FMA IAe 33 Pulqui II

Fábrica Militar de Aviones
Company type	State-owned enterprise
Industry	Aerospace, Defense
Founded	1940s; 0 days' time
Founder	Argentine government
Headquarters	Córdoba, Argentina
Products	Military aircraft, including IAe 33 Pulqui II

The FMA IAe 33 Pulqui II (Pulqúi, meaning Arrow in the Mapuche language) was a jet fighter conceived in late 1940s Argentina under the administration of Juan Perón, with design led by Kurt Tank and construction carried out by Fábrica Militar de Aviones (FMA). Inspired by design concepts from the wartime yet unrealized Focke-Wulf Ta 183, the IAe 33 aimed to replace the postwar Gloster Meteor F4 jets operated by the Fuerza Aérea Argentina.

The development process encountered significant delays and setbacks, including the loss of two out of four prototypes in fatal accidents. Although one prototype was deployed for combat evaluation during the 1955 Revolución Libertadora, a combination of political instability, economic difficulties, and technical obstacles prevented mass production. Ultimately, Argentina decided to procure F-86 Sabre fighters from the United States instead of continuing domestic development.

Background

During the late 1940s, Argentina took advantage of an influx of skilled German aerospace engineers escaping post-war Europe. Among these was French engineer Émile Dewoitine, who directed the IAe 27 Pulqui I experimental fighter initiative alongside Argentine collaborators Juan Ignacio San Martín, Enrique Cardeilhac, Norberto L. Morchio, and Humberto Ricciardi. The Pulqui I marked Latin America’s first indigenously designed and constructed jet aircraft, achieving its maiden flight on 9 August 1947.

Despite its groundbreaking nature, the Pulqui I suffered from drawbacks such as excessive fuel consumption due to its British engine, which restricted its operational range. Coupled with rapid international progress in aerodynamic innovations like swept wings and laminar flow airfoils, these limitations led to the program’s termination. Nevertheless, this effort advanced Argentina’s aerospace capabilities, placing it eighth globally in jet technology development and setting the stage for more ambitious projects such as the IA-33 Pulqui II.

Recognizing the constraints of Pulqui I, the Aerotechnical Institute () under Morchio’s direction embarked on designing a new domestically produced jet fighter. By early 1948, a scale model of the IAe-27a Pulqui II was created featuring trapezoidal wings swept at 33° and utilizing a NACA 16009 laminar flow airfoil. Later that year, an updated model introduced shoulder-mounted wings and a T-tail layout.

Kurt Tank

In 1947, German engineer Kurt Tank, formerly technical director at Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG, was recruited to propel Argentina’s jet fighter initiative forward. Tank relocated to Latin America with 62 colleagues from Focke-Wulf to continue aerospace development efforts. Initially entering Argentina under the pseudonym Pedro Matthies, he soon secured official backing and took a leading role in transforming the Instituto Aerotécnico into the military aircraft manufacturer Fábrica Militar de Aviones based in Córdoba.

Tank was both an accomplished engineer and test pilot, famed for designing the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter aircraft. His team had also created the Focke-Wulf Ta 183—a compact jet fighter with swept wings that won Germany's 1945 Emergency Fighter Competition but never progressed beyond wind tunnel testing before WWII concluded. While Tank managed to bring much of his wartime design staff to Argentina, Hans Multhopp, who led the Ta 183 program, relocated to the UK after the war and did not accompany him.

Design and development

Upon his designation as project director for a new domestic fighter initiative, Tank modified the fundamental Ta 183 airframe to accommodate the larger, heavier, and more powerful Nene II engine. This adaptation produced a configuration that only faintly resembled the original design. The Nene's centrifugal compressor necessitated a fuselage redesign featuring a broader cross-section, differing significantly from the initially intended Heinkel HeS 011 turbojet installation.

Because of the resemblance between Tank's redesign and the IAe-27a, Juan Ignacio San Martín combined both efforts into what became known as the IAe 33 Pulqui II. The aircraft’s fuselage integrated the IAe-27a’s landing gear, while its shoulder-mounted wings were swept back at 40°, exceeding the sweep angle of the Ta 183, and included slight anhedral. The Nene engine was installed behind the cockpit near the center of gravity, with maintenance access achieved by removing the tail section. The airframe incorporated a T-shaped empennage swept back at 50°, along with a pressurized cockpit (introduced starting with prototype No. 04) that featured armor plating and a bullet-resistant windscreen. Initial internal fuel storage held 1,250 liters, complemented by an additional 800 liters housed in the wings. Armament plans called for four 20 mm cannons positioned adjacent to the jet intake.

Testing and evaluation

To assess the IAe 33’s aerodynamic properties, two gliders constructed by Reimar Horten were utilized for testing during 1948–1949. These evaluations uncovered lateral stability deficiencies that led to tail design modifications prior to prototype assembly. Due to limited industrial machinery, manufacturing depended heavily on manual craftsmanship, which delayed achieving the production standards envisioned by President Perón. The first airframe (No. 01) was destroyed during static load testing.

The initial flying prototype (No. 02), completed in 1950, undertook its inaugural flight on 27 June with Captain Edmundo Weiss at the controls. Early test flights exposed significant lateral stability challenges at velocities exceeding 700 km/h; landing difficulties prompted lengthening of the nose gear strut and adjustments to shock absorbers to enhance handling characteristics. Ongoing aerodynamic problems related to tip stall necessitated modifications to wing leading edges and rudder adjustments. The canopy was strengthened and a fairing was added above the exhaust outlet.

Tank himself performed test flights to examine stalling behavior; after adding ballast in the nose to reduce high-altitude stalls, he publicly showcased the IAe 33 before President Perón in February 1951. Following successful demonstration flights, the Argentine Air Force placed a pre-production order for twelve aircraft.

During acceptance trials in May 1951, severe vibrations appeared at speeds around 1,000 km/h but remained unresolved as testing continued. On its twenty-eighth flight, structural failure caused by defective wing-to-fuselage welding—attributable to outdated forging equipment—resulted in a fatal accident when Captain Vedania Mannuwal’s wing separated during high-g maneuvers.

Construction of a third prototype (No. 03) commenced immediately incorporating design enhancements such as a larger rudder for improved stability, an expanded exhaust fairing, rotating air brakes on the fuselage near the tail, a reinforced canopy, and increased internal fuel capacity extending operational range from 2,030 km to 3,090 km. Flown first on 23 September 1952 by Captain Jorge Doyle, it was prepared for a demonstration before Perón scheduled for October. Test pilot Otto Behrens voiced concerns regarding flight behavior; tragically, he perished in a low-altitude stall accident during rehearsal two days prior to the event.

In 1953, Tank developed a fourth prototype (No. 04) equipped with stall fences on each wing and four strakes along the rear fuselage aimed at mitigating deep stall phenomena at high angles of attack. Further improvements included a pressurized cockpit, additional fuel capacity increases, and installation of four definitive Hispano Mark V 20 mm cannons. Lieutenant Jorge Doyle conducted weapons testing in 1954.

An all-weather variant featuring radar was contemplated; meanwhile, the Argentine Air Force planned procurement of up to one hundred Pulqui II interceptors powered by an enhanced Nene engine with afterburner capability targeting speeds near Mach 0.98. Although interest arose from foreign buyers such as the Netherlands (1951) and Egypt (1953), absence of firm production commitments impeded export deals; both nations ultimately selected alternative fighter aircraft available on the market instead.

Political consequences

The IAe 33 Pulqui II initiative was deeply influenced by the political climate under the Peronist administration. While the Fábrica Militar de Aviones held responsibility for advancing aviation projects, political meddling led to significant setbacks and inefficiency. In 1951, economic challenges prompted the Perón government to redirect the factory's efforts toward manufacturing automobiles, trucks, and motorcycles—including the IAME Rastrojero—thereby diminishing focus on aircraft development. Concurrently, Tank’s team contributed to the FMA IA 35 Huanquero, a versatile aircraft that entered production at the Dirección Nacional de Fabricación e Investigación Aeronáutica (DINFIA). The most detrimental move was the sudden reallocation of resources from aviation to automotive and agricultural manufacturing, effectively halting aircraft production lines and draining support from the Pulqui II program.

The project suffered a critical blow following Argentina’s severe economic downturn in 1953. In January 1955, Tank’s contract expired amid ongoing technical difficulties with the IAe 33 despite four years of development and testing. When Tank requested nearly twice the original funding to proceed, President Perón terminated his contract. Although no formal resolution was reached to discontinue this emblematic Peronist-era endeavor, progress ceased.

Operational record

During September 1955, the final Pulqui II prototype took part in the Revolución Libertadora, a coup orchestrated by General Eduardo Lonardi against Perón. After rebel forces seized Córdoba, the IAe 33 joined combat sorties alongside Meteor F 4s from Córdoba’s Escuela De Aviación (Military Aviation School), engaging Peronist troops. The aircraft also featured prominently in a celebratory parade marking the coup’s victory.

Following the military junta’s takeover, the IAe 33 program rapidly declined. Numerous key air force officers were dismissed, many members of Tank’s team departed Argentina, and Tank himself relocated to India where he contributed to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and later developed the HF-24 Marut supersonic fighter.

In 1956, aiming to garner political favor, the air force organized a record-setting demonstration flight from Córdoba to Buenos Aires and return—a total distance of 800 km—using only internal fuel. Lt. Balado completed this mission at an average speed near 900 km/h, including a strafing run over a training range. However, a malfunction in his oxygen system during the return caused partial loss of consciousness; despite this impairment, he managed an emergency landing that inflicted irreparable damage due to heavy touchdown forces and landing gear failure.

Termination

Shortly after Balado’s record attempt, the Argentine Air Force revisited plans to procure 100 Pulqui IIs. The Fábrica Militar de Aviones estimated rapid assembly of ten aircraft using existing components but projected a five-year timeline for full completion of all units. Meanwhile, efforts to replace aging Meteor F4 jets initially targeted acquiring 36 Canadair CL-13B Mk 6 Sabres; however, this plan was abandoned in 1956 due to foreign currency restrictions imposed by Argentina’s Central Bank.

With the Canadair Sabre acquisition off the table, production of the Pulqui II was reconsidered. In 1957, despite a U.S. offer for 100 fully operational F-86 Sabres equipped with Orenda engines, a new IAe 33 prototype was commissioned. The fifth Pulqui II prototype (No. 05), known as Pulqui IIe, was finalized in 1959 and began flight tests on September 18 under Lt. Roberto Starc’s command. Modifications addressed earlier issues with high-angle instability and incorporated increased fuel capacity through wet wing technology, extending operational range. Nevertheless, the fighter was regarded as outdated and politically tainted by its association with Perón.

As a result, Argentina terminated the IAe 33 program at its peak and opted instead to acquire used F-86F-40 Sabres from the United States via the Mutual Defense Assistance Act. By September 1960, only 28 aircraft had been delivered; these were in poor condition and lacked the originally promised Orenda engines.

After completing just twelve test flights serving as a transonic research platform, the final IAe 33 prototype was retired and placed in storage in 1960, signaling the conclusion of the Pulqui II project. Remaining equipment and unfinished airframes were subsequently destroyed.

Legacy

Despite never advancing to mass production, the IAe 33 Pulqui II holds a distinguished place in aviation history as the first Latin American jet fighter featuring fully developed swept-wing technology. Together with the Pulqui I, it established Argentina as the eighth nation globally to create such advanced aeronautical designs, following earlier developments by Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, the Soviet Union, France, and Sweden. The Pulqui II program significantly contributed to laying the groundwork for Argentina's aerospace sector, which continues today under the name Fábrica Argentina de Aviones.

Surviving aircraft

The only remaining IAe 33 Pulqui II is housed indoors at the Argentine Air Force’s Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica de Argentina, located at Morón Air Base. This aircraft is exhibited in its original paint scheme alongside the IAe 27 Pulqui I, both symbolizing important yet unrealized chapters in Argentina’s aviation history.

References

Citations

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Additional resources

Burzaco, Ricardo. Las Alas de Perón (Wings of Perón). Buenos Aires: Artes Gráficas Morello, 1995. .
Cespedes, Marcelo (producer) and Fernández Mouján, Alejandro (director). Pulqui, Un instante en la Patria de la Felicidad (also known as Pulqui, A Moment in the Native Land of Happiness) (documentary video). Buenos Aires: Cine Ojo, 2007.
Benedetto, Fernando. I.Ae-27 Pulqui I & I.A.-33 Pulqui II. Bahía Blanca, Argentina: Fuerzas Aeronavales, 2012. Serie Fuerza Aérea, volume 22.