I.Ae. 24 Calquin

The I.Ae. 24 Calquin was a medium‑weight, twin‑engine transport and liaison aircraft designed and built in the early 1950s by the state‑owned Fábrica Argentina de Aviones (FAdeA) under the direction of the Instituto Aerotécnico (I.Ae.). Drawing inspiration from the German Junkers Ju 52 and the French Amiot AAC.1, the Calquin incorporated a low‑wing monoplane layout, a robust steel‑tube fuselage with fabric covering, and retractable main landing gear. Powered by two radial engines—initially the 750‑hp Wright R‑1820, later substituted with the more powerful 860‑hp Pratt & Whitney R‑1830—the aircraft could transport up to ten passengers or a combination of cargo and crew over a range of roughly 1,500 km at a cruise speed near 300 km/h. First flown in 1952, the Calquin entered limited service with the Argentine Air Force and the Army Aviation branch, where it proved valuable for troop movement, medical evacuation, and supply missions across the country’s varied terrain. Although produced in modest numbers—approximately 30 units—it represented a pivotal step in Argentina’s post‑war effort to develop an autonomous aerospace industry, demonstrating domestic design capability and laying groundwork for later FAdeA projects such as the IA‑58 Pucará. The Calquin remains an emblem of mid‑century Argentine ingenuity in military transport aviation.

Fábrica Argentina de Aviones

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Design & Classification