FMA SAIA 90

History

In the mid-1980s, the Argentine aviation industry proposed plans to become the main domestic air superiority fighter through the FMA "SAIA 90". The project was managed locally by Fabrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) with the support of Dornier, the then Federal Republic of Germany. The SAIA 90 represented the final stage of the FMA IA-63 "Pampa" advanced trainer and the eventually abandoned attacker IA-67 "Cordoba".

The SAIA 90 program succeeded the IA-67 as the South American country's unrealized aircraft.

FMA lacked the expertise to produce complete aircraft in-house and therefore relied heavily on external support to make the program a success. It relied on Dornier because both companies had already worked on the aforementioned IA-63, and production of this compact aircraft began in 1984, but only 27 examples were completed. From this work, the German half formed a design study and slowly developed a new fighter.

Carbon fiber was chosen as part of the aircraft structure, while titanium was chosen for high heat resistance in certain areas of the fuselage.

On paper, the SAIA 90 should contain many of the relatively advanced concepts that were present in fighter jet designs at the time - particular attention should be paid to reducing the radar cross section. Concept work shows a sleek aircraft with a radar system housed in a streamlined nose cone forward of the single-seat cockpit. The wings are shoulder mounted on the main aircraft, with a straight trailing edge (swept along the leading edge) and wingtip support for short-range air-to-air missiles (AAM). The twin-engine configuration will provide the required power and operating range while air intake is through side-mounted air intakes.

A vertical tail that slopes outward from the centerline will be installed in front of the tail, and the planned horizontal tail will have a swept-back function.

In many respects, the physics of the Argentine SAIA 90 mimics that of the American McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet, complete at the root of the wing (extended forward). The leading edge extends. cockpit), twin-engine configuration and forwardly placed stabilizers.

In service, the aircraft is designed to have a multi-role capability, and a two-seat trainer format is also planned to solve the annoyance of flying advanced aircraft. Dimensions include a length of 15.5 meters, a height of 3.9 meters and a wingspan of 10.9 meters.

The kerb weight is 7,800kg and the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) is 14,500kg.

While this was never resolved, the engines are likely to be 2 x GE F404 series afterburner turbofans (or similar), probably in the 11,000/17,000 lbs (dry/afterburner) power range. Performance is expected to include a top speed of Mach 2.25, a service ceiling of up to 50,000 feet and a range of up to 3,380 kilometers - very similar to the American F/A-18 family.

In terms of armament, an internal 27mm Mauser cannon is planned as standard equipment, and 11 hardpoints (all external) including wingtip missile mounts will be designated for storage. Some will also be mounted on disposable fuel tanks.

Ammunition of up to 5,000 kg can be transported in the form of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles as well as conventional ammunition. It is conceivable that, with the right weaponry, the aircraft should also undertake anti-radar sorties and general airspace blockade tasks as needed.

Despite the many obstacles to the project, deliveries of the new machine are expected to start as early as 1991. However, FMA itself struggled financially and failed to work with global industry partners to help the product succeed.

As a result, the ambitious SAIA 90 initiative was abandoned and eventually became history.

Specification

Basic

Production

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Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes