El IA-100 volara dentro de los proximos 30 dias (??)
FIDAE 2016: Argentina unveils new trainer
31st March 2016 - 15:00by
Grant Turnbull in Santiago
Argentina’s state-owned aircraft manufacturer
Fábrica Argentina de Aviones (FAdeA) has unveiled a new training aircraft at this year’s FIDAE airshow in Chile, which is aimed at the South American military and civilian training market.
The clean sheet aircraft – named the IA-100 – has taken a year to develop, according to Frederico Bima, a procurement manager at FAdeA. The aircraft will be used by armed forces as an ‘elementary trainer’, meaning the first 40 hours of flight training for a student.
‘At this moment the aircraft is about to make its first flight,’ said Bima.
‘We are just completing the equipment integration so we expect the aircraft to be flying in the next 30 days.’
The company intends to certify the aircraft – which seats the student and instructor side-by-side – to Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 23 standards.
‘The idea is to certify the aircraft and then go to the market for customers, mainly in the South American region both military and civilian,’ said Bima. ‘It is a low cost project with a budget funded by FAdeA of $2-3 million.’
At around $150,000-$200,000 per aircraft, FAdeA sees the aircraft as a much cheaper, in both acquisition and lifecycle costs, than existing trainer aircraft such as the twin-seat turboprop Grob G 120TP or Embraer Tucano.
‘There is a need in the region for a basic trainer,’ said Bima.
Although no firm orders have been placed, it is expected that the Argentine Air Force and Navy will purchase the aircraft.
The IA-100 has a MTOW of 2,095lb and comes equipped with a Garmin G3X Touch avionics suite. Powered by a single Lycoming AE10-360, it can reach a maximum altitude of 18,000ft and has a range of 459nm.
It is hoped the project will be able to revitalise Argentina’s domestic aircraft manufacturing base, which has struggled in recent years as a result of the country’s economic problems. The Cordoba-based company is also developing a tandem-seat trainer called the IA 73.
Other projects that the Argentine company is currently involved in includes an advanced jet trainer, known as the IA 63 Pampa III. It also manufactures parts for the Brazil’s next-generation tactical transport, the Embraer KC-390.
FAdeA has a colourful history. The company was founded in the 1920s and then sold off to Lockheed Martin in 1995, before being renationalised in 2009 by the government of Cristina de Kirchner.
https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/training-simulation/fidae-2016-argentina-unveils-new-trainer/
