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

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 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, it 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) 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) 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."Back at the hands of the stateMinisterio de Defensa - República Argentina

It was renamed after Argentine Air Force Brigadier 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.Lockheed Martin Aircraft Argentina SA to Fábrica Argentina de Aviones “Brigadier San Martin” S.A.

Aircraft design and production

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 current period (1952–present).

List of aircraft manufactured, projected, or upgraded YearModelBuiltObsStarted as Instituto Aerotécnico 1928Avro 504K Gosport31Biplane basic trainer, license-built. First aircraft produced by FMA.1930Dewoitine D.2135Monoplane fighter, license-built. 1931FMA AeC.11Civil tourism aircraft prototype (initial version); basic trainer (later version). First local design.1932FMA AeC.22Civil tourism aircraft1932FMA AeME.17Basic military trainer1933FMA AeT.13Transport/commercial aircraft1934FMA AeMO.141Observation monoplane1934FMA AeMOe.16Derivative of the AeMO.1, observation and training aircraft1934FMA AeMOe.261Variant of the AeMOe.1, observation and training aircraft1934FMA AeC.316Civil aircraft.1935FMA AeMB.11First bomber built by FMA.1935FMA AeMB.2 14Bomber.1935FMA AeMS.11Ambulance aircraft1936FMA AeC.3G1Tourism aircraft.1936FMA AeC.41 Improved prototype version of the C.3GName changed to Fábrica Militar de Aviones1940Curtiss Hawk 75O20License built version of the US monoplane fighter Curtiss Hawk 75Padin 1999, pp. 9, 151940Focke-Wulf Fw 44J Stieglitz190License built version of the German biplane trainer1940FMA I.Ae.20 El Boyero130Tourism aircraft, series built by Industrias Petrolini1943FMA I.Ae.211Advanced trainer aircraft prototype, based on the North American NA-16-1P fuselage.1943FMA I.Ae.22 DL 206Advanced trainer aircraft1943FMA I.Ae.23 1Basic trainer prototype, based on the Focke-Wulf Fw44J1943FMA I.Ae.24 Calquín 100Attack/Light bomber1945FMA I.Ae.25 Mañque1Assault/Transport glider.1947FMA I.Ae.27 Pulqui 1Jet fighter prototype, first of its kind built in Latin America.1947FMA I.Ae.28 Super Calquín0Merlin-powered development of Calquin, abandoned in favour of I.Ae. 30 Ñancú.1948FMA I.Ae.30 Ñancú1Fighter/Attack prototype1947FMA I.Ae.31 Colibrí3Two-seat Trainer aircraft1949FMA I.Ae.32 Chingolo1Tourism/Trainer aircraft1950FMA I.Ae.33 Pulqui II5First swept-wing jet fighter designed in Latin America1949FMA I.Ae.34 Clen Antú 7Flying wing sailplane designed by Reimar Horten, also known as the Horten XVa and XVb1953FMA I.Ae.35 Huanquero/Constancia/Pandora36Twin engine transport aircraft.1960FMA I.Ae.35 Guaraní I1Approximate date, transport derived from the I.Ae. 35 Huanquero1951FMA I.Ae.36 Cóndor0Cancelled Kurt Tank civil passenger transport project.1954FMA I.Ae.371Supersonic delta-wing interceptor, Unpowered glider prototype only.1960FMA I.Ae.38 Naranjero1Prototype flying-wing cargo transport.mid-1950sFMA I.Ae.390Cancelled transport project based on the I.Ae.35.1956FMA I.Ae.400Cancelled night fighter project.1953FMA I.Ae.41 Urubú 4Flying-wing glider, designed by Reimar Horten, also known as the Horten XVc.1953FMA I.Ae.43 Pulqui III0Cancelled swept-wing supersonic jet fighter project1953FMA IAe.44 DL.II0Cancelled advanced trainer project1959FMA I.Ae.45 Querandí2Executive transport prototype (Some sources give 1957 and 1 built)1957FMA I.Ae.46 Ranquel2172-seat utility aircraft. Second series, developed into Super Ranquel.1960FMA I.Ae.480Cancelled supersonic delta-wing all-weather interceptor1963DINFIA IA 50 Guaraní II35Transport derived from IA 35 Guaraní IBeechcraft T-34 Mentor75Licence-built trainer. 1965IA 53 Mamboretá2Agricultural aircraft1963IA 54 Carancho1Prototype laminar flow glider1960Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris48Licence-built trainer. 1967FMA IA 58 Pucará 120Counter-insurgency/light attack aircraft1985FMA IA 58C Pucará "Charlie" 1Single seater with DEFA cannon, air-to-surface missiles. Cancelled after prototype flown.1972FMA IA 591UAV prototype1975FMA IA 60 0Cancelled advanced trainer/light attack project"FMA IA-60 - Anteproyecto de Avión de Entrenamiento y Ataque" - website "Zona Militar" (accessed 2015-06-08)1978FMA IA 62 0Cancelled military trainer project1984FMA IA-63 Pampa 32Advanced trainer. AT-63 currently under production. 1980FMA IA 66 Pucará II 1Single prototype; converted IA-58A powered by two 1,000-ehp (746-kW) Garrett TPE331-11-601W turboprop engines.(mid-1980s)IA 67 Córdoba 0Cancelled light transport projectAeroespacio magazine Nr.566 (Jul-Ago 2005), Ficha Técnica Nr.53 (mid-1980s)IA 68 ATL 0Cancelled light transport project (mid-1980s)FMA SAIA 90 0Cancelled Supersonic air superiority jet fighter project1990FMA IA 70Embraer/FMA CBA 123 Vector 2Cancelled 19-passenger turboprop airlinerCBA123/IA 70 Name changed to Lockheed Martin Aircraft Argentina SA 1999Lockheed Martin A-4AR Fightinghawk18Another 18 by Lockheed Martin in Pasadena, California, US.2003Beechcraft T-34 MentorRefurbishment of Argentine and Bolivia Air Forces2006Lockheed C-130 HerculesRefurbishment of Argentine Air Force and Colombian Air Force aircraft.Name changed to FAdeA S.A. 2009FMA IA 63 Pampa II-40Changing power plant 2010FMA IA 58 Pucará 1Changing power plant and avionics (cancelled)2010FAdeA IA 73 Basic trainer to replace the T-34 (cancelled)2014FAdeA IA 100 1Elemental trainer and a project to demonstrate the capabilities of the Argentine industry2018IA 63 Pampa III Block I6Third evolution of the Pampa aircraft, with 3 more in order for 2019 for the Argentine Air Force.

Gallery Local designs

Manufactured under license

Engines

See also Other aircraft manufacturers in Argentina Aero Boero Chincul Cicaré Helicópteros

References Notes

Bibliography

Further reading FÁBRICA MILITAR DE AVIONES: CRÓNICAS Y TESTIMONIOS, retrieved 2010-01-18 (PDF file available for download). Published in 2007 by Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Provincia de Córdoba, Argentina (Córdoba's Province Science and Technology Ministry) La Argentina fabricante de Aviones (retrieved 2016-04-23)

External links

"Argentina's FAdeA Mulls Major Changes" - Jane's IHS FMA history Aeromilitaria.com.ar "Former Lockheed Martin Argentina plant relaunched as FAdeA" FlightGlobal