stored for some time and in poor condition, which must be traversed and set to zero, in addition to placing new engines, a private company (Aerocorporation) in Atlanta . Actively participated in this Argentine mechanics.

In a short time, ten additional aircrafts were acquired, F4U-5N/NL model, with the radar AN/APS-19A this being the first South American fighter plane equipped with radar, autopilot and engine flame arrestor, so escapes wore square replacing the original round F4U-5. In May 1957 eight aircraft are purchased over-5NL F4U model to replace the initial losses (some aircraft were lost due to poor initial experience of its drivers). Of these eight aircraft, three aircraft were used for sources of spare parts. First came the country's F4U-5N/NL by sea to La Plata and transported by road to Punta Indio in July 1956. There they formed the Night Fighter Squadron. For the next year come on ferry flight from the USA the 11 remaining aircraft, one was lost in accident in U.S. during testing and activates the Day Fighter Squadron. Before the arrival of the aircraft carrier Independence, the Corsair off and will practice in Punta Indio apontaje on a simulated track brake cables included, already in the middle of 1959, first used on aircraft carriers. Nearing the end of its operational life, perform exercises with the F9F-2 Panther, newcomers to Argentina. At that time began to be felt the wear characteristic of the material. In 1965 he kept only six aircraft in flight, among the most common problems were the lack of oxygen pressure in the cabin or engine inlet gases into the air. On January 20, 1966 is off the 2nd Squadron of Attack, although it did not fly the Corsair since November 1965.


----------



## gekho (Apr 27, 2011)

Five C-54 were bought in 1947, being one of these aircrafts the first airplane which flew from the continent to the Antarctic, as well as the first airplane which crossed the Artic Cicle on the same flight. They took part in many rescue misions over the Antarctic, flying more than 100.000 hours. All of them were lost in accidents.


----------



## gekho (Apr 27, 2011)

Argentine Navy purchased nine PBMs during the 1950s for the Argentine Naval Aviation, retiring its last Mariner in May 1962. In the first three that were purchased, 2-P-22 came out of New Orleans on January 20, 1955, commanded by Cap. J. Acha Martinez and co-pilot Lt. G. Sylvester. The 2-P-22 had problems with the left engine probably near Georgetown, British Guiana, so return to the NAS Trinidad. The engine was changed to Fleet Aircraft Service Squadron 115. On February 10, while the new engine ran, there was a flashback to what started a fire of fuel. The fire truck on the empty stage their foam before the fire had been contained and the plane was damaged beyond repair.


----------



## gekho (Apr 27, 2011)

In 1951 the project begins to take shape I.A. 35, Mr. Klages design. Kurt Waldemar Tank and Engineer Schaime tested for taxi and approving the airplane for its first flight, made ​​on September 7, 1953 by Test Pilot First Lieutenant Jorge Conan Doyle, while the first device in the serial version made on 29 March 1957. In late 1958 he gave an order to build 100 machines and 42 units were completed, including the prototypes, most of the units built were intended for Group II Exploration and seat Attack Air Base City Reconquista (Santa Fe). The retirement from active duty was in 1974 to be replaced by I. A. 58 Pucara.


----------



## rochie (Apr 27, 2011)

great pictures especialy those Corsairs


----------



## Gnomey (Apr 27, 2011)

Good stuff!


----------



## gekho (Apr 28, 2011)

On June 1966 the Armada Argentina concluded a purchase contract for 45 T-28S Fennec OFEMA with the French company. These aircraft were intended to serve in the Naval Aviation School, then equipped with veterans AT-6/SNJ Texan. On the occasion of the Naval Magazine, February 1967, made ​​its public debut, when a squadron of 8 Fennec commanded by Lieutenant Commander James Whammond flew over the coast of Mar del Plata. By September 1967, the Navy purchased an additional lot Argentina 20 Fennec, aircraft and also operated with the 2nd Squadron Naval General Purposes. Since 1969, the "Taco-28" (designation applied to the Naval Aviation Fennec in Argentina) became a magazine with the 1 st Naval Attack Squadron, Naval Base Commander from Spore. He soon began working with the aim of adapting these aircraft for airborne operations since then embarked naval group was limited to the use of helicopters and Grumman S-2 Tracker.

The study and conversion of the aircraft was executed entirely in Punta Indio Naval Air Base. The navalización of the T-28 Fennec meant the installation of a series of structural reinforcements, the installation of a hook braking and changing the propellers. And modified aircraft, identified as T-28P, re-equipped with the 2 nd Naval Attack Squadron. Often underestimated, the Taco 28 played an important role in the evolution of Naval Aviation that allowed him to Argentina and qualify for airborne operations to a significant number of naval aviators. Also proved very adaptable aircraft, from attack trainer aircraft and photographic reconnaissance. The acrobatic squadron team Fennec "Aurora"and was the test platform for air-to-air and air-surface national design. As ordered in Resolution No. 005 Navy Confidential, the T-28 were disaffected from active service, dated July 3, 1979. However, a group of nine T-28 Fennec was transferred to the Uruguayan Naval Aviation November 20, 1979, integrating the Tactical Support Squadron Squadrons Group. Taco 28 Further, several are in flight in the U.S. in private hands.


----------



## gekho (Apr 28, 2011)

The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, STOL aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, primarily known as a bush plane. It is used for cargo and passenger hauling, aerial application (crop dusting and aerial topdressing), and has been widely adopted by armed forces as a utility aircraft. The United States Army purchased several hundred; nine DHC-2s are still in service with the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol) for search and rescue. A Royal New Zealand Air Force Beaver supported Sir Edmund Hillary's expedition to the South Pole. Over 1,600 Beavers were produced until 1967 when the original line shut down.

the first units of this aircraft were incorporated into the Air Force Argentina during 1960, from Toronto. Small appliances, i was in charge of Canadian crews, and after his arrival were assigned to the Southern Air Group No. 1. In mid-Ago60 the first two DHC-2 were transferred from the Metropolitan Airport to Base El Palomar. The Air Pictorial magazine in its issue of Mar61 - cited the departure from Toronto on 06Oct60, while notifying the acquisition of a third Beaver will be delivered to the Naval Aviation Argentina.

In March both aircraft would be assigned to the Joint Base Matienzo, but before the onset of winter, the two machines were badly damaged by the effects of various temporary. In october was decided to send a commission to Canada for the purchase of a new Beaver. For the 1961/62 season and were in office aircraft P-03 and P-04, recorded flight of two aircraft from the day 01Ene62. Again, the adversity of the environment meant that both aircrafts were damaged because of an extremely violent windstorms. Since then the small single-engine heavy tasks fulfilled, as the weather permits. In Nov63, equipment operations performed on a large floe size, evaluate any possible complication marítuma navigation, according to an account of Antarctic Bulletin published in National Aeronautics and Space Magazine. In 1968 the DHC-2s were replace by the DHC-6 Twin Otter.


----------



## gekho (Apr 28, 2011)

The Lockheed P-2 Neptune (originally designated P2V until September 1962) was a Maritime patrol and ASW aircraft. It was developed for the United States Navy by Lockheed to replace the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura and PV-2 Harpoon, and being replaced in turn with the Lockheed P-3 Orion. Designed as a land-based aircraft, the Neptune never made a carrier landing, although a small number of aircraft were converted for carrier use and successfully launched. The type was successful in export and saw service with several armed forces.

The Argentine Naval Aviation had received at least 16 Neptunes in different variants since 1958 including eight ex-RAF for use in the Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Exploración (English: Naval exploration squadron). They were intensively used in 1978 during the Operation Soberania against Chile including over the Pacific Ocean. During the Falklands War in 1982, the last two airframes in service (2-P-111 and 2-P-112) played a key role of reconnaissance and aiding Dassault Super Étendards, particularly on the 4 May attack against HMS Sheffield. The lack of spare parts, caused by the US having enacted an arms embargo in 1977 due to the Dirty War, led to the type being retired before the end of the war; Argentine Air Force C-130 Hercules took over the task of searching for targets for strike aircraft. In 1983, the unit was reformed with Lockheed L-188 Electras modified for maritime surveillance; in 1994 these were replaced with P-3B Orions.


----------



## Gnomey (Apr 28, 2011)

Good stuff!


----------



## Claudio Moura (May 15, 2011)

gekho said:


> Argentine Navy purchased nine PBMs during the 1950s for the Argentine Naval Aviation, retiring its last Mariner in May 1962. In the first three that were purchased, 2-P-22 came out of New Orleans on January 20, 1955, commanded by Cap. J. Acha Martinez and co-pilot Lt. G. Sylvester. The 2-P-22 had problems with the left engine probably near Georgetown, British Guiana, so return to the NAS Trinidad. The engine was changed to Fleet Aircraft Service Squadron 115. On February 10, while the new engine ran, there was a flashback to what started a fire of fuel. The fire truck on the empty stage their foam before the fire had been contained and the plane was damaged beyond repair.


 
Dears,

the first doesn´t Argentina´s Mariner but Uruguayan Mariner. 

Regards,
Claudio Moura


----------

