IA 50 Guaraní II

The IA‑50 Guaraní II was a twin‑engine, medium‑range transport and liaison aircraft produced in the 1960s by the state‑run Fábrica Argentina de Aviones (FAdeA). Developed from the earlier IA‑50 Guaraní, the II version incorporated a more powerful pair of Lycoming GSO‑480‑B1D engines, a reinforced airframe and upgraded avionics, allowing a maximum speed of 300 km/h and a range of roughly 1 500 km with a payload of up to 1 200 kg. First flight took place on 19 April 1962 and the type entered service with the Argentine Air Force the following year, where it performed transport, medical evacuation, training and aerial photography missions. Only a limited series of 15 aircraft were built, reflecting both economic constraints and competition from imported types such as the Beechcraft King Air. Nevertheless, the IA‑50 Guaraní II demonstrated the capacity of Argentina’s nascent aerospace industry to design and manufacture a modern, all‑metal, low‑wing monoplane with retractable landing gear and pressurised cabin. Its operational record contributed to the development of later FAdeA projects, cementing the Guaraní’s role as a stepping‑stone toward greater self‑reliance in military and civil aviation for the nation. Today a few survivors are preserved in Argentine museums, serving as tangible reminders of the country's early aeronautical ambition.

Fábrica Argentina de Aviones

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