My first model

IAR 80.

Builder                         Ion Grosu

Manufacturer                Industria Aeronautică Română

Production                    1939 - 1943

Lenght                          8,90 m

Wing Span                    10,50 m

Hight                            3,60 m

Wing Surface               15,97 m²

Engine                         IAR K14-1000A – 14 cylinders double star engine

Power                          764 kW / 1025 HP

Maximum Speed          550 km/h at 3970 m   (4^th place in the world at that time)

Combat ceiling             10 500 m

Autonomy                    940 km

Weight (empty)            1780 kg

Weight (flight)              2550 kg

Crew                           1 Pilot

Armament                    4 - 6 MG

Armament (bombing)    450 Kg.

      During the beginning of World War Second, Romania had one of the best fighter planes in the world, being able to match the more famous Spitfire or Messerschmitt.

In April 1939 this plane had it’s maiden flight as an unpainted prototype, that had in it’s cockpit the test pilot Captain Dumitru “Pufi” Popescu. The first prototype had an open cockpit and two Browning FN 7.92 mm machine guns strapped on it’s wings.

On 18^th of December 1939 the Romanian government asked from the manufacturer 100 planes, and on 22^nd of August 1940 for another 100 pieces.

The standard monoplane was equipped with a 960 HP IAR k-14 III C 36 double star engine (a Romanian version of the Gnome – Rhone 14K Mistral Major). The cockpit was moved to the front and the wingspan and the total length were increased. The first 20 planes were equipped with 4 Browning FN 7.92 mm machine guns that had around 2400 rounds of ammunition.

The 50^th plane was send back to the IAR – Brasov for and was retrofitted with a better 1025 HP IAR K-14 1000A engine, 2 more Browning FN 7.29 mm machine guns , increased armor for the pilot and a Goerz reflector targeting system. After a short while these modifications were introduced on the manufacturing lane and so appeared the  IAR-80A.

The dive bomber

            In 1939 Germany rejected Romania’s request for the acquisition of 50 Junkers – Ju 87B planes. In response to this action and because the conditions from the front line required it, IAR – Brasov mounted on the 75^th IAR – 80 plane, a 225 kg bomb launcher, and an automated system that helped the plane straighten itself after a dive. The new model was christened IAR – 81 and remained in history as BoPi (Bombardier in Picaj = Dive Bomber). 15 planes were made and delivered in October 1941 to the 8^th Fighter’s Group

A Consolidated fighter plane

            Initially the planes with the serial numbers from 212 to 230, got out from the manufacturing line under the name of IAR – 81, but were later renamed as IAR – 81B as they had structural reinforcements and 13.2 mm machine guns. 10 planes were made under the name of  IAR – 81 and got shipped out in September. These planes got equipped either with 50 kg bomb fixtures or with 100 liters auxiliary fuel tanks, and to help the plane straighten itself even more after a dive, the flaps opening was enlarged to 75 degrees. The following models had their 13.2 mm machine guns replaced with the better 20 mm Icaria/Oerlikon twin cannons that included a pneumatic arming system, and had installed on them a dust filter to the air intake. All these modifications were made for the number 241 ship which became the first of the IAR – 80C model and was intended at first as a diver bomber under the name IAR – 81B, but was later converted to a defensive fighter plane.

            The 1^st of August 1943 is marked on the history pages as one of the greatest days for the Romanian fighters. Operation “Tidal wave” brought the allies some of the most costing air fights from the whole war. The allies sent 178 B-24s with a total of 1,751 aircrew-men out of witch 53 planes and about 660 people will never return home. Due to a lack in logistics, the “masterminds” of this attack ordered the pilots to engage the refineries of Ploiesti from a low altitude making this an almost suicidal run. IAR-80, Me 109 and heavy anti-air defenses met the oncoming bombers making them pay dearly for only a few hits on their intended targets. After the raid, the refineries began working at a better rate than they worked even before the raid, as to show the allies the fact that Operation Tidal Wave was not as successful as they intended it to be. (World of aviation no 2; Nat Geo, No. 92, December 2010; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Tidal_Wave)

The IAR-80 plane was my very first model. I used a 1/72 scale model from “PARC MODELS” and in the following pictures I’ll show the end result. Even though it’s my first attempt at anything like this and even though I used a normal hand brush, I’m proud of the way it came out in the end.