FMA IA-58 Pucara COIN aircraft.

[Riever]

Does anyone know what would be the export price tag on a Pucara these days in U.S. dollars?

 

[CharlesBronson]

Between 800,000 and a million no more than that.

Pucara with Asp-1000 missile.

 

[Riever]

That is a pretty good deal for such a great aircraft. A Cessna Caravan goes for about $2M these days. Is the Pucara still in production?

 

[CharlesBronson]

Is available for sell but is no more in production, the last aircraft were delivered in 1990 and modernizated in 1995 and 2005.

 

[Riever]

Too bad it that it is no longer being built. It is a very interesting aircraft and, based on the pricing you suggest, is relatively cheap given its capabilities. I know it had limited export sales to Ceylon and a couple of other countries as a COIN platform and I understand it has performed pretty well against the Tamil Tigers in Ceyon. I would have thought that this aircraft would have had some buyers as an anti-drug aircraft as well. Did Argentina try to aggressively market the plane or was it really for internal deliveries with the export market as a sideline? I would love to see this at an airshow. I was in Argentina in January 2004 but didn't get a chance to see any shows. I haven't seen any north american shows where it is featured.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Too bad it that it is no longer being built. It is a very interesting aircraft and, based on the pricing you suggest, is relatively cheap given its capabilities

Yeap, there is no Aircraft like that, the more close is the brazilian A-29 Super Tucano, but is single engine.


The FMA did some advertising but never was really important.

The biggest sale of the Pucara was cancelled by the same Argentine gov. for political reasons.

Irak was willing to bought 80 IA-58s in 1987-88 but the president gave a thumbs down to that sale.

Also was cancelled a program to develop a jet engine UAV/cruise missile called "Bigua" to be used in the ventral pod of the Pucara in colaboration with Saddam....but I guess Argentina pick the wrong partner.

 

[Riever]

Well, not to worry, a lot of people sold weapons systems to Mr. Hussein over the years, including the U.S., France, China, North Korea, and the UK. He had money to spend, and international aeronautic companies liked his business. I could see how the Pucara would have been very useful against Kurdish Insurgents.

 

[Graeme]

Yeap, there is no Aircraft like that, the more close is the brazilian A-29 Super Tucano, but is single engine.

Good point. I can't think of any other twin turboprop COIN aircraft. I know that the French proposed a twin version of the Epervier, but it was never built.

 

[CharlesBronson]

A guy who make a lot ( and I mean a lot ) of money dealing with Saddam not far away of Argentina was Carlos Cardoen.

The chilean manufacturer sells a a high number of armored vehicle and even higher number of self designed cluster bombs.

Industrias Cardoen SA of Chile makes the "CB-130" (60 kilograms or 132 pounds) and the "CB-500" (245 kilograms or 540 pounds) cluster-bomb unit, with bomblets similar to those used in the US Rockeye CBU. The CB-130 can carry 50 bomblets, while the CB-150 can carry 240 bomblets.

THE CHILEAN CONNECTION / Carlos Cardoen -- arms dealer to Iraq, former friend of the U.S. government, and now fugitive - still lines his pockets with profits from our appetite for wine

I could see how the Pucara would have been very useful against Kurdish Insurgents.

Not to mention hunting down iranian helicopters.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Good point. I can't think of any other twin turboprop COIN aircraft

There was one, the OV-10, but also no in production any more.

Two engines mean safety, if you get one turboprop blasted by ground fire, you still can go back home.

 

[Graeme]

There was one, the OV-10

I was thinking in terms of general layout, but yes, I forgot about the Bronco. And I suppose the 'loser' of that competition, the Convair Charger would be another that fits the description. We must be 'scraping the barrel' now?

 

[CharlesBronson]

Nice picture.

We must be 'scraping the barrel' now?

We did.

The Pucara is better than the basic OV-10 but I think that the OV-10 NOG is one the best COINs ever, the triple barrel 20 mm gatling gun in the ventral pod is fantastic antipersonel and antivehicles weapon. A little slow plataform but sure shot with his sighting devices. Some like the "poorsman" AC-130.

I want one of that in the IA-58.

 

[Graeme]

Amazing photo Charles! Did it 'retract' prior to landing, or was there enough clearance?

 

[CharlesBronson]

It was a non retractable turret.

Close up to the M197 gun, 1800 rpm. 20x102mm cartrigdes.

For comparison the HS 804 20x110mm guns in the IA-58 shoot at 800-850 rpm.
The 7,62mm FNs ciclic rate is 1100 rpm.

 

[Riever]

Great Pics. For my money I still like the look of the Pucara.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Great Pics. For my money I still like the look of the Pucara.

You are welcome.

The "meaner" looking pucara was definately the IA-58C variant.
In this film still the Charlie is taking off with a laser guided missile, no idea what was the name of that.

Close up to the nose, the protruding barrel belongs to a 30 mm DEFA 553 revolver gun, this shoot about 1800rpm. One of the starbord 7,62mm MG was deleted in order to acomodate the French weapon.

 

[0311Matt]

In Regard to the IA-58 and particularly the IA-66, was there ever any consideration given to using the Pratt Whitney Canada PT6A-68C engines?

 

[CharlesBronson]

You mean that model in particular ?
No really, at list there is no official account of that.
I agree that the astazous are the main drawback of this aircraft.

 

[Matt308]

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

 

[CharlesBronson]

It looks like second War warbird because it have a flat, armored glass windshield like the fighters in the good old days of the ww2.