FMA I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I

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IAe 27 Pulqui I
FMA IAe27.jpg
The I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I prototype at Moron airfield
General information
TypeExperimental jet
Manufacturer Fabrica Militar de Aviones (FMA)
Designer
Primary user Fuerza Aérea Argentina
Number built1 prototype
History
First flight9 August 1947

The I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I was an Argentine jet designed at the "Instituto Aerotecnico" (AeroTechnical Institute) in 1946. Only one prototype was completed; unsatisfactory performance led to the aircraft being superseded by a later design.

Contents

Design and development

Pulqui I front view, MNA Pulqui I.jpg
Pulqui I front view, MNA

The design was created by a team led by the French engineer Émile Dewoitine which included engineers Juan Ignacio San Martín (mil.), Enrique Cardeilhac, Cesare Pallavicino and Norberto L. Morchio.

The fuselage was semi-monocoque with an elliptical cross-section housing a single Rolls-Royce Derwent 5 engine with the air intake in the nose and the ducting surrounding the cockpit. The reduced internal fuselage volume forced the fuel tanks to be installed in the wings, which resulted in a significant reduction of its range.

Operational history

Pulqui I prototype in flight (c.1951) Pulqui II - Argentina - 1951.jpg
Pulqui I prototype in flight (c.1951)

The prototype flew on 9 August 1947 with test pilot 1st. Lt. Osvaldo Weiss at the controls. The history of this aircraft was brief, limited to testing and evaluation of the only prototype, as its performance was considered unsatisfactory and in the meantime studies for the more developed FMA IAe 33 Pulqui II were quite advanced. Nevertheless, its role in the history of aviation is quite significant as it was the first jet aircraft developed and built in Argentina and Latin America.

Operators

Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina

Aircraft on display

FMA I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I on display at Technopolis I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I.JPG
FMA I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I on display at Technopolis

The restored prototype is currently displayed at the Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica de Argentina of the Argentine Air Force at Morón, Buenos Aires, Argentina. [1]

Specifications

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

Notes

  1. Ogden 2008, p. 510.

Bibliography

Further reading