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Fábrica Argentina de Aviones

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31°26′35.6″S 64°16′20.9″W / 31.443222°S 64.272472°W / -31.443222; -64.272472

Fábrica Argentina de Aviones "Brigadier San Martín" S.A.
FormerlyFábrica Militar de Aviones (1927–1943)
Instituto Aerotécnico (1943–2009)[1]
Company typeSociedad Anónima
IndustryAerospace, Defense
Founded1927; 97 years ago (1927)
FounderFrancisco de Arteaga [1]
HeadquartersCórdoba, Argentina
Key people
Fernando Sibilla (CEO)[2]
Alejandro Solís (VP)
ProductsAircraft, components, maintenance, services
Owner
Number of employees
1,600 (as of June 2014)
ParentMinistry of Defense
Websitefadeasa.com.ar

The Fábrica Argentina de Aviones SA (mostly known for its acronym FAdeA, officially Fábrica Argentina de Aviones "Brigadier San Martín" S.A.), is Argentina's main aircraft manufacturer. Founded on 10 October 1927 and located in Córdoba, for most of its existence it was known as "Fábrica Militar de Aviones" (FMA), until its privatization in the 1990s to Lockheed Martin. In 2009 the concession ended and the company is now wholly owned by the Argentine government.

History

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1930s view of the FMA workshop
 
Late 1940s view of the FMA/IAe "Hangar 90" production line: I.Ae.22 DL (back) and I.Ae.24 Calquín (front)
 
1960s view of the production line: Morane Saulnier 760

Formed on 10 October 1927 and on 18 July 1928 ends the construction and testing begins on the track the first domestically produced aircraft: the license built Avro 504 Gosport training aircraft equipped with a 100 hp (75 kW) Gnome engine. It had a speed of 140 km/h with a flying endurance of 2 hours. A series of indigenous and foreign designs followed, mostly for military use.

The factory is known for producing the first jet fighter aircraft in Latin America: the Pulqui I (1947) and the Pulqui II (1950) under the direction of engineers Emile Dewoitine (French) and Kurt Tank (German) respectively.

In the 1960s produced the Guarani light transport and the Pucara COIN aircraft, followed by the Pampa jet trainer in the 1980s; the last two still in service with the Argentine Air Force as of early 2016.

Privatization (1995)

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In 1995, FMA was privatized by the government of Carlos Menem and from that year until March 2009 it operated as a concession to LAASA (Lockheed Aircraft Argentina SA, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation). Under the terms of the privatization agreement LAASA would operate it for 25 years, which could be renewed for two 10 year periods.

During this period the activity was mostly focused in maintenance and upgrades of existing aircraft in service with the Argentine Air Force.

Nationalization (2010)

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During the government of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner the factory was nationalized in August 2009, with compensation of ARS $67 million paid. The text of the expropriation law provides that "the State cannot divest itself of majority shareholdings or the power to make decisions at the factory."[3][4]

It was renamed after Argentine Air Force Brigadier es:Juan Ignacio San Martín a military engineer who laid the foundations of the aeronautics industry at Córdoba when he directed the Instituto Aerotécnico, the forerunner of the FMA, in the 1940s.

The United States Department of State announced that effective 18 December 2009, Lockheed Martin Aircraft Argentina would be renamed to Fábrica Argentina de Aviones "Brigadier San Martin" S.A. and divested to the Government of Argentina.[5]

Aircraft design and production

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AeMB.2 Bombi bombers in flight
 
Pulqui I prototype in flight (c.1951)
 
I.Ae. 33 Pulqui II
 
DINFIA IA 35 Huanquero, utility aircraft designed in the early 1950s
 
Prototype IA 38 Naranjero under construction, early 1960s
 
IA 46 ‘’Super Ranquel’’ at San Justo airfield (Buenos Aires), April 1975
 
I.A. 50 Guarani II
 
I.A. 58 Pucará
 
I.A. 63 Pampa II

The FMA has produced innovative aircraft prototypes, but the state of the Argentine economy has usually prevented most of them from entering large-scale production. Nevertheless the FMA has managed to put several aircraft types of more conventional designs into full productions. It also engaged in production of licensed aircraft from other countries.

The prefixes used for the aircraft locally developed (and produced) are:

  • Ae, for "Dirección General de Aerotécnica", on the first period (1927–1936);
  • F.M.A., for "Fábrica Militar de Aviones", on the second period (1938–1943);
  • I.Ae., for "Instituto Aerotécnico", on the third period (1943–1952);
  • IA, for "Instituto Aerotécnico", on the fourth (current) period (1952 to present).

List of aircraft manufactured, projected, or upgraded

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Year Model Built Obs
Started as Instituto Aerotécnico
1928 Avro 504K Gosport 31 Biplane basic trainer, license-built. First aircraft produced by FMA.
1930 Dewoitine D.21 35 Monoplane fighter, license-built.
1931 FMA AeC.1 1 Civil tourism aircraft prototype (initial version); basic trainer (later version). First local design.
1932 FMA AeC.2 2 Civil tourism aircraft
1932 FMA AeME.1 7 Basic military trainer
1933 FMA AeT.1 3 Transport/commercial aircraft
1934 FMA AeMO.1 41 Observation monoplane
1934 FMA AeMOe.1 6 Derivative of the AeMO.1, observation and training aircraft
1934 FMA AeMOe.2 61 Variant of the AeMOe.1, observation and training aircraft
1934 FMA AeC.3 16 Civil aircraft.
1935 FMA AeMB.1 1 First bomber built by FMA.
1935 FMA AeMB.2 14 Bomber.
1935 FMA AeMS.1 1 Ambulance aircraft
1936 FMA AeC.3G 1 Tourism aircraft.
1936 FMA AeC.4 1 Improved prototype version of the C.3G
Name changed to Fabrica Militar de Aviones
1940 Curtiss Hawk 75O 20 License built version of the US monoplane fighter Curtiss Hawk 75[6]
1940 Focke-Wulf Fw 44J Stieglitz 190 License built version of the German biplane trainer
1940 FMA I.Ae.20 El Boyero 130 Tourism aircraft, series built by Industrias Petrolini
1943 FMA I.Ae.21 1 Advanced trainer aircraft prototype, based on the North American NA-16-1P fuselage.
1943 FMA I.Ae.22 DL 206 Advanced trainer aircraft
1945 FMA I.Ae.23 1 Basic trainer prototype, based on the Focke-Wulf Fw44J
1946 FMA I.Ae.24 Calquín 100 Attack/Light bomber
1945 FMA I.Ae.25 Mañque 1 Assault/Transport glider.
1947 FMA I.Ae.27 Pulqui 1 Jet fighter prototype, first of its kind built in Latin America.
1947 FMA I.Ae.28 Super Calquín 0 Merlin-powered development of Calquin, abandoned in favour of I.Ae. 30 Ñancú.
1948 FMA I.Ae.30 Ñancú 1 Fighter/Attack prototype
1947 FMA I.Ae.31 Colibrí 3 Two-seat Trainer aircraft
1949 FMA I.Ae.32 Chingolo 1 Tourism/Trainer aircraft
1950 FMA I.Ae.33 Pulqui II 5 First swept-wing jet fighter designed in Latin America
1949 FMA I.Ae.34 Clen Antú 7 Flying wing sailplane designed by Reimar Horten, also known as the Horten XVa and XVb
1953 FMA I.Ae.35 Huanquero/Constancia/Pandora 36 Twin engine transport aircraft.
1960 FMA I.Ae.35 Guaraní I 1 Approximate date, transport derived from the I.Ae. 35 Huanquero
1951 FMA I.Ae.36 Cóndor 0 Cancelled Kurt Tank civil passenger transport project.
1954 FMA I.Ae.37 1 Supersonic delta-wing interceptor, Unpowered glider prototype only.
1960 FMA I.Ae.38 Naranjero 1 Prototype flying-wing cargo transport.
mid-1950s FMA I.Ae.39 0 Cancelled transport project based on the I.Ae.35.
1956 FMA I.Ae.40 0 Cancelled night fighter project.
1953 FMA I.Ae.41 Urubú 4 Flying-wing glider, designed by Reimar Horten, also known as the Horten XVc.
1953 FMA I.Ae.43 Pulqui III 0 Cancelled swept-wing supersonic jet fighter project
1953 FMA IAe.44 DL.II 0 Cancelled advanced trainer project
1959 FMA I.Ae.45 Querandí 2 Executive transport prototype (Some sources give 1957 and 1 built)
1957 FMA I.Ae.46 Ranquel 217 2-seat utility aircraft. Second series, developed into Super Ranquel.
1960 FMA I.Ae.48 0 Cancelled supersonic delta-wing all-weather interceptor
1963 DINFIA IA 50 Guaraní II 35 Transport derived from IA 35 Guaraní I
Beechcraft T-34 Mentor 75 Licence-built trainer.
1965 IA 53 Mamboretá 2 Agricultural aircraft
1960 Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris 48 Licence-built trainer.
1967 FMA IA 58 Pucará 120 Counter-insurgency/light attack aircraft
1985 FMA IA 58C Pucará "Charlie" 1 Single seater with 30 mm (1.2 in) DEFA cannon, air-to-surface missiles. Cancelled after prototype flown.
1972 FMA IA 59 1 UAV prototype
1975 FMA IA 60 0 Cancelled advanced trainer/light attack project[7]
1978 FMA IA 62 0 Cancelled military trainer project
1984 FMA IA-63 Pampa 32 Advanced trainer. AT-63 currently[when?] under production.
1980 FMA IA 66 Pucará II 1 Single prototype; converted IA-58A powered by two 1,000-ehp (746-kW) Garrett TPE331-11-601W turboprop engines.
(mid-1980s) IA 67 Córdoba 0 Cancelled light transport project[8]
(mid-1980s) IA 68 ATL 0 Cancelled light transport project[citation needed]
(mid-1980s) FMA SAIA 90 0 Cancelled Supersonic air superiority jet fighter project
1990 FMA IA 70
Embraer/FMA CBA 123 Vector 		2 Cancelled 19-passenger turboprop airliner[9]
Name changed to Lockheed Martin Aircraft Argentina SA
1999 Lockheed Martin A-4AR Fightinghawk 18 Another 18 by Lockheed Martin in Pasadena, California, US.
2003 Beechcraft T-34 Mentor Refurbishment of Argentine and Bolivia Air Forces
2006 Lockheed C-130 Hercules Refurbishment of Argentine Air Force and Colombian Air Force aircraft.
Name changed to FAdeA S.A.
2009 FMA IA 63 Pampa II-40 Changing power plant
2010 FMA IA 58 Pucará 1 Changing power plant and avionics (cancelled)
2010 FAdeA IA 73 Basic trainer to replace the T-34 (cancelled)
2014 FAdeA IA 100 1 Elemental trainer and a project to demonstrate the capabilities of the Argentine industry
2018 IA 63 Pampa III Block I 6 Third evolution of the Pampa aircraft, with 3 more in order for 2019 for the Argentine Air Force.
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Local designs

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    Prototype AeC.1 (1931)
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    AeC.2 (1932)
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    AeT.1 (1933)
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    AeMOe.1
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    AeMS.1 prototype
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    FMA 20 El Boyero (1940)
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    Prototype FMA 21 trainer (1943)
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    I.Ae. 22 DL advanced trainer (1944)
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    I.Ae. 23 trainer prototype, based on the FW-44J Stieglitz (1944)
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    I.Ae. 24 Calquin attack aircraft, c.1950
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    Prototype I.Ae. 25 Mañque glider (1945)
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    I.Ae. 30 Ñancú (1948)
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    IAe.31 Colibrí (1947)
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    I.Ae.32 Chingolo (1949)
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    I.Ae.33 Pulqui II prototype 5 (1959), preserved, Tecnópolis show, 2012
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    I.Ae. 34 Clen Antú, tailless glider designed by Reimar Horten, late 1940s
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    Model I.A. 36 Cóndor, airliner designed by Kurt Tank, early 1950s
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    FMA I.Ae. 37 fighter prototype (1953)
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    IAe.41 Urubú flying wing glider (1953)
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    IA 45 Querandi light transport prototype (1957)
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    IA 50 Guaraní I (1962)
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    Prototype Guarani II, 1965 Paris Air Salon
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    IA 53 Mamboretá agricultural aircraft prototype (mid-1960s)
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    IA-59, prototype Unmanned aerial vehicle, early 1970s
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    FMA IA 63 Pampa, Paris Air Show, 1991
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    CBA 123 / IA 70 prototype, Farnborough 1990
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    FAdeA I.A. 73 Unasur I mock-up
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    FAdeA I.A. 100, August 2016

Manufactured under license

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    Dewotine D.21
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    Curtiss Hawk 75O
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    FW-44J Stieglitz
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    Morane-Saulnier MS-760 Paris, Mendoza, 2005

Engines

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    I.Ae. R-16 El Gaucho
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    I.Ae. R-19 El Indio

See also

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Other aircraft manufacturers in Argentina

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Historia on FADEA website
  2. ^ Autoridades, as of Jun 2024
  3. ^ Back at the hands of the state
  4. ^ (in Spanish)Ministerio de Defensa - República Argentina Archived 2012-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Lockheed Martin Aircraft Argentina SA to Fábrica Argentina de Aviones “Brigadier San Martin” S.A.
  6. ^ Padin 1999, pp. 9, 15
  7. ^ (in Spanish)"FMA IA-60 - Anteproyecto de Avión de Entrenamiento y Ataque" - website "Zona Militar" (accessed 2015-06-08)
  8. ^ Aeroespacio magazine Nr.566 (Jul-Ago 2005), Ficha Técnica Nr.53
  9. ^ CBA123/IA 70 Archived 2010-09-12 at the Wayback Machine

Bibliography

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  • Bellomo, Sergio; Cordon Aguirre, Arturo; Marino, Atilio; Núñez Padin, Jorge (1999). Núñez Padin, Jorge Felix (ed.). Curtiss Hawk. Serie Fuerza Aérea Argentina (in Spanish). Vol. 5. Bahía Blanca, Argentina: Fuerzas Aeronavales.
  • Arreguez, Angel Cesar (2008). Mansur, Sergio Luis (ed.). Fabrica Militar de Aviones: Cronicas y Testimonios (in Spanish) (Second ed.). Cordoba, Argentina: Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia de la Provincia de Cordoba. ISBN 978-987-24620-0-0.

Further reading

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