I.Ae. 24 Calquin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| I.Ae.24 "Calquin" | |
|---|---|
![](../../../../images/local/thumb/e/e0/I.Ae.24_"Calquin".jpg/300px-I.Ae.24_"Calquin".jpg) I.Ae.24 "Calquin" in squadron use, c.1950 |
|
| Type | Bomber |
| Manufacturer | Fabrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) |
| Maiden flight | 5 June 1946 |
| Retired | 1960 |
| Primary user | Fuerza Aérea Argentina |
| Produced | 1947-1950 |
| Number built | 101 |
The I.Ae.24 "Calquin" (en: Royal Eagle) was designed and built by Instituto Aerotécnico (Córdoba) in Argentina in the immediate post-World War II era. Although superficially a "look-alike" for the de Havilland Mosquito, the I.Ae.24 was powered by twin Pratt & Whitney R-1830-G “Twin Wasp” radials giving it a distinct appearance. After an operational career spanning two decades, the Calquin was retired.
Contents |
[edit] Design and development
Patterned after the successful de Havilland Mosquito, the Instituto Aerotecnico utilized a similar all-wood construction for the first twin-engined aircraft designed and built in Argentina. The I.Ae.24 design was based on a cantilever mid-mounted wooden (indigenous woods were used throughout) wings with fabric-covered flying surfaces. The conventional main twin-oleo undercarriage retracted into the engine nacelles while the tail wheel retracted into the aft fuselage. The two-person crew were in side-by-side stations under a large transparency constructed partly of acrylic glass with glass panels. The armament consisted of four 12.7 mm machine guns grouped in the nose. Some examples later had four 20 mm cannons and an internal bombload of 1,764 lb (800 kg) kg along with 12 rockets (75 mm) mounted under the wings.
Originally the I.Ae. 24 was also intended to be equipped with Rolls-Royce Merlins but an adequate supply of the powerplants was not possible, consequently Pratt & Whitney R-1830-G “Twin Wasp” radials of 1,050 hp (782.5 kW) were substituted. Performance estimates of a Merlin-powered variant would have made it comparable to the Mosquito but the R-1830-powered prototype was only able to achieve 273 mph (440 km/h). A later prototype, the I.Ae.28 was equipped with Rolls-Royce Merlins but the project was superseded by the more capable I.Ae. 30 "Ñancú".
[edit] Operational history
Despite the lower performance obtained in testing, the I.Ae.24 Calquin was able to undertake an attack and light bombing role. A total of 100 aircraft were ordered, with the first production example flying on 4 July 1947. Series production was completed by 1950. Operational service continued until 1957 although a number of aircraft were still in squadron use until 1960.
[edit] Specifications (I.Ae.24 "Calquin")
Data from Jane's Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2: pilot, bombardier/navigator
- Length: 39 ft 4.5 in (12 m)
- Wingspan: 53 ft 5.75 in (16.3 m)
- Height: 17 ft 5 in (5.3 m)
- Max takeoff weight: 15,873 lb (7,200 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney R-1830-G "Twin Wasp" 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 1,050 hp (782.5 kW) each
- Propellers: Three bladed Hamilton Standard Hydromatic 23-E-50 propellor
Performance
- Maximum speed: 440 km/h (273 mph, 237 knots)
- Range: 1,040 km (646 mi, 562 NM)
- Service ceiling 10,000 m (32,800 ft)
Armament
- 4× 20 mm Hispano Mk II cannon
- 4× .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns
- 12 x 60 lb (27 kg) rockets (Mk VI)
- bombs=1,764 lb (800 kg)
[edit] See also
[edit] Comparable aircraft
[edit] References
- Notes
- ^ Taylor, 1980, p. 670.
- Bibliography
- Baldini, Atilio and Bontti, Sergio. I.Aé.- 24 CALQUIN(in Spanish). Buenos Aires: Jorge Nunez Padin, 2007. ISBN 978-987-20557-1-4.
- Janes's All the World's Aircraft 1957-1958. London: Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1958.
- Taylor, Michael J.H. Janes's Encyclopedia of Aviation, Vol. 4. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Educational Corporation, 1980. ISBN 0-7106-0710-5.
[edit] External links
- I.Ae.24 "Calquin" (in Polish)
- I.Ae.24 "Calquin" (translated into English from Spanish)
- Aircraft history and specifications (in Spanish)
- Aircraft history, specifications and colour images (in Spanish)
- Pre-series testing by the "Grupo Experimental de Vuelo" (in Spanish)
|
|||||
|
||||||||||||||
