IAR-15

DemoNik8770 · August 24, 2024, 5:24am

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Description/History:
The IAR-15 was a single-seat open cockpit fighter designed by Industria Aeronautică Română in 1933. Development for this aircraft started using the profits generated from production of the previous IAR-14 model, and thus took many features from that aircraft. The IAR-15 used a radial engine, thus requiring modifications which made it quite different than the IAR-14. The IAR-15 had a steel tube fuselage wrapped in duralumin in the front, and fabric on the rear. The spars were made of duralumin, with a mix of pine, and plywood ribs, and wrapped in a mix of fabric, and duralumin sheets. 5 pre production units were ordered, which from what I understand, differ from the initial prototype by having triple bladed steel propellers instead of double bladed wood propeller. They were put through trial runs, and though it was a competitive fighter, having excellent speed, and quite comparable to fighters of its time, however its maneuverability proved to be inferior to the Polish PZL.11, and thus the PZL.11 would be chosen and subsequently locally produced, leading to the IAR-15 project being abandoned. I’ve also read that the IAR-15 set a national altitude record of 11,631 m, however I’ve also read that the IAR-16 (another Romanian fighter prototype developed at the same time as the IAR-15), was the one who set that record, so I don’t know which is true.

Specifications:

Spoiler

General characteristics

Crew: one
Length: 7.76 m (25 ft 5.5 in)
Wingspan: 11.00 m (31 ft 6 in)
Height: 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 19.00 m2 (204 sq ft)
Empty weight: 1,215 kg (2,673 lb)
Gross weight: 1,650 kg (3,630 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × I.A.R. 9KIc40 licence-built Gnome-Rhone 9Krse 9-cylinder supercharged radial, at 4,000 m (13,120 ft) , 450 kW (600 hp)