The FMA IA 58 Pucará () is an
Argentine
Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...
ground-attack and
counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft manufactured by the
Fábrica Militar de Aviones. It is a low-wing twin-
turboprop
A turboprop is a Gas turbine, gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft Propeller (aeronautics), propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction drive, reduction gearbox, gas compressor, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propellin ...
all-metal
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 wings.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
with retractable
landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft, it is generally needed for all three of these. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, s ...
, capable of operating from unprepared strips when operationally required. The type saw action during the
Falklands War
The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...
and the
Sri Lankan Civil War.
Development
In August 1966 the Argentine state aircraft factory,
Dirección Nacional de Fabricación e Investigación Aeronáutica (DINFIA), began development of the AX-2, a
Counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft to meet a requirement of the
Argentine Air Force
The Argentine Air Force (, or simply ''FAA'') is the air force of Argentina and one of three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. In 2018, it had 13,837 military and 6,900 civilian personnel. FAA commander in chief is Brigadie ...
. The project was promoted by engineer Ricardo Olmedo and became under the guidance of engineer Aníbal Dreidemie, who also designed the
IA-52 Guaraní II and the
IA-63 Pampa. The chosen layout was a 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 wings.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
powered by two
turboprop
A turboprop is a Gas turbine, gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft Propeller (aeronautics), propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction drive, reduction gearbox, gas compressor, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propellin ...
engines mounted in wing-mounted
nacelle
A nacelle ( ) is a streamlined container for aircraft parts such as Aircraft engine, engines, fuel or equipment. When attached entirely outside the airframe, it is sometimes called a pod, in which case it is attached with a Hardpoint#Pylon, pylo ...
s and fitted with a
T-tail. In order to test the proposed layout, DINFIA first built a full-scale unpowered glider test vehicle, which flew for the first time on 26 December 1967.
[''Air International'' October 1977, p. 166.][Donald ''World Air Power Journal'' Volume 6, p. 137.]
Testing of the glider showed no major handling problems, and in September 1968, construction began on a powered prototype, given the designation FMA IA 58 Delfín, but later renamed Pucará, to be powered by a pair of
Garrett TPE331
The Honeywell TPE331 (military designation: T76) is a turboprop engine. It was designed in the 1950s by Garrett AiResearch, and produced since 1999 by successor Honeywell Aerospace. The engine's power output ranges from .
Design and developm ...
I/U-303 engines. (DINFIA had been renamed the (FMA) earlier that year).
The first prototype made its maiden flight on 20 August 1969, with a second prototype, with power switching to
Turbomeca Astazou XVIGs, following on 6 September 1970.
[Donald ''World Air Power Journal'' Volume 6, pp. 137–138.] The first prototype was later re-engined with the Astazou, this engine being chosen for the production version, and a third production prototype followed in 1973.
[''Air International'' October 1977, pp. 166–167.] The first production model flew on 8 November 1974, with deliveries beginning in early 1976.
[Taylor 1982, p. 4.]
At least three projects were related to the IA-58 development. The first was an extended Pucará airframe with pressurized cabin for six passengers, equipped with Astafan turbofan engines for light transport and photography duties. The second was an observation and reconnaissance aircraft having the same configuration as the
Fairchild-Republic A-10. The third was denominated
IA-60 and was an advanced trainer and light attack platform powered by two Astafans conserving the basic airframe and canopy of the Pucará with T-tail incorporating high wings. Some tests were made on wind tunnels but no further development was made in order to proceed with the IA-63 Pampa program.
Design

The IA 58 Pucará is of conventional, all-metal (mainly
duralumin) construction. The unswept
cantilever wings have 7 degrees of
dihedral on the outer panels and are fitted with slotted trailing-edge
flaps. The IA-58 has a slender fuselage, with a tandem cockpit arrangement; the crew of two is seated under the upward opening clamshell canopy on
Martin-Baker Mk 6AP6A zero/zero
ejection seat
In aircraft, an ejection seat or ejector seat is a system designed to rescue the aircraft pilot, pilot or other aircrew, crew of an aircraft (usually military) in an emergency. In most designs, the seat is propelled out of the aircraft by an exp ...
s and are provided with dual controls and good visibility, at least in the lateral and front quarters. The clean aerodynamic design allows the Pucará to reach relatively high speed, higher than the
American OV-10 Bronco, another COIN aircraft. On the other hand, the IA 58 has no cargo bay inside the fuselage as requested for the American aircraft.
Armour plating is fitted to protect the crew and engines from ground fire.
The aircraft is powered by a pair of
Turbomeca Astazou engines, driving sets of three-bladed Ratier-Forest 23LF propellers;
the propellers are also capable of being used as
air brakes.
The Pucará was designed for operations from short, rough airstrips.
[''Air International'' October 1977, pp. 167–168.] The retractable
tricycle landing gear, with a single nosewheel and twin mainwheels retracting into the engine nacelles, is fitted with low pressure tyres to suit operations on rough ground, while the undercarriage legs are tall to give good clearance for underslung weapons loads.
[Donald ''World Air Power Journal'' Volume 6, p. 138.] Three
JATO rockets can be fitted under the fuselage to allow extra short takeoffs.
Fuel is fed from two fuselage tanks of combined capacity of and two
self-sealing tanks of in the wings. The undercarriage, flaps and brakes are operated hydraulically, with no pneumatic systems.
The spring suspension system is like the one used in the
Junkers Ju 88, while the tail has a T configuration to improve take-off.
Fixed armament of the Pucará is similar to that of many WWII era aircraft. It consists of two Hispano 804 20 mm cannons mounted under the cockpit with 270 rounds each and four 7.62 mm
Browning FN machine guns mounted on the sides of the fuselage with 900 rounds each. Three
hardpoints are fitted for carrying external stores single or in clusters (as example up to six bombs under the fuselage or two rockets under each wing) such as bombs, rockets or external fuel tanks, with one of capacity mounted under the fuselage and the remaining two, of capacity beneath the wings. Maximum external weapons load is .
[''Air International'' October 1977, pp. 170–171.] Onboard armaments are aimed by a simple
reflector sight.
[Donald ''World Air Power Journal'' Volume 6, p. 139.]
Operational history
The first units were delivered in May 1975 to the
Argentine Air Force
The Argentine Air Force (, or simply ''FAA'') is the air force of Argentina and one of three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. In 2018, it had 13,837 military and 6,900 civilian personnel. FAA commander in chief is Brigadie ...
(, FAA), equipping the 2° , part of the 3rd Air Brigade () in
Reconquista
The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...
, northern Santa Fe province. They had their operational debut late in 1975, when a number of Pucarás carried out counter-insurgency strikes from
Córdoba against Communist
ERP guerillas in
Tucumán Province
Tucumán () is the most densely populated, and the second-smallest by land area, of the provinces of Argentina.
Located in the northwest of the country, the province has the capital of San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neighb ...
as part of
Operativo Independencia.
[''Air International'' October 1977, p. 167.]
1982 Falklands war

By the time of the
Falklands War
The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...
, about 60 Pucarás had been delivered.
[Huertas ''Air International'' April 1996, p. 248.] As one of the few aircraft of the Argentine service capable of flying operationally from the small airfields in the Falklands, as the
runway
In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...
at
Port Stanley Airport was not long enough for FAA
Skyhawks and
Mirages to be deployed,
[Burden et al. 1986, p. 95.] it was decided to deploy a number of Pucarás to the Falklands, with four arriving at Port Stanley on 2 April 1982, and a further eight arriving on 9 April. Many of the Pucarás remaining on the mainland were moved to
Puerto Santa Cruz or
Comodoro Rivadavia in southern Argentina where they were closer to the Falklands if needed for reinforcements, and were used to perform coastal surveillance.
[Burden et al. 1986, pp. 95, 97.][Huertas ''Air International'' April 1996, pp. 248–249.]
Most aircraft used in combat were armed with unguided bombs,
2.75 inch rocket pods, or 7.62 mm machine gun pods. Pucarás operated from Port Stanley airport and two small grass improvised airfields at
Goose Green and
Pebble Island
Pebble Island is one of the Falkland Islands, situated north of West Falkland. It is possibly named after the peculiarly spherical pebbles found at its western tip.
Description
The island, the fifth largest in the Falklands archipelago, stretch ...
. They were used in the reconnaissance and light-attack role.
Three Pucarás were destroyed and one of their pilots killed at
Goose Green by
cluster bomb
A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller submunitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill personnel and destroy vehi ...
s dropped by
800 NAS Sea Harriers on 1 May 1982. Six more were destroyed in the
SAS Raid on Pebble Island on 15 May 1982.
On 21 May a Pucará was lost to a
Stinger SAM fired by D Squadron SAS (the first Stinger launched in combat) and another to 30 mm cannon rounds from Cmdr
Nigel Ward's RN Sea Harrier, the latter after leading a successful two-aircraft raid on a shed allegedly used as an
observation post by British forces. The aircraft was surprisingly tough, as Ward observed no fewer than 20 cannon hits before the target started to fall to earth. The other Pucará, piloted by Lt Juan Micheloud, made good its escape after being chased by Lt Cdr Alasdair Craig's Sea Harrier. Major Carlos Tomba, the pilot of the aircraft shot down by Cmdr Ward, survived the ejection and was recovered by friendly forces.
Two Pucarás shot down a
Royal Marines
The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...
Scout
Scout may refer to:
Youth movement
*Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement
** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom
** Scouts BSA, sect ...
helicopter with 7.62 mm machine gun fire on 28 May, while it was on a casualty evacuation mission during the
Battle of Goose Green. This was the only confirmed Argentine air-to-air victory of the war. One of these Pucarás crashed into Blue Mountain on the return flight to Port Stanley and was destroyed—the body of the pilot (Lt Miguel Gimenez) was found in 1986, and was buried with military honours at
Port Darwin by his family, the first Argentine relatives to visit the Falklands since the end of the war.

Also on the 28 May
2 Para shot down a Pucará with small arms fire after it launched rockets on British troops (without causing any casualties), during the
Battle of Goose Green. Lt Miguel Cruzado ejected and became a
POW.
On 11 June, in the course of the assault of the
PARA 3 battalion on
Mount Longdon, a package of three Pucarás launched a sortie against British artillery positions in a combined operation with the 3rd Artillery Group (GA3) of the
Argentine Army.
with Captured aircraft
After the
Argentine surrender, eleven Pucarás (four of them in flying condition) were captured by British forces, and six were taken back to the United Kingdom.
Sri Lankan Civil War
The
Sri Lanka Air Force
The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF; ; ) is the air force, air arm and the youngest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. It was founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) with the assistance of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The SLAF played a major r ...
in search for an aircraft for
counter-insurgency operations and facing refusal of military supplies from western countries who were its traditional military suppliers, purchased two Pucarás from the
Argentine Air Force
The Argentine Air Force (, or simply ''FAA'') is the air force of Argentina and one of three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. In 2018, it had 13,837 military and 6,900 civilian personnel. FAA commander in chief is Brigadie ...
. They were attached to the
No 1 Flying Training based at
SLAF Anuradhapura and were issued SLAF serials CA-601 and CA-602. Following initial training, Pucarás were used for advanced pilot training with two pilots, and combat sorties with a single pilot. In 1993, two more aircraft, CA-604 and CA-605, were added. Pucarás were found to be highly effective for the Sri Lanka Air Force as they had high payload capacity and suitable cruising speed for
close air support. Operating mainly out of SLAF Anuradhapura, at times Pucarás were detached to its forward base at
SLAF Palaly, providing close air support for the
Sri Lanka Army notably during
Operation Riviresa. The Sri Lanka Air Force also deployed Pucarás for maritime patrolling. CA-605 was hit by ground fire over the
Kilaly lagoon, but managed to land at SLAF Palaly; it is on display at the
Sri Lanka Air Force Museum. During fierce fighting in the
Northern Province during Operation Leap Forward, CA-601 was shot down by a
MPADS in July 1995, killing its pilot Flight Lieutenant Dilhan Perera. CA-604 was destroyed while on a night bombing sortie from what appears to have been a premature ordnance detonation; its pilot Flight Lieutenant
R. A. U. P. Rajapaksa ejected safely. Following the accident the sole remaining aircraft, CA-602, was retired in 1997 with
Mil Mi-24 helicopter gunships taking over the role of close air support, followed by
Mikoyan MiG-27s. The Pucará's lack of an oxygen system, limiting it to low altitudes, and lack of counter-measures against
SAMs proved it be its main limitations.
Upgrades
In May 1982, at the peak of the Falklands War, the Argentine Air Force, in collaboration with the
Navy
A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
, outfitted a prototype, AX-04, with pylons to mount
Mark 13 torpedoes. The aim was its possible production as a
torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the World War I, First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carryin ...
to enhance the anti-ship capabilities of the Argentine air forces. Several trials were performed off
Puerto Madryn, over
Golfo Nuevo, but the war ended before the technicians could evaluate the feasibility of the project.
[Halbritter, Francisco (2004). ''Historia de la industria aeronáutica argentina''. Volume 1. Asociación Amigos de la Biblioteca Nacional de Aeronáutica, 2004. . ]
Several attempts were made to upgrade the entire fleet, including the Pucará Charlie conversion, Pucará 2000 and Pucará Bravo (modernization of 40 units was ordered and later cancelled by the FAA; only one unit was converted). These were cancelled during the 1980s due to shortage of funds.
The Uruguayan Air Force updated its fleet with the incorporation of Litton LTN-211 and GPS omega navigation systems. Minor structure modifications were made in order to carry the
Mk. 82 Snakeye bomb and 1000-litre
drop tank. Other avionics incorporated were the WX-500 Stormscope by L3 Communications and LED Sandel SN3500 backlit display navigation.
In 2007 an IA-58 of the Argentine Air Force was converted to carry a modified engine operating on soy-derived
bio-jet fuel. The project, financed and directed by the Argentine Government (), made Argentina the second nation in the world to propel an aircraft with biojet fuel. The project's intention was to make the FAA less reliant on fossil fuels.
Since 2009 an extensive upgrade of the avionics and major overhaul of the airframes has been carried out by the FAA and FAdeA, creating the IA-58D Pucará Delta. The avionics for the cockpit are as close as possible to the FMA IA-63 Pampa Phase II. Some of the updated components include a new set of communications hardware,
DME,
ELT,
IFF
In logic and related fields such as mathematics and philosophy, "if and only if" (often shortened as "iff") is paraphrased by the biconditional, a logical connective between statements. The biconditional is true in two cases, where either both ...
,
GPS, Electronic Attitude Director Indicator, Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicator,
RWR,
HUD,
DEFA 554 cannon and new
PT6A-62 950shp engine instead of the original Turbomeca Astazou. The overhaul is intended to keep Argentinian Pucarás in use until 2045. Bureaucratic and economic issues caused delays to the conversion of the entire fleet. The Uruguayan Air Force also showed interest in the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) program and installation of new engines offered by FAdeA.
As of April 2016,
Fábrica Argentina de Aviones "Brigadier San Martin" S.A. (FAdeA), successor to Fábrica Militar de Aviones, was in the process of modernizing twenty of the Argentine Air Force's fleet of Pucaras. The first prototype flew in November 2015.
In 2019 Argentina retired the Pucará from counterinsurgency light strike operation, converting it to the ''Pucará Fénix'' border surveillance and patrol aircraft, with improved Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-62 engines, new four-bladed propellers, a podded Fixview electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor turret, and
data link
A data link is a means of telecommunications link, connecting one location to another for the purpose of transmitting and receiving digital information (data communication). It can also refer to a set of electronics assemblies, consisting of a t ...
.
The upgrade was authorised in December 2021, with the Fénix expected to be in operation for at least 15 years.
Failed contracts
The
Peruvian Air Force was reported in mid 1972 to have shown great interest in acquiring up to 25 IA-58A for delivery in 1974.
The first foreign contract was in February 1978 with the
Islamic Air Force of Mauritania for four IA-58A planes plus support and training at a full cost of U$10.8 million. Another eight units were also negotiated as options. When Mauritanian President
Moktar Ould Daddah was ousted in a
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup
, is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
, the contract was cancelled. The plane series n°015 to n°018 were built and ready to ship with Mauritanian registration numbers. They were incorporated to the Argentine Air Force as A-515 to A-518 keeping the desert camouflage and configuration.
[IA-58A Pucará, Colección Fabrica Militar de Aviones-Fuerza Aerea Argentina N°3, Cettolo, Mosquera & Nuñez Padín, Jorge Nuñez Padín Editores, 1999]
In March 1983, negotiations for two Pucarás were going with
Central African Republic Air Force for US$9.5 million including support, training and spare parts. The contract was cancelled.
In September 1983, another contract was signed, this time with the
Venezuelan Air Force for 24 IA-58A equipped with Garrett TPE331-11-601W turboprop engines, at U$110 million. Venezuela cancelled the purchase order. A number of OV-10A Broncos were negotiated and later incorporated from
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
stocks instead, with credit facilities.
In March 1985, a new contract with the
Iraqi Air Force, which was later disbanded due political foreign issues, was signed with Iraq for 20 IA-58A with 20 more on option for U$76 million.
In May 1986 the
Bolivian Air Force requested 12 IA-58A for U$52 million, with no purchase orders placed.
Iran negotiated 60 IA-58A for U$283 million by April 1987 and at the end of that year a new deal for 50 planes at U$160 million with no purchase orders ever placed.
In November 1987, six Pucarás were negotiated with the
Force Aérienne Zairoise for US$26.7 million, contract cancelled.
In 1990 the
Brazilian Air Force
The Brazilian Air Force (, FAB) is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Brazilian Brazilian Army Aviation (1919–1941), Army and Brazilian Naval Aviation, Nav ...
announced a purchase of 30 IA-58A as part of the
SIVAM project. But with the development of the
Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano, the order was cancelled.
In 1991 a purchase order was negotiated by the
Paraguayan Air Force for four IA-58A at U$10.6 million but later disregarded.
Variants
* AX-02 Delfín: Prototype.
* AX-04: A torpedo-carrying prototype.
* IA-58A Pucará: Two-seat
counter-insurgency,
close air support, attack aircraft. Main production version.
[Chant 1987, p. 402] To be retired September 2019.
* IA-58B Pucará Bravo: Modified two-seat counter-insurgency aircraft, with deeper forward fuselage, allowing the 20 mm Hispano cannon to be replaced by two 30 mm
DEFA cannons, and with more advanced avionics. One prototype aircraft converted from IA-58A first flew on 15 May 1979.
[Donald ''World Air Power Journal'' Volume 6, p. 141.]
* IA-58C Pucará Charlie: Single-seat version designed to take advantage of lessons learned during the Falklands War, with increased capability in anti-shipping and anti-helicopter missions. Forward cockpit removed, with additional 30 mm DEFA cannon supplementing existing gun armament, and capability to carry Matra
R550 Magic air-to-air missiles and
Martin Pescador air-to-surface missiles underwing. Increased armour protection fitted, and more advanced
EW system suite. Single prototype converted, flying on 30 December 1985, but plans to convert fifteen more for the Argentine Air Force abandoned in 1988 due to lack of funding.
[Donald ''World Air Power Journal'' Volume 6, pp. 141–144.]
* IA-58D Pucará Delta: Current program modernisation of existing IA-58A airframes, featuring new avionics systems and PT6A-62
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies). Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation (especially ...
engines. Also noted as IA-58H. Program restarted in June 2019 with certification planned in July 2019.
* IA-66: Modification of IA-58A powered by two 1,000-ehp (746-kW)
Garrett TPE331
The Honeywell TPE331 (military designation: T76) is a turboprop engine. It was designed in the 1950s by Garrett AiResearch, and produced since 1999 by successor Honeywell Aerospace. The engine's power output ranges from .
Design and developm ...
-11-601W turboprop engines. Single prototype converted from IA-58A flew in 1980.
* IA-58 Pucará Fénix: In 2019 Argentina retired the Pucará from counterinsurgency light strike operation, converting it to the ''Pucará Fénix'' border surveillance and patrol aircraft.
[ The upgrade was authorised in December 2021, with the Fénix expected to be in operation for at least 15 years.][
]
Operators
Current operators
;
* "Fenix" prototype tested since 2019, production approved in 2021.[
]
Former operators
;
* Argentine Air Force
The Argentine Air Force (, or simply ''FAA'') is the air force of Argentina and one of three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. In 2018, it had 13,837 military and 6,900 civilian personnel. FAA commander in chief is Brigadie ...
IA-58A variant.
;
* Colombian Air Force
The Colombian Aerospace Force (FAC, ) is the air force of the Republic of Colombia. The Colombian Aerospace Force is one of the three institutions of the Military Forces of Colombia charged, according to the 1991 Constitution, with working to exe ...
;
* Sri Lanka Air Force
The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF; ; ) is the air force, air arm and the youngest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. It was founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) with the assistance of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The SLAF played a major r ...
(1993–1999, 2 shot down, 2 retired)
;
* Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(A captured Pucará was evaluated at A&AEE Boscombe Down after the Falklands conflict before being donated to the RAF museum).
;
* Uruguayan Air Force. Retired 2017.
Aircraft on display
Argentina
* Prototype AX-01, at Museo Nacional de Aeronautica de Argentina, Morón, Argentina[Cater & Caballero (IPMS Magazine May 2013)]
Sri Lanka
* CA-605, at Sri Lanka Air Force Museum
United Kingdom
*A-515 (ZD485) – at Royal Air Force Museum Cosford; formerly tested by the Royal Air Force
*A-522 (8768M) – at North East Land, Sea and Air Museums (on loan from the Fleet Air Arm Museum
The Fleet Air Arm Museum is devoted to the history of British naval aviation. It has an extensive collection of military and civilian aircraft, aero engines, models of aircraft and Royal Navy ships (especially aircraft carriers), and paintings ...
, Yeovilton)
*A-528 (8769M) – at Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum (on loan from Museum of Army Flying, Middle Wallop)
*A-533 (ZD486) – at South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, Doncaster (cockpit section only)
*A-549 (ZD487) – at Imperial War Museum Duxford
Imperial War Museum Duxford, also known as IWM Duxford or simply Duxford, is a branch of the Imperial War Museum near Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. Duxford, Britain's largest aviation museum, houses exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraf ...
Specifications
See also
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Video of the Pucara in flight
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fma Ia 58 Pucara
1960s Argentine attack aircraft
Counter-insurgency aircraft
IA 58
T-tail aircraft
Low-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1969
Twin-turboprop tractor aircraft