IAR 37
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| IAR 37 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Reconnaissance and light bomber |
| Manufacturer | Industria Aeronautică Română |
| Maiden flight | 1937 |
| Introduced | 1938 |
| Primary user | Royal Romanian Air Force |
| Number built | 325 |
The IAR 37 was a 1930s Romanian reconnaissance or light bomber aircraft built by Industria Aeronautică Română.
[edit] Development
The IAR 37 prototype was flown for the first time in 1937 to meet a requirement for a tactical bombing and reconnaissance aircraft. The IAR 37 was an unequal-span biplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear and powered by a licensed copy of the Gnome-Rhône Mistral Major radial engine called the IAR K.14 . It had room for a crew of three under a continuous glazed cockpit, pilot at the front then observer and a gunner at the rear. It had dual controls and was fitted with a locally designed bombsight and a camera. The IAR 37 entered production in 1938 but it was only built in small number before being replaced on the production line by the improved and re-engined IAR 38 then by the IAR 39. Total production of all three types was 325 with the majority being IAR 39s.
[edit] Operational history
The aircraft entered service with the Royal Romanian Air Force in 1938 and by the end of the 1940 they equipped a large number of squadrons. When Romania supported the German offensive against the Soviet Union 15 of the 18 reconnaissance squadrons were equipped with IAR biplanes. The IAR 39 was used by most of the reconnaissance squadrons involved in the 1944 offensive against the Ukraine.
When the new post-war government was formed in 1947 a smaller number of IAR 39s were used by the new Romanian Air Force for training and liaison.
[edit] Variants
- IAR 37
- IAR 38
- IAR 39
[edit] Operators
[edit] Specifications (IAR 39)
Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 2192
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Length: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
- Wingspan: 13.10 m (42 ft 11¾ in)
- Height: 3.99 m (13 ft 1 in)
- Wing area: 40.30 m² (433.80 ft²)
- Empty weight: 2177 kg (4799 lb)
- Gross weight: 3085 kg (6801 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × IAR K.14-IV C32 radial piston, 649 kW (870 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 336 km/h (209 mph)
- Range: 1050 km (652 miles)
- Service ceiling: 8000 m (26,245 ft)
Armament
- 3 x FN (Browning) 7.92 mm (0.31 in) machine gun
- 288kg (635lb) of bombs or 144 air-grenades
[edit] See also
Comparable aircraft
[edit] References
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 2192
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