Dornier
FMA IA-63 Pampa
The FMA IA‑63 Pampa is a jet‑trainer and light attack aircraft developed in the early 1980s for the Argentine Air Force. Its design originated from a collaboration between the Argentine state‑run Fabrica Militar de Aviones and the German aerospace firm Dornier, which supplied aerodynamic expertise and the basic airframe layout. First flown on 22 August 1982, the Pampa entered service in 1988, providing a domestically produced solution after the country’s reliance on foreign trainers became untenable due to embargoes.
Key features include a low‑wing, all‑metal construction, retractable tricycle landing gear, and a single Garrett TFE731‑6‑2A turbofan engine delivering 14.5 kN of thrust. The cockpit is fitted with a glass panel, control stations, and an onboard mission computer that supports both basic flight training and weapons‑delivery simulations. Up to four under‑wing hardpoints can carry rockets, bombs, or gun pods, granting the aircraft a credible light‑attack capability.
The Pampa’s significance lies in its role as a symbol of Argentine aeronautical self‑sufficiency and as a platform that has been continuously upgraded, notably the IA‑63 Pampa III variant with avionics and upgraded engine. It remains a cornerstone of pilot training in South America and an example of a successful indigenous jet trainer produced with German technical partnership.
Key features include a low‑wing, all‑metal construction, retractable tricycle landing gear, and a single Garrett TFE731‑6‑2A turbofan engine delivering 14.5 kN of thrust. The cockpit is fitted with a glass panel, control stations, and an onboard mission computer that supports both basic flight training and weapons‑delivery simulations. Up to four under‑wing hardpoints can carry rockets, bombs, or gun pods, granting the aircraft a credible light‑attack capability.
The Pampa’s significance lies in its role as a symbol of Argentine aeronautical self‑sufficiency and as a platform that has been continuously upgraded, notably the IA‑63 Pampa III variant with avionics and upgraded engine. It remains a cornerstone of pilot training in South America and an example of a successful indigenous jet trainer produced with German technical partnership.
Classification
Dimensions
- Length
- 10.93 metre
Production & History
- Units Produced
- 33
- First Flight
- 1984
- Service Entry
- 1988