FMA I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1946 |
| Headquarters | Buenos Aires , Argentina |
Key people | Émile Dewoitine, Juan Ignacio San Martín, Enrique Cardeilhac, Cesare Pallavicino, Norberto L. Morchio |
The I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I was an Argentine jet aircraft conceptualized at the "Instituto Aerotecnico" in 1946. Only a single prototype was constructed, and due to its inadequate performance, it was succeeded by a more sophisticated model.
Design and development
The project was overseen by French engineer Émile Dewoitine, with key contributions from Juan Ignacio San Martín, Enrique Cardeilhac, Cesare Pallavicino, and Norberto L. Morchio.
Featuring a semi-monocoque structure, the fuselage had an elliptical cross-section that accommodated one Rolls-Royce Derwent 5 engine. Air intake was routed through the nose, surrounding the cockpit area. Because of restricted internal space, fuel storage was placed in the wings, which considerably limited the aircraft's operational range.
Operational history
On 9 August 1947, the prototype made its maiden flight piloted by 1st Lt. Osvaldo Weiss. Its operational use remained confined to testing phases, as its performance did not meet expectations. Meanwhile, development efforts continued on the more advanced FMA IAe 33 Pulqui II. Nevertheless, this aircraft is historically important as the first jet developed and produced in both Argentina and Latin America.
Operators
Aircraft on display
The restored prototype is exhibited at the Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica de Argentina, operated by the Argentine Air Force in Morón, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Bibliography
- "Article on the 50th anniversary of the Fabrica Militar de Aviones" (in Spanish) listing all aircraft developed and manufactured since 1927. Aerospacio (Buenos Aires), 1977.
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1951. London: Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1951.
- Ogden, Bob. Aviation Museums and Collections of the Rest of the World. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2008. .
Further reading
- Burzaco, Ricardo. Las Alas de Perón (Wings of Perón). Buenos Aires: Artes Gráficas Morello, 1995. .
External links
- Development and specifications
- IAe 27 Pulqui / Flickr
- "El Pulqui vuelve a sobrevolar la historia" - Article on Pulqui I restoration and history, La Nacion, 2001-10-08 (retrieved 2014-05-16)
- IPMSStockholm.org (en) article about Pulqui I & II with illustrations. (retrieved 2019-02-24)