Today we’re taking a look at the IA 58A Pucará, quite a special plane as it’s the first domestically designed and produced Argentine aircraft coming to the game!
IA 58A Pucará: A Premium Ground Attack Aircraft for Germany at Rank IV
At a glance:
- 20 mm cannons and machine guns
- Various bombs and rockets. And a torpedo!
- Small, nimble but slow
Vehicle History
In the 1960s, the Argentine Air Force was looking for a fleet of aircraft that were capable of countering insurgents and taking off from short airfields in rough terrain. In August 1966, a prototype was completed at the Dirección Nacional de Fabricación e Investigación Aeronáutica (DINFIA) aircraft factory. To test it, DINFIA built a glider prototype, first flying on December 26th 1967. Following successful tests, a fully functional prototype was ordered, which first flew on August 20th 1969. After a series of testing various engines, the first production aircraft flew on November 8th 1974 and were delivered to the Argentine Air Force in 1975.
The IA 58 Pucará first saw combat use against the People’s Revolutionary Army during Operativo Independencia. It was however first used in mass during the Falklands War in 1982. Although these aircraft had little to no effect against British ground troops, two Pucará shot down a Scout helicopter during the conflict. All Pucará aircraft that were involved in the Falklands conflict were destroyed or captured by British forces.
The IA 58 Pucará was also exported to Sri Lanka and Colombia, where it saw combat during these country’s civil wars, and Uruguay. The last active IA 58 Pucará in the Argentine Air Force retired in 2019 after proudly serving for 44 years. Today, one surviving aircraft is in Sri Lanka, several captured examples are on display in British museums, and the prototype and one operational unit are in Argentina.
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Introducing the IA 58A Pucará!
Meet the IA 58A Pucará, Argentina’s first aircraft coming to War Thunder as a pack premium in the Heavy Cavalry major update! Being powered by two Turbomeca Astazou turboprop engines (similar to the ones found on the Alouette helicopter) and having a plethora of weapon options, including 20 mm cannons, 7.62 mm machine guns and bombs and rockets, the Pucará is sure to be a fun nimble ground attack aircraft. Let’s take a closer look!
Interesting: “Pucará” comes from the Quechua language found in Argentina, meaning “Fortress” in English.
Despite the IA 58A Pucará having a thinner appearance, it can still hold three hardpoints (one on each wing and one under the fuselage), with plenty of options, and thanks to the taller landing gear, there is enough room to fit all sorts of weaponry. Firstly let’s take a look at the guns, of which there are two types. Firstly, two 20 mm HS 804 cannons are integrated into the fuselage under the nose, with an ammo count of 270 per gun (540 in total). An additional four 7.62 mm Browning machine guns are installed as well; two integrated on each side of the fuselage, with an ammo count of 900 per gun (3600 in total). This is an excellent gun loadout, allowing you to spray ‘n pray at enemy aircraft and take out lightly armored ground vehicles!
The IA 58A Pucará’s main role was to counter ground troops, so what does its payload look like? This aircraft can carry a variety of bombs and rockets on its three hardpoints, including seven 500 lb, four 750 lb and three 1000 lb bombs of various types. It can also equip several types of rockets including smaller ones like FFAR and new-to-the-game Aspid plus the bigger Pampero, which is also new. It’s also possible to take a torpedo if you wish to! You have the choice to freely use many of these options in any configuration you like within the mounting weight limit, so experiment with what fits you best and have at it! All in all, the payloads on this aircraft are enough to deal some serious damage in Ground Battles, making the IA 58A Pucará a worthy companion in your ground lineups.
As one can see, the IA 58A Pucará is powered by two propeller driven engines, specifically one Turbomeca Astazou XVIG turboprop on each wing. These engines propel the aircraft to a maximum speed of 500 km/h (310 mph), which is not great. It will be enough to let you get into battle with your loadout, but will not be good enough to catch up to many aircraft. To help with taking off, the aircraft is equipped with JATO rocket boosters. On the other hand, the aircraft is responsive in flight and easy to control for precision ground strikes.
That’s all for this one! The IA 58A Pucará is coming to the game in the Heavy Cavalry major update as Argentina’s first aircraft and will be a premium pack in the German aircraft tree. This aircraft will be a great addition to your ground lineups and should be a lot of fun to play with. We’ve got more blogs on the way, so stay tuned!
Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.
