Argentine Pucara A-549 at Duxford

The machine was A-517 G-BLRP acquired by a Mr Harrison from Goose Green. It never really showed up and You could speculate that it ended up back with a country that operated the type as it hasn’t turned up after all these years.

As to the A&AEE – word was that it’s flying qualities weren’t wonderful

it was evaluated at Boscombe Down

I’ve read a copy of the A&AEE Engineering evaluation report on the Pucara held by the Museum of Army Flying. I can’t comment on any handling issues but the engineering report described it as a simple design, well constructed, easy to operate and very reliable.
From Boscombe engineers that is praise in deed.

A mention of results here https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=LwIOivpstxcC&pg=PA364&lpg=PA364&dq=pucara+handling&source=bl&ots=7BdmqU1J9N&sig=EZUwlMsesD–vaYONRAWWhJ3eP8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwitjrmY6N3VAhXpKcAKHRGyDv0Q6AEIUDAJ#v=onepage&q=pucara%20handling&f=false
be aware that after that the extract gets graphic describing some Falklands casualties.

Years ago there was a series on television called Model Magic. In one episode a modeller flew a radio controlled twin engined Pucara. He was surprised how it would fish tale at high speed as if it was directionally unstable. He wondered if the real thing showed the same trait. If it was evaluated at Boscombe Down is there any report accessible on line?

There was 1 advertised in pilot magazine years ago. It was a sindicate looking for people to share in flying it. Anyone know which one it was & what happened to it?

From what I’ve seen the wreckage still on the Falklands would be no good to anyone for restoration. Admittedly my experience is solely based on photos online, but those photos require a lot of imagination to figure out what you’re looking at!

I would love to see and hear a Pucara in Falklands/Malvinas colours on the airshow circuit but I expect that, as well as being costly, it would be a rather niche subject. I’ll probably have to keep my interest in the type to the 1/72 model I’m working on!

Sabrejet. That’s the one. 1978 indeed. Thank you for posting that picture. I was quite impressed with it as a counter insurgency aircraft.

OT but – My information is that it was the HP Jetstream that was turfed outside to make way for a “corporate hospitality area”. One thing the Jetstream should not do outside is accumulate water in the fuselage. They are fitted with drain holes that have rubber bungs spring loaded to be normally open and only to close when cabin pressurisation is active.

I still am at a loss that the immacualte Catalina is sitting outside at Cosford to make way for a corporate area and toy area for the kids… there is a big cafe across the road that could do the corporate functions instead of depriving a historic aircraft of its hangarage, it amazes me when they do corporate events to raise funds for the restoration and maintenance of their historical collection while in effect putting one outside to let it detriorate to the point that those funds will be needed to restore it….
BOB is another the VC10, I was amased looking around her how badly she is suffering already, bear in mind we kept them outside bar doing majors on them, simple things struck me, underwing panels off, allowing moisture in, and the landling light housings on the nose 3/4 full of water and rust, either a simple job of resealing it would fix that or even simpler drill a small hole at the bottom of the perspex window to allow it to drain.

Not that I ever will be in that position, but I think If I ever donated stuff like aircraft to a museum, it would be on the proviso it is housed indoors and cannot be sold or donated/ loaned without my permission, if sale comes up then the i would have the choice to either recover my aircraft or the full sale price.

Just keeping things on track 🙂

Skyskooter: I do have a photo – 1978 it was and my Brownie camera just about did the job, but not very well sadly:

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Sabrejet…
Thanks. 🙂 🙂 🙂

A4 Paper?

A4 to Chippenham?

Is that A4 genuinely an aircraft that flew in Argentine service?

The original 3-A-305 was written off on 22 May 1986 at Comandante Espora AB, the pilot ejecting safely. http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=54600

The A4 is the old Bath road: pic above is of an A-4.

Confusing innit?

Is that A4 genuinely an aircraft that flew in Argentine service?

Beautiful Argentine A4 is almost ready to fly in Tucson, my boss Mike Mc Dougall has done another spectacular job.[ATTACH=CONFIG]255254[/ATTACH]

I first saw the Pucara when it was exhibited and flown (I believe) at the Farnborough Air Show long before the Falklands War. Does anyone have a picture?

I would love to own some parts to display from an aircraft used in the Falklands war. I know there are lots of wrecks still there in the Falklands, but as well as being hard to get to, i think they should be left there as untouched as possible.
If Duxford are not going to keep this aircraft, i wonder if its possible to purchase any parts of it from them, or would all the parts go with the aircraft?

Than you Jonathan. Please do remind those who make decisions that it is (or was) a particularly good example and is one of your oldest exhibits and one which draws interest from visitors. It was also donated in good faith having been prepared to an excellent level by the Navy.

Sorry Airgage, I’m employed elsewhere these days. You could do worse than write them a letter. I know they at least get read. It should also be possible to find out what’s planned for the Sea Vixen.