IAR-99

IAR-99 Șoim
Type:	Trainer aircraft; Ground attack aircraft;
Design country:	Romania
Manufacturer:	Industria Aeronautică Română
First flight:	December 21, 1985
Commissioning:	1988
Production time:	1988-2006
Number of pieces:	24 + 3 prototypes

The IAR-99 Șoim (Falcon) is a two-seat, single- jet jet trainer and light ground attack aircraft produced by the Romanian company Industria Aeronautică Română . It can be compared to the Czechoslovak Aero L-39 Albatros .

history

The first studies began in the mid-1970s at the Institutul de Aviatie (INCREST). Although the L-39 was intended as the standard trainer in what was then the Eastern Bloc , the Romanian government decided to develop it in-house. This began in 1979, led by Ioan Stefanescu and the first IAV Craiova built prototype flew on 21 December 1985 Vagner Stefanel in Craiova for the first time. Three more prototypes followed before series production was decided in 1987. The Romanian Air Force ( Forţele Aeriene Române ) only ordered 13 copies of the first production version, which were delivered to the 20th school fighter-bomber regiment in Boboc from October 1988 . The manufacturer tried to sell further machines abroad and took part in the American JPATS competition with the IAR-99, where the machine was eliminated early. Until 1992, the manufacturer improved the aircraft by installing western electronics from Honeywell and Collins on a trial basis. In 1993, a contract was signed with IAI to install a HUD and a glass cockpit , which then became a version known as IAR-109 "Swift". IAI later withdrew from the development. Together with Elbit (which also modernized the Romanian MiG-21), a further development of the IAR-99 with new avionics and digital cockpit displays, HUD and GPS as well as an improved weapon loading option was then decided. This machine, known as the IAR-99C, took off on its maiden flight on May 22, 1997 and was shown at the Paris Air Show that same year . Initially, 24 machines of this improved version were ordered, but due to financial difficulties only seven were built and twelve old machines were converted to this version. In 2011, 20 aircraft were still used in the Romanian Air Force.

construction

The IAR-99 is a conventional two - seat low wing aircraft powered by a Rolls-Royce Viper 632-41M engine. The wings have a sweep of 6.35 ° and take the main part of the fuel of a maximum of 1100 kg. For emergencies, the machine is equipped with two Martin Baker Mk 10L ejection seats. It can carry various bombs, rockets, additional tanks and reconnaissance containers at five external load stations.

Technical specifications

Parameter	Data
crew	2
length	11.01 m
span	9.85 m
height	3.90 m
Wing area	18.71 m²
Track width	2.69 m
Center distance	4.38 m
Empty mass	3,200 kg
normal starting mass	4,400 kg (as a trainer)
Max. Takeoff mass	5,560 kg (as a trainer)
Max. Rate of climb	35 m / s
Marching speed	? km / h
Top speed	865 km / h (sea level)
Service ceiling	12,900 m
Take-off / landing runway	450 m / 550 m
Max. Range	1,100 km (trainer) or 967 km (ground combat version)
Load factor	+7 / −3.6 g
Engines	a Rolls-Royce Viper 632-41M (license build Turbomecanica, Romania) with 17.79 kN
Armament	a 23 mm GSch-23L cannon in the container under the fuselage four external load stations under the wings for 250 kg each

Web links

Commons : IAR 99 - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ FlugRevue April 2010, pp. 49-52, Avioane IAR-99 Șoim

[1] FlugRevue April 2010, pp. 49-52, Avioane IAR-99 Șoim