Avioane IAR 93 Vultur (Vulture)

1979 COLD WAR

• 1 Avioane IAR 93 History of the Condor (Condor)
• 2 Avioane IAR 93 Vultur (Vulture) Specification
  • 2.1 Basic
  • 2.2 Production
  • 2.3 Roles
  • 2.4 Dimensions
  • 2.5 Weight
  • 2.6 Performance
  • 2.7 Performance
  • 2.8 Armor
  • 2.9 Changes

Avioane IAR 93 History of the Condor (Condor)

Romania and Yugoslavia gained autonomy during the post-World War II period of Soviet-dominated socialism. As a result, the two countries joined forces in 1971 to produce intercept-capable light ground attack aircraft for their respective air services. The result was the Avioane Craiova IAR-93 Vultur ("Condor"), a streamlined high-wing subsonic fighter with modern hardware. The first flight was recorded on October 31, 1974, and the line was officially opened in 1979.

A total of 88 were built and served in the Romanian Air Force until they were officially retired in April 1998. Yugoslavia referred to the aircraft as the Soko J-22 "Orao" ("Eagle"), with slight modifications to suit local requirements.

Introduced in 1978, they remain active in the Serbian Air Force today (2014), albeit in limited numbers.

Although never fought, the history of the IAR-93 is known for its many casualties at least nine due to various circumstances, including mechanical failure and pilot error. At least 15 days are spent as a permanent exhibition. The project was born in the form of "Yurom" and appeared in single and two-seater forms.

Both Romania and Yugoslavia built their own prototypes for testing purposes.

Engineers opted for a shoulder-wing approach, which facilitates low-altitude flight while providing clear underwing hardpoints. The cockpit sits under a largely unobstructed canopy, although rear visibility is blocked by the raised fuselage spine. The nose cone is relatively short, and the air brake is located behind the cockpit floor on the ventral side of the fuselage.

Internal guns were deployed on the underside of the forward hull for close range work. Rectangular air intakes were made on either side of the cockpit wall to draw in the twin-engine components inside.

The wing main aircraft is well swept back, back rails have been added for stability, and there are two mount points under each wing. The tail consists of a vertical tail with a low horizontal plane. The landing gear is retractable and includes a single-wheel front leg and a pair of two-wheel main legs.

Operation on rough terrain was another important consideration in the design of this model.

As a ground attack platform, the aircraft has the inherent ability to carry and launch a variety of guided and unguided munitions, including rockets, missiles and unguided dropped bombs, through its five mountings (four under-wing, one under the fuselage). The aircraft can also perform low-altitude intercept missions, for which it is fitted with 2 x twin-barreled 23mm GSh-23L guns and supports a variety of existing Soviet-made Air-to-Air Missiles (AAM), including the AA-2 Atoll and AA-8 "Aphid" types.

Three main Vulture variants were produced, dominated by the original IAR-93A model. The IAR-93A family was equipped with Viper Mk 632-41 afterburning turbojets, and 15 pre-production and 35 production versions (26 single-seat and 9 twin-seat with dual controls) were built.

First delivered in 1979, it entered service in 1981. This followed in 1982 with the delivery of 15 single-seat IAR-93MBs fitted with non-afterburning Viper turbojets.

In 1985, the revised brand appeared in prototype form with a Viper Mk 633-47 afterburner. The wings have a new design, and various protrusions on the fuselage have been removed to provide a more streamlined, aerodynamically refined form.

The brand has a total of 34 aircraft, which were introduced in 1987 as the IAR-93B, including 27 single-seat aircraft and 7 two-seat dual-control aircraft.

When completed, the IAR-93B version will measure 48.9 feet in length, with a wingspan of 30.5 feet and a height of 14.9 feet. It has a curb weight of 12,675 pounds and a maximum takeoff weight of 22,030 pounds. Propulsion is provided by 2 Turbomecanica/Orao (Rolls-Royce) "Viper" Mk 644-47 turbojet engines, delivering 4,000 pounds of dry thrust and 5,000 pounds of power, with the afterburners open. Top speed hits 680 mph and cruising is near 675 mph.

Range is 825 miles and climbs to a service ceiling of 44,600 feet at 3,900 feet per minute.

Production of all brands from 1975 to 1992.

Avioane IAR 93 Vultur (Vulture) Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes