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The IAR 80 was a
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
n
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
low-wing
monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
, all-metal
monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...
fighter and ground-attack aircraft. When it first flew, in 1939, it was comparable to contemporary designs being deployed by the airforces of the most advanced military powers such as the
Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness b ...
and Bf 109E. Production problems and lack of available armament delayed entry of the IAR 80 into service until 1941. It remained in frontline use until May 1945.


Development

In order to ensure that the
Royal Romanian Air Force The Air Force branch of the Royal Romanian forces in World War II was officially named the (ARR), or the Romanian Royal Aeronautics, though it is more commonly referred to in English histories as the (Royal Romanian Air Force, FARR), or simply ...
(''ARR'') could continue to be supplied with aircraft in time of war, the government subsidized the creation of three major aircraft manufacturers in the 1920s and 1930s. The first was Societatea pentru Exploatări Tehnice (SET) which was formed in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
in 1923. Next came
Industria Aeronautică Română Industria Aeronautică Română (IAR) (now IAR S.A. Brașov) or Romanian Aeronautic Industry in English, is a Romanian aerospace manufacturer. It is based in Ghimbav, near Brașov, Romania. IAR was founded in 1925 with the aid of the Romanian g ...
(IAR) which set up shop in
Brașov Brașov (, , ; german: Kronstadt; hu, Brassó; la, Corona; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County. According to the latest Romanian census (2011), Brașov has a pop ...
in 1925. Finally there was Întreprinderea de Construcții Aeronautice Românești (ICAR), which was founded in Bucharest in 1932. In 1930 the Romanian government issued specifications for a new fighter. Although the government was not anticipating bids from its own aircraft industry, IAR produced several prototypes in response to the tender. The contract was eventually won by the Polish
PZL P.11 The PZL P.11 was a Polish fighter aircraft, designed and constructed during the early 1930s by Warsaw-based aircraft manufacturer PZL. Possessing an all-metal structure, metal-covering, and high-mounted gull wing, the type held the distinction of ...
. The FARR purchased 50 of a modified version called the P.11b, all of which were delivered in 1934. A second contest was also fought between the newer
IAR 14 The IAR 14 is a Romanian low-wing monoplane fighter-trainer aircraft designed before World War II. Design and development After rejection of IAR 12, Romanian officials did not want to discourage eventual national aircraft production. Therefore, ...
and PZL P.24 designs, and once again the PZL design won a contract for another 50 aircraft. Although IAR's own designs had not entered production, they nevertheless won the contracts to build PZLs and Gnome-Rhone 14K engines under license. As a result of these and other licence contracts the company had enough money to fund a design studio even if its designs never went into production. Despite losing to
PZL PZL (''Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze'' - State Aviation Works) was the main Polish aerospace manufacturer of the interwar period, and a brand of their aircraft. Based in Warsaw between 1928 and 1939, PZL introduced a variety of well-regarded air ...
, an IAR design team led by
Ion Grosu An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convent ...
continued work on fighter designs. He was convinced that the low-wing design of the IAR 24 represented a better design than the PZL gull-wing design, which was often referred to as the "Polish wing". Once again the team studied the new PZL fighter looking to incorporate its best features into a new aircraft, and the result was the IAR 80.


Design

* Description: Low-wing monoplane fighter with conventional control surface layout. * Fuselage: The
fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraf ...
was circular in cross-section, turning to egg-shaped behind the cockpit where it incorporated a ridge-back. The general fuselage layout was based on the Polish PZL P.24. * Wings: The wings were tapered with rounded tips, the trailing edge angled very slightly forwards. Small flaps ran from the fuselage to a point about 1/3 along the span, where the ailerons started and extended out to the rounded wingtips. * Other details: A bubble
canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an ...
was fitted, sliding to the rear to open, providing excellent visibility except over the nose due to its rearward position. A conventional tailwheel landing gear was used, with the main gear wide-set and retracting inward, with a non-retractable tail skid. The semi-monocoque tail was copied directly from the P.24. The fuselage from the engine back to the cockpit was new, consisting of a welded steel tube frame covered with duralumin sheeting. The wings were mounted low and were of the same design as those used on the early IAR 24, which had competed with the P.24. According to one source, the wing profile was taken directly from the Italian Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 bomber, in service with the FARR at the time, as the design team lacked the time for wing section studies. As a result, the profile was less favorable for higher speeds, but gave the aircraft more maneuverability. This is highly unlikely as the contract for the SM.79B licence was signed on October 1, 1938, roughly one year after the I.A.R. 80 prototype was completed. The cockpit's interior, instruments, and gunsight were imported from foreign suppliers. This effort to aggregate a fighter from various sources was a result of the last-minute demands for a frontline fighter. A
Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
major who tested it in March 1941 had this to say about the IAR 80: "Takeoff and landing are very good. It's 20–30 km/h slower than the Bf 109E. The climb to 5,000 meters is equivalent. In a dogfight, the turns are also equivalent, although the long nose reduces the visibility. In a dive it's outclassed by the Bf 109E, because it lacks an automated propeller pitch regulator. It's a fighter adequate to modern needs.


Prototypes

Work began on the IAR 80 prototype in late 1937, originally with an open cockpit and the IAR K14-III C32 engine which was a licensed Gnome-Rhône 14K II Mistral Major. The prototype was completed slowly, and first took to the air in April 1939. Test flights of the prototype were impressive; the aircraft could reach at , service ceiling of with the ability to climb to in 6 minutes,Neulen 2000, p. 90. which was respectable at the time, though not up to the contemporary Supermarine Spitfire or Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters. In comparison the P.24E was almost 450 kg lighter, yet over 80 km/h slower with the same engine. The IAR 80 also proved to be enjoyable to fly and was maneuverable. A number of minor problems turned up during the prototype phase, and were dealt with over the next year. To improve power the design was updated to mount the newer C36 version of the K14-III. However this engine was slightly heavier than the C32, which required the rear fuselage to be stretched to move the
center of gravity In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space (sometimes referred to as the balance point) is the unique point where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero. This is the point to which a force ma ...
back into the proper position. The extra space in the fuselage allowed the fuel tanks to be increased in volume to . The wing was also enlarged and the tail was revised to eliminate the bracing struts. A side effect of this extreme rearward position was that the pilot had even worse forward visibility while taxiing than most other taildraggers. To address this somewhat, the pilot's seat was raised slightly and a bubble-style canopy was added. The updated prototype was tested competitively against the
Heinkel He 112 The Heinkel He 112 is a German fighter aircraft designed by Walter and Siegfried Günter. It was one of four aircraft designed to compete for the 1933 fighter contract of the ''Luftwaffe'', in which it came second behind the Messerschmitt Bf 1 ...
, which had arrived in Romania as the start of a potentially large order. Although the He 112 was more modern and much more heavily armed with two machine guns and two 20 mm cannon, the ARR ordered 100 IAR 80s in December 1939 while only 30 He 112s were accepted. The government in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
ordered another 100 IAR 80s in August 1940. Further orders for batches of 50 IAR 80s followed on 5 September 1941 and 11 April 1942, then another 100 on 28 May 1942, to be followed by 35 of the IAR 81C development in February 1943, with a further 15 in January 1944.


IAR 80

Production of the IAR 80 started immediately, although the armament proved to be a serious problem. The prototype had mounted only two
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-made
Fabrique Nationale Fabrique Nationale Herstal (), trading as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN, is a leading firearms manufacturer based in Herstal, Belgium. It is currently the largest exporter of military small arms in Europe. ...
7.92 mm machine guns, a licensed modification of the Browning .30 cal. This armament was not heavy enough against modern aircraft, and the production model was expected to mount six. The German invasion of Belgium in 1940 suspended the supply from FN, and there was no suitable replacement. Lacking armament, production was halted. The Germans only allowed the delivery of the guns to resume after
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
joined the
Axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis * Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...
in November 1940. As a result the first production IAR 80 didn't roll off the line until January 1941, although the first batch of 20 were delivered by the middle of February. The armament supply remained inadequate so production models only carried four guns. The initial batch of fighters was well received by the Romanian pilots, but they found the aircraft underpowered and lacking firepower. In order to address this, the aircraft mounted the K14-IV C32 engine in the 21st through 50th examples, but the firepower concern could not be resolved at the time.


IAR 80A

By April 1941 the Romanians were firmly in the German sphere, and as a result the Germans released more FN guns for their use. These were quickly installed, and the resulting 80A model finally mounted the original complement of six guns. Armored glass in the windscreen, seat-back armor, and a new gun sight were also added at the same time, along with the newer K14-1000A engine. The extra engine power proved to be more than the fuselage structure was designed to handle, and it had to be reinforced with a duralumin "belt" just behind the cockpit in the first 95 A series aircraft built before the fuselage could be modified. Although the IAR 80A had a more powerful engine, the added weight of the guns, ammunition and armor plating reduced the top speed slightly to . Nevertheless the new model was clearly an advancement, and the A model replaced the earlier one on the assembly line starting with the 51st airframe. Eight of these had been completed in time for the
invasion of the Soviet Union Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named afte ...
on 22 June 1941. FN guns remained in short supply, so throughout late 1941 and early 1942, guns were stripped from PZLs and observation aircraft for use in the IARs.


IAR 80B

Combat over the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
proved that even six of the FN guns still lacked punch, and once again firepower was increased, with 13.2 mm FN machine guns taken from Romanian SM.79s were installed in the IAR 80 in a new lengthened wing. The result was the IAR 80B, which also introduced new radios, an area where the aircraft had previously been weak. A total of 50 of the new design were completed, including 20 airframes which were originally intended to be IAR 81As. These last 20 were thus able to carry a bomb or a drop tank under each wing. The entire series were delivered between June and September 1942.One source states that IAR 81Bs delivered as fighters were referred to as IAR 80C in service, reflecting their use as fighters instead of bombers.


IAR 81

The ARR had intended to replace its light strike and dive bomber aircraft for some time when the war opened in 1941. The first role was to be filled by the
IAR 37 The IAR 37 was a 1930s Romanian reconnaissance or light bomber aircraft built by Industria Aeronautică Română. Development The IAR 37 prototype was flown for the first time in 1937 to meet a requirement for a tactical bombing and reconnaissan ...
(and later 38 and 39 models) but the plan was to fill the second role with the Junkers Ju 87. Once again the Germans deferred and the ARR was left searching for a design. The modification of the existing IAR 80 as a dive bomber was seen as a reasonable option, easier than designing an entirely new aircraft; as well as having obvious production benefits. The result was the IAR 81, a minor change to the IAR 80A models that were then in production, adding a hinged bomb cradle under the centerline to throw a bomb clear of the propeller (many dive bombers used a similar system). Delivery consisted of a shallow dive from about with the speed around . Pilots disliked the aircraft, as the drag from the bomb cradle significantly hampered performance. Fifty were ordered in mid-1941 but after 40 had been delivered, bomb racks were added under each wing. The wing racks could also mount 100L drop tanks, allowing the 81 to be used as long-range fighters.


IAR 81A

As the fighter model was converting from the A to B series with the addition of the 13.2 mm guns, likewise the 81 model was upgraded in the same fashion, creating the IAR 81A. The only distinguishing feature between the 80B and the 81A was the 81's centerline bomb rack, and both were built on the same assembly line. The first order for 81As was cancelled and the airframes were instead delivered to fighter units as 80Bs. Efforts to obtain the Ju 87 dragged on, so a second batch of IAR 81As was ordered in May 1943 to replace losses. Once again fate intervened, and the Germans released the Ju 87 for delivery before the batch could be completed. Like the first batch, these 10 airframes were delivered as fighters.


IAR 81B

The supply of the 13.2 mm guns was clearly limited, and in a further attempt to increase the firepower of the design the Romanians signed a deal with Ikaria in Germany for a supply of 20 mm MG FF/M cannon. These were a licensed version of the Swiss
Oerlikon FF The FF were a series of 20mm autocannon introduced by Oerlikon in the late 1920s. The name comes from the German term ''Flügel Fest'', meaning ''wing mounted, fixed'', being one of the first 20mm guns to be small and light enough to fit into a fi ...
, which had been in use in various German aircraft. The new gun also required a redesign of the wing. The 60 IAR 81Bs were intended to be dive bombers, but were delivered as IAR 80Cs fighters (a designation that appears painted on the tail of this model) without the centerline bomb rack. After the first 10 were completed, self-sealing tanks were added along with improved seat-back armor. The first 10 were delivered in December 1942 and the entire order was completed by April 1943.


IAR 81C

The final stage in the IAR 80's wartime history was the 81C. This version changed the guns once again, this time to the Mauser MG 151/20 which was replacing the MG FF/M in German service and had just been released for Romanian use. The order for the 81C was placed in May 1942, predating the second order of the 81As. The first order for 100 airframes was delivered, like all of the prior updates to the 81 series, with the centreline bomb rack removed to be used as fighters. An additional order for 35 was placed in February 1943, and then another 15 in January 1944. These aircraft were primarily to replace losses in earlier models, while production of the Bf 109G ramped up.


IAR 80M

By 1944 the ARR fighter units included examples of 80A, B and C models, as well as 81A, B and Cs. In order to up-gun the earlier fighters as well as simplify logistics and maintenance, an upgrade program was started in mid-1944 to bring all existing airframes to the 81C armament suite of two MG 151/20s and four FN 7.92s. The resulting A and B models of the 80 and 81s would become the 80M and 81M respectively, although at this point there were no dive bombers in use. It is unclear how many conversions were completed.


IAR 80DC

IAR 80s remained in service until 1949, when they were replaced by La-9s and Il-10s. Those airframes with the lowest hours were modified by removing a fuel tank in front of the cockpit and adding a second seat, resulting in a trainer designated the IAR 80DC. These were used for only a short time before being replaced by
Yak-11 The Yakovlev Yak-11 (russian: Яковлев Як-11; NATO reporting name: "Moose") is a trainer aircraft used by the Soviet Air Force and other Soviet-influenced air forces from 1947 until 1962. Design and development The Yakovlev design bureau ...
s and
Yak-18 The Yakovlev Yak-18 (russian: Яковлев Як-18; NATO reporting name Max) is a tandem two-seat military primary trainer aircraft manufactured in the Soviet Union. Originally powered by one 119 kW (160 hp) Shvetsov M-11FR-1 radial p ...
s in late 1952.


Further development

IAR realized that the Mistral Major was at the limits of its development potential even by the middle of 1941, when the 1000A model reached the same ultimate output as the original Gnome-Rhône versions. An ongoing program to fit the IAR 80 with a more powerful engine had been in the works for most of the design's lifetime, but this proved to be a fruitless endeavor. The most obvious choice for a new engine would have been the
BMW 801 The BMW 801 was a powerful German air-cooled 14-cylinder-radial aircraft engine built by BMW and used in a number of German Luftwaffe aircraft of World War II. Production versions of the twin-row engine generated between 1,560 and 2,000 PS ...
used in the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. This engine produced a full more power, and although it was heavier, it was of roughly the same size as the K14. IAR engineers estimated that a BMW powered IAR 80 would have a maximum speed of at least . But, as always, the Germans were unable to supply the engine as every example coming off the line was needed for installation in a German airframe. Licensed production was likewise out of the question, the engine production was in the midst of being ramped and the demand was so great that not even one set of jigs could be spared. A
Junkers Jumo 211 The Jumo 211 was a German inverted V-12 aircraft engine, Junkers Motoren's primary aircraft engine of World War II. It was the direct competitor to the Daimler-Benz DB 601 and closely paralleled its development. While the Daimler-Benz engin ...
was tested, and although this engine was also in high demand in Germany in this case the SM.79JRs in FARR service already used the engine, so some were available for testing. One 211Da was obtained, complete with cowling and ring radiator from an SM.79 and fitted to an IAR 80 in 1942. Development was abandoned after the first test flight when vibrations proved to be excessive, and was never flown again. After World War II, the Soviets shipped home the entire I.A.R. factory and all aircraft from
Brașov Brașov (, , ; german: Kronstadt; hu, Brassó; la, Corona; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County. According to the latest Romanian census (2011), Brașov has a pop ...
, as war reparations.The I.A.R.80 Story


Operational history

When
Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
started, the IAR 80 equipped Esc. 41, 59 and 60 of ''Grupul 8 Vânătoare'' ''(8th Hunter Group)'', part of the ''Grupul Aerian de Luptă'' (GAL), that were tasked to support the Romanian 3rd and 4th Armies deployed at the southern flank of the Eastern Front.Neulen 2000, pp. 95–96. ''8th Group'' was the only unit assigned a pure fighter role, while 5th and 7th Groups, equipped with German aircraft (Heinkel He 112s and Messerschmitt Bf 109s) were employed primarily as fighter-bombers and bomber escorts.Bernád 2003, p. 12. On 22 June 1941, during the first day of the offensive, the IAR 80 patrols had their baptism of fire, achieving a single aerial victory (claimed by ''Sublocotenent aviator'' Ioan Mihăilescu of ''Esc 60 van'', a future ace) during four separate air combats. However, at least four IARs force landed with battle damage, while another two suffered engine trouble.Bernád 2003, p. 14. By the end of 1941, 20 IAR 80/81s had been lost in combat or accidents.Bernád 2003, p. 23. During 1942 the Romanian aviation industry reached its highest output so that the
Royal Romanian Air Force The Air Force branch of the Royal Romanian forces in World War II was officially named the (ARR), or the Romanian Royal Aeronautics, though it is more commonly referred to in English histories as the (Royal Romanian Air Force, FARR), or simply ...
could be re-equipped as follows: Esc. 47, 48 and 52 (''Grupul Vânătoare''), Esc. 43, 44 and 50 (''Grupul 3 Vânătoare'') and Esc. 41, 42 and 60 (''Grupul 8 Vânătoare'') received the new IAR 80A. Esc. 53 also replaced its Hurricanes with the IAR 80A, while ''Grupul 6 Bopi'' re-equipped with the IAR 81.Neulen 2000, pp. 99–110. In June 1942, the operational IAR fighter forces on the eastern front, combined into the ''Flotilla 2 Vânătoare'' consisted of ''Grupul 8 Vânătoare'', commanded by Cdr. Lt Col E. Pîrvulescu, and included ''Escadrila 41'', ''Escadrila 42'' and ''Escadrila 60'' with 12 IAR 80As each. During the Battle of Stalingrad, on 12 September, ''Grupul'' 8 Vânătoare IAR 80Bs (along with ''Grupul'' 7 Vânătoare's Bf 109s) claimed to have shot down seven Yaks but they lost two IARs.Bergström-Dikov-Antipov- 2006, p. 151. ''Grupul 8'' moved at the end of September, to
Karpovka The Karpovka (russian: Ка́рповка) is a small river of the Neva basin in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It separates Aptekarsky Island (right bank) from Petrogradsky Island (left bank). The Karpovka flows from the Bolshaya Nevka to the Malaya ...
, joining ''Grupul 7'', equipped with Bf 109s.Neulen 2000, p. 100. On 12 and 13 December, ''Grupul 6'' used its IAR 81s to support the German counterattack by the Panzergruppe Hoth of the Heeresgruppe Don, from
Kotelnikovo Kotelnikovo (russian: Котельниково) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities *Kotelnikovo, Volgograd Oblast, a town in Kotelnikovsky District of Volgograd Oblast; administratively incorporated as a town ...
towards Stalingrad.Neulen 2000, p. 102. In the summer of 1943 the FARR's IAR-80s were transferred to Romania for air defense duties, where they were used in combat against the United States Air Force. USAAF attacks were directed at the oil refineries installation around
Ploiești Ploiești ( , , ), formerly spelled Ploești, is a city and county seat in Prahova County, Romania. Part of the historical region of Muntenia, it is located north of Bucharest. The area of Ploiești is around , and it borders the Blejoi commune ...
, in particular. On 1 August 1943 the IAR 80 faced the Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber for the first time. There were 178 B-24s from 9th USAAF, part of
Operation Tidal Wave Operation Tidal Wave was an air attack by bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) based in Libya on nine oil refineries around Ploiești, Romania on 1 August 1943, during World War II. It was a strategic bombing mission and part of ...
. The IAR 80Bs of ''Escadrila 61'' and 62 of ''Grupul 6 Vânătoare'', as well as IAR 80Cs from the newly formed ''Escadrila 45'' of ''Grupul 4 Vânătoare'',Bernád 2003, p. 34. together with the Bf 109Gs from Esc. 53 and Bf 110s from the Romanian night fighter squadron, dived on the low-flying, four-engined bombers, belonging to five USAAF bomber groups (the 44th, 93rd, 98th, 376th and 389th). The Americans lost – in combat or on the way back – 51 bombers. Only 89 reached their bases, of which only 31 were serviceable for a mission the next day. The Romanian pilots claimed 25 certain and probable victories for just two losses, one IAR 80 B and one Bf 110C. According to Romanian statistics, IARs and Messerschmitts were confirmed as having shot down ten B-24s, with two probables.Bernád 2003, pp. 33–35. On 10 June 1944, IAR 80s took part in a major air battle when the USAAF attacked Ploiești with 38 P-38 Lightnings of the 82nd Fighter Group carrying one bomb each, escorted by 39 Lightnings of the 1st and 82 FGs. The IAR 81Cs from ''Grupul'' 6, as well as the German fighters from I./JG 53 and 2./JG 77, intercepted the large American formation. Romanian pilot Dan Vizanty, commander of ''Grupul'' 6, recalled later:
"Our Lightning attack came as a complete surprise to the Americans. Our attack was so quick that not one of the 100 (sic) American aircraft managed to fire a single shot at our aircraft parked on the ground. Everything happened between ground level and about , and was total confusion. I was excited and proud of my "mills", the IAR 80s, which, thanks to their extraordinary agility, remained victorious in the air. I saw their crazy dives, quick rolls, reverse turns and inverted flying, always with just brief burst of fire to save ammunition. It was an incredible sight, but also a drama for the Lightning pilots, who, at this low altitude, were inferior to the ever-present, nimble IAR 80s".
The USAAF lost 22 or 23 P-38s on that day. The Romanians claimed 24 victories, suffering three losses. The Americans claimed 11 victories. The American account of this battle conflicts significantly with the Romanian one. Fighter pilot Herbert "Stub" Hatch, who took part in the dogfight, wrote that his flight of 16 P-38s, the
71st Fighter Squadron 020 is the national dialling code for London in the United Kingdom. All subscriber numbers within the area code consist of eight digits and it has capacity for approaching 100 million telephone numbers. The code is used at 170 telephone exch ...
, was challenged by a large formation of Romanian IAR 81C fighters that he misidentified as Focke-Wulf Fw 190s. According to Hatch, the fight took place at and below in a narrow valley.Hatch 2000, pp. 59–67. Hatch saw two IAR 81Cs hit the ground after taking fire from his guns, and his fellow pilots confirmed three more kills from his guns, making Hatch an
ace in a day The term "ace in a day" is used to designate a pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day, based on usual definition of an "ace" as one with five or more aerial victories. World War I Ace in a day on two occasions A Bristol F ...
. However, the outnumbered 71st Fighter Squadron lost nine aircraft. The Americans never again repeated the P-38 dive-bombing mission profile over Romania. But during 1944 USAAF aircraft appeared over Romania in more significant numbers. Many air combats occurred and by the time of their last encounter with the USAAF on 3 July 1944, pilots of ''Grupul 6 vânătoare'' had submitted 87 confirmed and ten unconfirmed claims.Bernád 2003, p. 84. Casualties among the Romanian fighter pilots quickly mounted too. The three IAR 80/81 groups (the 1st, 2nd and 6th) in a period of less than four months – known as the "American Campaign" – had at least 32 IAR pilots killed in action, including 11 aces. These losses exceeded the number of casualties suffered in the previous two and a half years of fighting against the Soviets.Bernád 2003, p. 50. Because of heavy losses, all IAR 80/81 units were withdrawn from combat against Americans in July 1944 and IAR pilots started to convert to the more modern Bf 109G-6s.


Operators

; *
Royal Romanian Air Force The Air Force branch of the Royal Romanian forces in World War II was officially named the (ARR), or the Romanian Royal Aeronautics, though it is more commonly referred to in English histories as the (Royal Romanian Air Force, FARR), or simply ...
** 1st Fighter Group FARR received IAR-80Cs aircraft in October 1943. ** 2nd Fighter Group FARR operated IAR-80Cs aircraft. ** 3rd Fighter Group FARR received IAR-80As aircraft in August 1942. ** 4th Fighter Group FARR received IAR-80As aircraft in July 1942. In early 1943 was reequipped with IAR-80Cs. *** 45th Fighter Squadron FARR based at
Cetatea Albă Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi ( uk, Бі́лгород-Дністро́вський, Bílhorod-Dnistróvskyy, ; ro, Cetatea Albă), historically known as Akkerman ( tr, Akkerman) or under different names, is a city, municipality and port situated on ...
. *** 46th Fighter Squadron FARR based at Cetatea Albă. *** 49th Fighter Squadron FARR based at
Târgșor Târgșor is a former medieval market town in what is now Prahova County, Romania. The town peaked around 1600, after which it declined to become the village of Târgșoru Vechi, located about southwest of Ploiești. History Built in a heavil ...
. ** 5th Fighter Group FARR operated IAR-81Cs aircraft. *** 51st Dive Bomber Squadron FARR ** 6th Fighter Group FARR started training on IAR-80s aircraft since 27 September 1941 and in January 1942 conversion to IAR-81 begun. *** 61st Dive Bomber Squadron FARR operated IAR-81s aircraft. *** 62nd Dive Bomber Squadron FARR operated IAR-81s aircraft. ** 7th Fighter Group FARR received IAR-81Cs aircraft in October 1943. ** 8th Fighter Group FARR received first IAR-80s aircraft in February 1941. In April 1943 was transformed into 8th Assault Group FARR and reequipped with
Henschel Hs 129 The Henschel Hs 129 was a World War II ground-attack aircraft fielded by the German ''Luftwaffe''. The aircraft saw combat in Tunisia and on the Eastern Front. A key requirement of the original specification was that the aircraft be powered b ...
Bs. *** 42/52nd Fighter Squadron FARR received first IAR-80s aircraft in July 1941. *** 59th Fighter Squadron FARR received first six IAR-80s aircraft in September 1941. *** 60th Fighter Squadron FARR operated IAR-80s aircraft. ** 9th Fighter Group FARR was formed in April 1942 and received IAR-80As aircraft. In April 1943 unit was reequipped with Bf 109Gs. *
Romanian Air Force The Romanian Air Force (RoAF) ( ro, Forțele Aeriene Române) is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, five airbases and an air defense brigade. Reserve forces include one ai ...
– Postwar.


Surviving aircraft

After the
Soviet occupation of Romania The Soviet occupation of Romania refers to the period from 1944 to August 1958, during which the Soviet Union maintained a significant military presence in Romania. The fate of the territories held by Romania after 1918 that were incorporated int ...
, all remaining IAR 80s were replaced with Soviet designs and scrapped. No complete original examples are known to survive. A static replica of the IAR 80 rebuilt post war after the
fall of Communism The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave that resulted in the end of most communist states in the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Nat ...
and painted in its 1941–1944 original colors was shown at the
Mihail Kogălniceanu Mihail Kogălniceanu (; also known as Mihail Cogâlniceanu, Michel de Kogalnitchan; September 6, 1817 – July 1, 1891) was a Romanian liberal statesman, lawyer, historian and publicist; he became Prime Minister of Romania on October 11, 1863 ...
airshow, near Constanța. Another IAR 80 static replica can be found at the National Military Museum at the defunct
Pipera Airport Bucharest Pipera Airfield was located in the Pipera neighborhood of Bucharest, Romania, at the northern edge of the city, right next to the town of Voluntari, Ilfov County. The airport no longer exists. A small military base, which also hosts the ...
in Bucharest, which was rebuilt from IAR 80DC two-seat trainer parts. As of 2017 few attempts have been initiated to produce an airworthy accurate replica of the IAR-80 based on existing factory documentation and recovered components. A flying IAR80 is still to be seen.


Specifications (IAR.81C)


See also


References


Notes


Footnotes


Bibliography

Attribution: This article is based on the original by
Wikipedia Wikipedia is a multilingual free online encyclopedia written and maintained by a community of volunteers, known as Wikipedians, through open collaboration and using a wiki-based editing system. Wikipedia is the largest and most-read refer ...
editor Maury Markowitz a
IAR 80
* Angelucci, Enzo and Paolo Matricardi. ''World Aircraft: World War II, Volume I'' (Sampson Low Guides). Maidenhead, UK: Sampson Low, 1978. * Antoniu, Dan and George Cicos. ''IAR 80: 'Le Heros meconnu. Paris, France: TMA Editions, 2008. . * Antoniu, Dan and George Cicos. ''Vânătorul IAR-80 – istoria unui erou necunoscut (IAR-80 Fighter: The History of An Unknown Hero)'' (in Romanian). București, Romania: Editura Modelism International, 2000. * Bergström, Christer – Andrey Dikov – Vlad Antipov ''Black Cross Red Star – Air War over the Eastern Front Volume 3 – Everything for Stalingrad''. Hamilton MA, Eagle Editions, 2006. . * Bernád, Dénes. ''Rumanian Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces 54)''. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2003. . * Bernád, Dénes. ''Rumanian Air Force: The Prime Decade, 1938–1947''. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc, 1999. . * Crăciunoiu, Cristian and Jean-Louis Roba. ''Romanian Aeronautics in the Second World War, 1941–1945'' (bilingual Romanian/English). București, Romania: Editura Modelism International Ltd, 2003. . * Brînzan, Radu. ''Vânător, Romanian Hunter, The I.A.R.80 and I.A.R.81 in Ultimate Detail'', Mushroom Model Publications 2014. . * Green, William. ''War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Three: Fighters''. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers), 1961. . * Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "The I.A.R. 80... An Elegant Romanian." ''Air International'', Vol 38:5, May 1990. * Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "The Polygenetic Rumanian." ''Air International'', Vol 11:1, July 1976. * Hatch, Herbert. ''An Ace and his Angel: Memoirs of a World War II Fighter Pilot''. Nashville, Tennessee: Turner Publishing Company, 2000. . * Konarski, Mariusz and Zenon Picko. ''IAR-80/81'' (in Polish). Gdynia, Poland: Hawk Publications, 1991. * Kutta, Timothy J. "IAR 80: Romania's Indigenous Fighter Plane." ''World War Two Magazine'', May 1996. * Neulen, Hans Werner. ''In the Skies of Europe.'' Ramsbury, Marlborough, UK: The Crowood Press, 2000. .


Further reading

* Brînzan, Radu. ''The I.A.R. 80 & I.A.R. 81: Airframe, Systems & Equipment''. Aviation Guide N° 3. Bedford, United Kingdom: SAM Publications, 2011. .


External links


IAR 80 at historynet.comIAR 80 at worldwar2.ro


* Doru Sicoe

(with artwork by Bogdan Patrascu), January–February 2005, IPMSStockholm.org Magazine. * Dan Antoniu and George Cicos

, March–April 2005, IPMSStockholm.org Magazine. *

', Jason Long, World War II (magazine)
"I.A.R.80 REDIVIVUS"
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