FMA IA 63 Pampas

FMA IA 63 Pampas
IA 63 Pampa at the 1991 Paris Air Show
Type:	Trainer
Design country:	Argentina
Manufacturer:	Fábrica Argentina de Aviones
First flight:	October 6, 1984
Commissioning:	1988
Number of pieces:	26th

The FMA IA 63 Pampa is a two-seat light combat and trainer aircraft produced by the Fábrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) in Córdoba , Argentina .

development

The starting point for the development was an instruction from the commander of the Fuerza Aérea in March 1977, which, in addition to the acquisition of a new trainer, also provided for a strengthening of the domestic aviation industry. A feasibility study was carried out from 1979 and official development began in early 1981. After budget cuts due to domestic political pressure, two cells for break tests and three prototypes were built from mid-1983. The flight tests began with the 45-minute first flight of the first prototype EX-01 on October 6, 1984 with Genora Mario Sciola and Horacio Armando Orefice in the cockpit. In June 1985 the prototype was presented at an air show in Le Bourget. The second and third prototypes began testing on August 7, 1985 and March 25, 1986. The testing went without problems and so began the first delivery to the IV Air Brigade, IV Brigada Aérea of the Air Force Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA) in El Plumerillo in the spring of 1988. The last machines of Pampa I were delivered in 1992.

In 1995 the Argentine government transferred the management of the FMA to Lockheed-Martin , which in June 2000 decided to further develop the AT-63. Financial problems in Argentina meant that the first converted aircraft did not take off for its maiden flight until June 25, 2005. The first new Pampa II followed in December 2007.

In 2008 Argentina announced the re-nationalization of FMA, which took place in March 2009. In September 2011, Argentina's Defense Minister announced that it would purchase 40 more Pampa IIs equipped with Honeywell TFE731-40-N2 engines (21% more thrust than the original TFE731-2C). The prototype of the Pampa III completed its maiden flight on August 18, 2015, followed by the first production copy on March 29, 2016. Argentina has invested US $ 24 million in the program, US $ 17 million in development and US $ 7 million in pre-production at the government-run Córdoba plant. Added to this are the costs of manufacturing the aircraft.

Three aircraft were ordered at the end of 2017 with an influx for the end of 2018, the first flight took place on September 21, 2018. In March 2019, three more machines were ordered, operated by the 6th fighter group, Grupo 6 de Caza , in Tandil .

technology

The IA 63 is a single-jet shoulder wing wing with a conventional tail unit. It has a pressurized tandem cockpit with 0/0 ejection seats.

The aircraft is very similar to the Alpha Jet . The Dornier company in Friedrichshafen worked as a subcontractor (contract development) with the Alpha-Jet development team on site in Cordoba and in Friedrichshafen. Large parts of the prototype production and also the first flight with initial testing took place at Dornier in Oberpfaffenhofen . In contrast to the Alpha Jet, the aircraft has only one engine and one straight wing. However, the latter was a modern design with a supercritical DoA-7 / DoA-8 profile. Otherwise, emphasis was placed on robust systems and easy maintenance. The three-part retractable nose wheel landing gear was each individually fitted with tires. The two-person crew is accommodated one behind the other in a generously glazed cabin on SIII-S31A-63 ejection seats with zero-zero capabilities.

construction

With the project, the FMA sought connection to modern aircraft construction and mainly offered the aircraft on the world market as a trainer / school aircraft, although support tasks for ground combat tasks were also provided. The manufacturer initially expected orders for 100 or more aircraft. Offers to various countries, including the USA in cooperation with Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV), were not crowned with success.

variants

Pampas I

Original version with the TFE731-2-2N engine, 1588 kg thrust. Top speed 755 km / h at an altitude of 7000 m .; 14 copies built for the FAA

Pampas II

Version with TFE731-2C engine with 16.5 kN thrust, digital cockpit with 2 × 2 multifunction displays from Elbit Systems as well as HUD and improved mission computers, weapons control system and avionics ; Optionally, one also thought of the installation of radar, radar warning receivers and chaff launchers. This series has five suspension points for external loads (external tank, bombs, rocket container or cannon container with a 30 mm MK-Defa-Giat-554 ); six new built plus 12 converted Pampa I.

Pampas II-40

Pampa II was converted to a Honeywell TFE731-40-2N ​​engine into the Pampa II-40, which is 20% more thrust. This also reduced operating and maintenance costs.

Vought Pampa 2000

The prototype (EX-01) was converted for the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System of the US armed forces in 1994, together with LTV. The cockpit of this machine has been heavily revised and changes have been made to the chassis and other systems. The second of the three prototypes crashed on August 31, 1992. After extensive and successful tests by American air force and naval personnel in August 1994, however, the US armed forces decided in 1995 for the Beechcraft T-6A .

Pampas III

The Pampa III is equipped with more powerful TFE731-40 engines with 18.7 kN thrust and new digital avionics from Elbit ; a total of 40 planned

Military users

•  Argentina

Fuerza Aérea Argentina : 26 , 14 Pampa I, 18 Pampa II / II-40, 6 Pampa III

•  Guatemala

Fuerza Aérea Guatemalteca : 0 Pampa III (order for two copies in 2019 canceled two weeks after completion)

Technical specifications

Parameter	Data of the FMA IA 63 Pampa
crew	2, seats in a row
length	10.93 m
span	9.69 m
Wing area	15.63 m²
height	4.29 m
Gauge	2.66 m
wheelbase	4.42 m
Empty mass	2,627 kg (2,820 kg AT-63)
Takeoff mass	3,200 kg
Max. Takeoff mass	3,800 kg (5,000 kg with external load)
Max. fuel	1,120 kg
Max. External load	1,160 kg (1,900 kg AT-63)
drive	a Garrett AiResearch TFE731-2-2N or 731-2C turbofan with 15.57 (16.50) kN static thrust
Top speed	819 km / h / 400 kt (740 km / h at sea level)
Marching speed	650 to 740 km / h
Normal range	1,500 km / 810 NM (360 km air-to-ground and 4,860 kg)
Rate of climb	27 m / s / 90 ft / sec
Landing speed	180 km / h / 99 kt
Service ceiling	12,900 m / 42,300 ft
Take-off run	425 m (3,700 kg)
Landing runway	460 m (3,500 kg)
Load factor	+ 6 / -3 g
lifespan	8,000 h

Web links

Commons : FMA IA 63 Pampa  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• FMA IA63 Pampa - trainer, light attack plane. In: aviastar.org. Retrieved November 30, 2016 . 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} FliegerRevue February 2012, pp. 28–31, New edition of the Pampa?
2. ↑ El entrenador avanzado argentino Pampa III realiza su primer vuelo, infodefensa, August 20, 2015 (Spanish)
3. ↑ FAdeA's first serial production IA-63 Pampa III takes flight, Janes, March 30, 2016 ( Memento from April 15, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
4. ↑ Argentina invierte 24 milliones de dolares en a nueva version del Pampa III, infodefensa, September 29, 2015 (Spanish)
5. ↑ Argentine MoD, FAdeA reach deal for three Pampa IIIs, Janes, February 28, 2018 ( Memento of the original from February 28, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
6. ↑ Argentina to receive new Pampa IIIs by end of year, Janes, June 12, 2018
7. ^ First series-production Pampa III makes maiden flight, Janes, September 24, 2018
8. ↑ Argentina orders three more Pampa IIIs, Janes, March 11, 2019
9. ↑ FlugRevue October 2009, pp. 61–64, FMA IA 63 Pampa
10. ↑ Types of aircraft in the world . Bechtermünz, Augsburg 1997, ISBN 3-86047-593-2 , p. 385 .
11. ↑ El entrenador avanzado argentino Pampa III realiza su primer vuelo, infodefensa, August 20, 2015 (Spanish)
12. ↑ Argentina completes receipt of second batch of Pampa III jets. Janes, March 30, 2020
13. ↑ Guatemala cancels its Pampa III purchase. Defense News, July 17, 2019