reddit.comPosted Jul 6, 2022, 10:24 PM UTC
The Pucará was designed as a Counter-insurgency aircraft, whilst the A-10 was designed as a Close Air Support aircraft. The IA-58 is much closer in design and role to the North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco and Grumman OV-1 Mohawk.
The airframe in the Sri Lanka Air Force Museum is a production IA-58A, registration CA-605, rather than the sole IA-58C. The prototype IA-58A registration AX-01 is in the Museo Nacional de Aeronautica, Moron, Argentina.
Your title said only one was built.
I was joking about the A-10. I knew it was a COIN aircraft. But with the 30mm gun and missles,, it sounds like the A-10.
My title states that here was only one, single seat, IA-58C Pucará Charlie built. There were 110 two seat IA-58’s built, the majority being the IA-58A.
Sorry.
Warthog relative?
The IA-58C Pucará Charlie was a single-seat version of the IA-58A Pucará designed to take advantage of lessons learned during the Falklands War, with increased capability in anti-shipping and anti-helicopter missions.
The forward cockpit removed, with an additional 30 mm DEFA cannon supplementing the existing gun armament, with the added capability to carry Matra R550 Magic air-to-air missiles and Martin Pescador air-to-surface missiles underwing. Increased armour protection was fitted, alongside a more advanced Electronic Warfare system.
A single prototype was converted from an IA-58A, first flying on the 30th of December 1985, however, plans to convert fifteen more for the Argentine Air Force were abandoned in 1988 due to a lack of funding.