(excerpt from Dick's Military Aircraft of the World, 2001 edition)
Type: Counter-insurgency aircraft
Accommodation: Pilot and co-pilot seated in tandem on ejection seats
Fixed Armament: Two 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS-804 cannon with 270 rounds each, four .50 calibre Browning M2HB machine guns with 525 rounds each.
Disposable Armament: Up to 1620kg on one fuselage hardpoint and two wing hardpoints (outboard of engine nacelles). The fuselage point may carry 1000kg of ordnance, the wing hardpoints may carry 500kg each.
Electronics: Standard communication and navigation equipment, AN/AWE-1 stores programmer. The US model also may carry a special reconnaissance pod on one of the wing hardpoints that includes thermal and night vision for the crew, a laser rangefinder, and still and motion picture cameras capable of visible light and infrared imaging.
Powerplant and Fuel System: Two 1000shp Garrett TPE331 turbopropellors, 1260 litres fuel in fuselage and wing internal tanks, 1130 litre auxiliary tank on centerline hardpoint, 300 litre auxiliary tanks on each wing hardpoint.
Performance: maximum speed 500km/h at 3000m, cruise speed 480km/h at 6000m. Service ceiling 10000m. Range 3000km.
Weights: empty, 4040kg; maximum take-off, 6800kg.
Dimensions: span 14.5m, length 14.25m, height 5.36m.
Notes and Commentary:
The IA-58US Pucara is a recent upgrade of a 30-year-old Argentine counter-insurgency aircraft. Powered by two turbopropellors, it fulfills the need for a light, agile, and inexpensive close support platform.
The aircraft requires a 750 meter hardened runway for flight operations. It can not use unimproved (dirt) airfields.
The IA-58US is a special upgraded design of the IA-58A airframe intended for sale to American Federal law enforcement agencies. These agencies purchased the updated models of the aircraft to supplement their reconnaissance abilities. The most significant changes to the aircraft were the replacement of the 7.62mm machine guns with .50 caliber heavy machine guns, the upgrade of the original Turbomeca Astazou XVIG turboprops with the more powerful and efficient Garrett TPE331 models, and the addition of upgraded electronics for the crew, including the ability to use an external reconnaissance pod.
Total orders for the IA-58US are projected to be for 18 aircraft. The first six were delivered in March 2001.
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Last Updated 24 Feb 2000
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