The
FMA IA 63 Pampa is an advanced trainer aircraft with combat capability, produced in
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
by Fabrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) with assistance from
DornierDornier may refer to:* Claudius Dornier , German aircraft designer and builder** Dornier Flugzeugwerke, German aircraft manufacturer founded in 1914 by Claudius Dornier* Dornier Consulting, international consulting and project management company...
of
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
.
Preliminary design studies for a replacement for the Morane-Saulnier MS-760 of the
Argentine Air ForceThe Argentine Air Force is the national aviation branch of the armed forces of Argentina. As of 2007, it had 14,606 airmen and 6,854 civilans on duty.-History:...
started at the Fábrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) in 1978, with these studies resulting in selection of a proposal powered by a single Garrett TFE731
turbofanA turbofan is a type of aircraft gas turbine engine that provides propulsion using a combination of a ducted fan and a jet exhaust nozzle. Part of the airstream from the ducted fan passes through the core, providing oxygen to burn fuel to create power. However, the rest of the air flow bypasses...
with high, unswept wings.
The
FMA IA 63 Pampa is an advanced trainer aircraft with combat capability, produced in
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
by Fabrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) with assistance from
DornierDornier may refer to:* Claudius Dornier , German aircraft designer and builder** Dornier Flugzeugwerke, German aircraft manufacturer founded in 1914 by Claudius Dornier* Dornier Consulting, international consulting and project management company...
of
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
.
Design and development
Preliminary design studies for a replacement for the Morane-Saulnier MS-760 of the
Argentine Air ForceThe Argentine Air Force is the national aviation branch of the armed forces of Argentina. As of 2007, it had 14,606 airmen and 6,854 civilans on duty.-History:...
started at the Fábrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) in 1978, with these studies resulting in selection of a proposal powered by a single Garrett TFE731
turbofanA turbofan is a type of aircraft gas turbine engine that provides propulsion using a combination of a ducted fan and a jet exhaust nozzle. Part of the airstream from the ducted fan passes through the core, providing oxygen to burn fuel to create power. However, the rest of the air flow bypasses...
with high, unswept wings. At the same time the FMA signed a partnership agreement with Dornier to devlop the new aircraft.
Although influenced by the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet design, the
Pampa differs in being a smaller aircraft, it is also single-engined and has straight
supercriticalA supercritical airfoil is an airfoil designed, primarily, to delay the onset of wave drag in the transonic speed range. Supercritical airfoils are characterized by their flattened upper surface, highly cambered aft section, and greater leading edge radius as compared to traditional airfoil shapes...
wings rather than the swept ones of the Alpha Jet. It is constructed mainly of
aluminiumAluminium or aluminum is a silvery white and ductile member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al; its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
alloy, with carbon-fibre used for components such as the air intakes. The crew of two sit in Tandem under a single piece clamshell canopy. The
avionicsAvionics means "aviation electronics". It comprises electronic systems for use on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft, comprising communications, navigation and the display and management of multiple systems...
systems are also simpler than the Franco-German aircraft, which has an important secondary combat role. The
Pampa prototype first flew on 6 October 1984.
IA 63
Production of the initial series has been delayed and hampered by the state of the Argentinian economy, and as a result only 18 production aircraft have been built in the first batch (1988–90) and 6 in the second batch (2006–07) for the
Argentine Air ForceThe Argentine Air Force is the national aviation branch of the armed forces of Argentina. As of 2007, it had 14,606 airmen and 6,854 civilans on duty.-History:...
. First deliveries occurred in April 1988.
[ Taylor 1999, p.1.] They are in service – all modernized – with the
IV Brigada Aérea (IV Air Brigade) at
MendozaMendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
in the advanced training role of Argentine pilots (18 aircraft active).
Vought Pampa 2000
In the 1990s, LTV/
VoughtVought is the name of several related aerospace firms. These have included, in the past, Lewis and Vought Corporation, Chance Vought, Vought Sikorsky, LTV Aerospace , Vought Aircraft Companies, and the current Vought Aircraft Industries. The first incarnation of Vought was established by Chance M...
selected the IA 63 as the basis for the Pampa 2000, which Vought entered into the
Joint Primary Aircraft Training SystemJoint Primary Aircraft Training System, usually just called JPATS, was an aircraft procurement program of the United States in the 1990s by the USAF and USN, a merger of 1980s era training aircraft programs. The winner was declared in 1995 and entered service a few years later as the T-6 Texan II...
competition for the
United States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the U.S. armed forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947 - 80 P.L....
. The Pampa 2000 lost to the Beechcraft/Raytheon entry which became the
T-6 Texan IIThe Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engined turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company . It is used by the United States Air Force for basic pilot training and by the United States Navy for Primary and Intermediate Joint Naval Flight Officer and Air Force Navigator / Weapon...
.
AT-63 Pampa
With the acquisition of FMA by
Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin is a multinational aerospace manufacturer, global security and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed with Martin Marietta. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Lockheed Martin employs 146,000 people...
the Pampa went through a midlife upgrade with new engine and a more advanced avionics package compatible with the
A-4ARThe Lockheed Martin A-4AR Fightinghawk is a major upgrade of the A-4M Skyhawk attack aircraft developed for the Argentine Air Force.-Background:The 1982 Falklands War took a heavy toll on the Argentine Air Force, which lost over 60 aircraft...
and weapon system. This new project is called AT-63 Pampa (for attack trainer) and is marketed by Lockheed Martin. The only client is the Argentinian Air Force.
Specifications (IA 63)
See also
External links