FMA IA-58 Pucara COIN aircraft.

[Matt308]

Yeah, but so did the A-4. No, I think it looks familiar for other reasons. Perhaps it is the straight stiles of the armoured wind screen.

Oh. And 1800rds/min? For a 30mm?? Is it a chain gun? I can't fathom a firing rate that high for a single barrel cannon.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Oh. And 1800rds/min? For a 30mm?? Is it a chain gun? I can't fathom a firing rate that high for a single barrel cannon.

It is a revolver gun actually, the chain guns are not the fastest one.

I was checking other sources and they said 1100-1300 rpm for the Defa 552, 1300-1500 for the Defa 553 and 1800 for the Defa 554.

I dont remember if the IA-58C used a 553 or a 554 model.

Actually GIAT manufactured today canon named M7981 and it is also single barrel, 7 chamber revolver gun and it fires at...2500 rpm.

It is used in the Dassault Rafale.

 

[Matt308]

That makes for a hot barrel. I guess the tradeoff is lighter weight.

 

[CharlesBronson]

If you mean lighter than a Gatling gun...well must be about 20% of the weight of a GAU-8. 8)

IA-58 flying over the Beagle Channel, a hot zone of the 1970s-80s. This A model carry a 1300 lts fuel tank.

 

[0311Matt]

Hypothetical Canadianized Super Pucara, dubbed 'CA-58' with the PT6A-68C engines and a air-to-air refueling node (to make the aircraft somewhat self-deployable over long distances).

 

[comiso90]

Love the cockpit of that bird, CB. The canopy looks familiar. Looks very... WWII. Anyone?

Reminds me of an Apache helicopter or maybe an ME 410

 

[Glider]

How about the Huey Cobra

 

[Matt308]

No. Can't place it.

 

[comiso90]

How about the Huey Cobra

yeah... i meant cobra......

 

[CharlesBronson]

Hypothetical Canadianized Super Pucara, dubbed 'CA-58' with the PT6A-68C engines and a air-to-air refueling node (to make the aircraft somewhat self-deployable over long distances).

Hehe, very good one. I never tough a Puca with flight in refueling.

And what is the armament ?? 8)

Actually the maximum range of the IA-58 is not bad, about 3000 km, but of course just with maximum fuel and not external bombs/rocket/missiles.

 

[Graeme]

After looking around, for far too long, I feel that the 'nose' of the IA-58C is unique.

A family shot.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Nice profiles, some sources said "1100 shp Garret" for the IA-66.


AX-2 (glider)

AX-2(powered)

IA-58B

IA-66

 

[CharlesBronson]

IA-58D hit by a vulture, september 3th 2007.

The airplane was practicing some evasive maneouvers when hit it . The pilots emerged with some cuts in the face, blood visible belongs to the ( very dead) big bird.


http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/3848/77463637ry0.jpg


And the nasty one.

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/6816/96323449bt7.jpg

 

[CharlesBronson]

Just found another inflight photo of one of the few IA-58Cs made.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I always thought it was a great looking aircraft.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Soome more pictures on this Coin bird.

- IA-58A weapons display.

- IA-58B 30mm variant. Note the "pregnant" belly of this variant caused by the 30mm 553 DEFAs

-IA-58B in Le Bourget 1980.

 

[riacrato]

Great thread, great pics and great plane!

I wonder how maintenance costs of the IA-58 compare to single engine COIN aircraft like the Tucano.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Definately is a 60 or 70% higher, that is the price to pay for a heavier payload, longer range and heavier fixed armament. The ARg Air Force planned a COIN single engine in early 1960s but discarded it quickly. The aircraft is really strong, and the 2 engines allowed you to operated from bad and really short airstrips.
Worth to mention thet the Tucano is in service here but only as a trainer.

 

[riacrato]

Nice. Those four MGs and the bent down nose make it look a bit like the Hs 129

Saw the video of the Tucano shooting down that drug trafficker plane you posted btw. That has to be as close to classic WW2 aircombat as it gets nowadays.

 

[CharlesBronson]

True, the Pucara had sometimes been used as drug planes interceptor also, since is not really fast his usual prey are slow singles engine Cessnas coming from Bolivia and Paraguay. Unfortunately the today argentine legislation does not allow the deliberate destruction of a drug carrier, only damage it/ and or force it down.