FMA I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I

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I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I — Argentina’s first jet

The I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I was Argentina’s first jet aircraft, developed at the Instituto Aerotécnico in 1946 and built by Fabrica Militar de Aviones (FMA).

Design and people
- A team led by French engineer Émile Dewoitine designed the aircraft, with Argentine engineers Juan Ignacio San Martín, Enrique Cardeilhac, Cesare Pallavicino and Norberto L. Morchio.
- It was built as a single prototype.

What it was like
- The fuselage was a semi-monocoque shape with an elliptical cross-section.
- It was powered by a Rolls-Royce Derwent 5 jet engine, with the air intake in the nose and ducting around the cockpit.
- Because there was little internal space, the fuel tanks had to be placed in the wings, which shortened the plane’s range.

Flight and testing
- The prototype first flew on 9 August 1947 with 1st Lt. Osvaldo Weiss as the test pilot.
- Its performance was not satisfactory, so the project moved on to the next design, Pulqui II (IAe 33).

Significance and current status
- Pulqui I is important as the first jet aircraft developed and built in Argentina and Latin America.
- The restored prototype is on display at the Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica de Argentina in Morón, near Buenos Aires.

Overview
- Type: Experimental jet
- Manufacturer: Fábrica Militar de Aviones (FMA)
- Primary user: Argentine Air Force
- Number built: 1 prototype