The IAR 80 was a Romanian World War II low-wing monoplane, all-metal monocoque fighter and ground-attack aircraft. When it first flew, in 1939, it was comparable to contemporary designs being deployed by the airforces of the most advanced military powers such as the Hawker Hurricane and Bf 109E. Production problems and lack of available armament delayed entry of the IAR 80 into service until 1941. It remained in frontline use until the end of the war.

Development

thumb|IAR-80 undergoing maintenance

In order to ensure that the Royal Romanian Air Force (ARR) could continue to be supplied with aircraft in time of war, the government subsidized the creation of three major aircraft manufacturers in the 1920s and 1930s. The first was Societatea Pentru Exploatări Tehnice (SET) which was formed in Bucharest in 1923. Next came Industria Aeronautică Română (IAR) which set up shop in Brașov in 1925. Finally there was Întreprinderea de Construcții Aeronautice Românești (ICAR), which was founded in Bucharest in 1932.

In 1930 the Romanian government issued specifications for a new fighter. Although the government was not anticipating bids from its own aircraft industry, IAR produced several prototypes in response to the tender.

The contract was eventually won by the Polish PZL P.11. The ARR purchased 50 of a modified version called the P.11b, all of which were delivered in 1934. A second contest was also fought between the newer IAR 14 and PZL P.24 designs, and once again the PZL design won a contract for another 50 aircraft.

Although IAR's own designs had not entered production, they nevertheless won the contracts to build PZL fighters and Gnome-Rhône 14K engines under license. As a result of these and other licence contracts the company had enough money to fund a design studio even if its designs never went into production.

Despite losing to PZL, an IAR design team led by Ion Grosu continued work on fighter designs. He was convinced that the low-wing design of the IAR 24 represented a better design than the PZL gull-wing design, which was often referred to as the "Polish wing". Once again the team studied the new PZL fighter looking to incorporate its best features into a new aircraft, and the result was the IAR 80.

Design

thumb|IAR 80 side view

  • Description: Low-wing monoplane fighter with conventional control surface layout.
  • Fuselage: The fuselage was circular in cross-section, turning to egg-shaped behind the cockpit where it incorporated a ridge-back. The rear fuselage layout, and the engine cowling were based on the Polish PZL P.24.
  • Wings: The wings were tapered with rounded tips, the trailing edge angled very slightly forwards. Small flaps ran from the fuselage to a point about 1/3 along the span, where the ailerons started and extended out to the rounded wingtips.
  • Other details: A bubble canopy was fitted, sliding to the rear to open, providing excellent visibility except over the nose due to its rearward position. A conventional tailwheel landing gear was used, with the main gear wide-set and retracting inward, with a non-retractable tail skid.

The semi-monocoque tail was copied directly from the PZL P.24. The fuselage from the engine back to the cockpit was new, consisting of a welded steel tube frame covered with duralumin sheeting. The wings were mounted low and were of the same design as those used on the early IAR 24, which had competed with the PZL P.24.

According to an urban legend, the wing profile was copied from the Italian Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 bomber, in service with the ARR at the time, as the design team lacked the time for wing section studies. As a result, the profile was less favorable for higher speeds, but gave the aircraft more maneuverability. This is false as the contract for the SM.79B licence was signed on October 1, 1938, roughly one year after the I.A.R. 80 prototype was completed.

The cockpit's interior, instruments, and gunsight were imported from foreign suppliers. This effort to aggregate a fighter from various sources was a result of the last-minute demands for a frontline fighter. The initial IAR 80s were fitted with iron sights. Starting with the 21st aircraft, these were replaced by Goerz GM2 reflector sights which were manufactured under license by Întreprinderea Optică Română as the "Telereflex" gunsights.

A Luftwaffe major who tested it in March 1941 had this to say about the IAR 80:

Prototypes

Work began on the IAR 80 prototype in late 1937, originally with an open cockpit and the IAR K14 IIIc32 engine which was a licensed Gnome-Rhône 14K II Mistral Major. The prototype was completed slowly, and first took to the air in April 1939. Test flights of the prototype were impressive; the aircraft could reach at , service ceiling of with the ability to climb to in 6 minutes, which was respectable at the time, though not up to the contemporary Supermarine Spitfire or Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters. In comparison the PZL P.24E was almost 450 kg lighter, yet over 80 km/h slower with the same engine. The IAR 80 also proved to be enjoyable to fly and was maneuverable.

thumb|250px|IAR 80 cockpit

A number of minor problems turned up during the prototype phase, and were dealt with over the next year. To improve power the design was updated to mount the newer IAR K14 IIIc36. However this engine was slightly heavier than the IIIc32, which required the rear fuselage to be stretched to move the center of gravity back into the proper position. The extra space in the fuselage allowed the fuel tanks to be increased in volume to . The wing was also enlarged and the tail was revised to eliminate the bracing struts.

A side effect of this extreme rearward position was that the pilot had even worse forward visibility while taxiing than most other taildraggers. To address this somewhat, the pilot's seat was raised slightly and a bubble canopy was added.

The updated prototype was tested competitively against the Heinkel He 112, which had arrived in Romania as the start of a potentially large order. Although the He 112 was more heavily armed with two machine guns and two 20 mm cannon, the IAR 80 proved to be a better design and the ARR ordered 100 IAR 80s in December 1939 while only 30 He 112s were accepted. The government in Bucharest ordered another 100 IAR 80s in August 1940. Further orders for batches of 50 IAR 80s followed on 5 September 1941 and 11 April 1942, then another 100 on 28 May 1942, to be followed by 35 of the IAR 81C development in February 1943, with a further 15 in January 1944. The first aircraft began production in January 1940, and by 10 July the first IAR 80 took flight, followed by the 2nd on 19 July. The first five aircraft were ready to be delivered in November, with the first batch of 20 being delivered by the middle of February 1941. By April, all 50 initially ordered IAR 80s were delivered.

Operational history

thumb|"Hero shot" of an IAR-80 pilot with his aircraft

When Operation Barbarossa started, the IAR 80 equipped Esc. 41, 59 and 60 of Grupul 8 Vânătoare (8th Fighter Group), part of the Gruparea Aerienă de Luptă (GAL), that were tasked to support the Romanian 3rd and 4th Armies deployed at the southern flank of the Eastern Front.

8th Group was the only unit assigned a pure fighter role, while 5th and 7th Groups, equipped with German aircraft (Heinkel He 112s and Messerschmitt Bf 109s) were employed primarily as fighter-bombers and bomber escorts.

On 22 June 1941, during the first day of the offensive, the IAR 80 patrols had their baptism of fire, achieving a single aerial victory (claimed by Sublocotenent aviator Ioan Mihăilescu of Esc 60 Vânătoare, a future ace) during four separate air combats. However, at least four IARs force landed with battle damage, while another two suffered engine trouble. By the end of 1941, 20 IAR 80/81s had been lost in combat or accidents. During 1942 the Romanian aviation industry reached its highest output so that the Royal Romanian Air Force could be re-equipped as follows: Esc. 47, 48 and 52 (Grupul 9 Vânătoare), Esc. 43, 44 and 50 (Grupul 3 Vânătoare) and Esc. 41, 42 and 60 (Grupul 8 Vânătoare) received the new IAR 80A. Esc. 53 also replaced its Hurricanes with the IAR 80A, while Grupul 6 Bopi (Bombardament în Picaj - Dive Bombing) re-equipped with the IAR 81.

In June 1942, the operational IAR fighter forces on the eastern front, combined into the Flotilla 2 Vânătoare consisted of Grupul 8 Vânătoare, commanded by Cdr. Lt Col E. Pîrvulescu, and included Escadrila 41, Escadrila 42 and Escadrila 60 with 12 IAR 80As each. During the Battle of Stalingrad, on 12 September, the 8th Fighter Group's IAR 80Bs (along with the 7th Fighter Group's Bf 109s) claimed to have shot down seven Yaks but they lost two IARs.

Grupul 8 moved at the end of September, to Karpovka, joining Grupul 7, equipped with Bf 109s. On 12 and 13 December, Grupul 6 used its IAR 81s to support the German counterattack by the Panzergruppe Hoth of the Heeresgruppe Don, from Kotelnikovo towards Stalingrad.

In the summer of 1943 the ARR's IAR 80s were transferred to Romania for air defense duties, where they were used in combat against the United States Air Force. USAAF attacks were directed at the oil refineries installation around Ploiești, in particular. On 1 August 1943 the IAR 80 faced the Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber for the first time. There were 178 B-24s from 9th USAAF, part of Operation Tidal Wave. The IAR 80Bs of Escadrila 61 and 62 of Grupul 6 Vânătoare, as well as IAR 80Cs from the newly formed Escadrila 45 of Grupul 4 Vânătoare, together with the Bf 109Gs from Esc. 53 and Bf 110s from the Romanian night fighter squadron, dived on the low-flying, four-engined bombers, belonging to five USAAF bomber groups (the 44th, 93rd, 98th, 376th and 389th). The Americans lost – in combat or on the way back – 51 bombers. Only 89 reached their bases, of which only 31 were serviceable for a mission the next day. The Romanian pilots claimed 25 certain and probable victories for just two losses,

On 21 April 1944, IAR 81Cs of the 1st, 2nd, and 6th Fighter Groups took off to intercept B-17 and B-24 bombers which were targeting the Bucharest marshalling yard. While attacking the bombers, the Romanian fighters were engaged at high altitude by the escorting P-51 Mustangs of the 31st Fighter Group. In the aftermath of the air battle, the ARR lost 14 IAR 80s and 11 pilots were killed, while the Americans reported 10 aircraft lost.

thumb|Abandoned IAR 81C no. 411 being inspected by Soviets

On 10 June 1944, IAR 80s took part in a major air battle when the USAAF attacked Ploiești with 38 P-38 Lightnings of the 82nd Fighter Group carrying one bomb each, escorted by 39 Lightnings of the 1st and 82 FGs. The IAR 81Cs from Grupul 6, as well as the German fighters from I./JG 53 and 2./JG 77, intercepted the large American formation. Romanian pilot Dan Vizanty, commander of Grupul 6, recalled later:

The USAAF lost 22 P-38s on that day, The Romanians claimed 24 victories, suffering three losses. The Americans claimed 11 victories. Hatch saw two IAR 81Cs hit the ground after taking fire from his guns, and his fellow pilots confirmed three more kills from his guns. Three of his victories were confirmed by gun camera, while the other two by his wingman, making Hatch an ace in a day. However, the outnumbered 71st Fighter Squadron lost nine aircraft. The Americans never again repeated the P-38 dive-bombing mission profile over Romania. But during 1944 USAAF aircraft appeared over Romania in more significant numbers. Many air combats occurred and by the time of their last encounter with the USAAF on 3 July 1944, pilots of Grupul 6 vânătoare had submitted 87 confirmed and ten unconfirmed claims. Casualties among the Romanian fighter pilots quickly mounted too. The three IAR 80/81 groups (the 1st, 2nd and 6th) in a period of less than four months – known as the "American Campaign" – had at least 32 IAR pilots killed in action, including 11 aces. These losses exceeded the number of casualties suffered in the previous two and a half years of fighting against the Soviets. Because of heavy losses, all IAR 80/81 units were withdrawn from combat against Americans in July 1944 and IAR pilots started to convert to the more modern Bf 109G-6s. Another IAR 80 static replica can be found at the National Aviation Museum at the defunct Pipera Airport in Bucharest, which was rebuilt from IAR 80DC two-seat trainer parts. As of 2017 few attempts have been initiated to produce an airworthy accurate replica of the IAR 80 based on existing factory documentation and recovered components. A flying IAR 80 is still to be seen. Since 2020, the Fly Again volunteer association is currently developing an airworthy replica of the IAR 80 which will be named IAR 80FA (Fly Again) and will carry the board number 451, where the original production left off.

In fiction

The IAR 80 appears in the historical fiction book Eighty Flights of a Not-So-Much-Of-A-Fighter-Pilot by Cătălin Pogaci.

Operators

thumb|IAR 80 replica at the National Aviation Museum in the markings of the 53rd Fighter Squadron

;

  • Royal Romanian Air Force
  • 1st Fighter Group received IAR 80C aircraft in October 1943.
  • 43rd Fighter Squadron
  • 63rd Fighter Squadron
  • 64th Fighter Squadron
  • 2nd Fighter Group
  • 65th Fighter Squadron
  • 66th Fighter Squadron
  • 67th Fighter Squadron
  • 50th Fighter Squadron
  • 3rd Fighter Group received IAR 80A aircraft in August 1942.
  • 41st Fighter Squadron
  • 44th Fighter Squadron
  • 49th Fighter Squadron based at Târgșor.
  • 4th Fighter Group received IAR 80A aircraft in July 1942. In early 1943 was reequipped with IAR 80Cs.
  • 45th Fighter Squadron based at Cetatea Albă.
  • 46th Fighter Squadron based at Cetatea Albă.
  • 5th Fighter Group operated IAR 81C aircraft.
  • 51st Dive Bomber Squadron
  • 52nd Fighter Squadron
  • 53rd Fighter Squadron operated IAR 80A aircraft in late 1942.
  • 6th Fighter Group started training on IAR 80 aircraft since 27 September 1941 and in January 1942 conversion to IAR 81 begun.
  • 59th Fighter Squadron
  • 60th Fighter Squadron
  • 61st Dive Bomber Squadron
  • 62nd Dive Bomber Squadron
  • 7th Fighter Group received IAR 81C aircraft in October 1943.
  • 56th Fighter Squadron
  • 57th Fighter Squadron
  • 58th Fighter Squadron
  • 8th Fighter Group received first IAR 80 aircraft in February 1941. In April 1943 was transformed into 8th Assault Group and reequipped with Henschel Hs 129Bs.
  • 41st Fighter Squadron
  • 42/52nd Fighter Squadron received first IAR 80s aircraft in July 1941.
  • 59th Fighter Squadron received first six IAR 80s aircraft in September 1941.
  • 9th Fighter Group was formed in April 1942 and received IAR 80A aircraft. In April 1943 unit was reequipped with Bf 109Gs.
  • 47th Fighter Squadron
  • 48th Fighter Squadron
  • 56th Fighter Squadron
  • Romanian Air Force – Postwar.

Specifications (IAR 81C)

thumb|IAR-80 3-view drawings

See also

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

Attribution: This article is based on the original by Wikipedia editor Maury Markowitz at IAR 80.

  • Angelucci, Enzo and Paolo Matricardi. World Aircraft: World War II, Volume I (Sampson Low Guides). Maidenhead, UK: Sampson Low, 1978.
  • Antoniu, Dan and George Cicos. IAR 80: 'Le Heros meconnu. Paris, France: TMA Editions, 2008. .
  • Antoniu, Dan and George Cicos. Vânătorul IAR-80 – istoria unui erou necunoscut (IAR-80 Fighter: The History of An Unknown Hero) (in Romanian). București, Romania: Editura Modelism International, 2000.
  • Bergström, Christer – Andrey Dikov – Vlad Antipov Black Cross Red Star – Air War over the Eastern Front Volume 3 – Everything for Stalingrad. Hamilton MA, Eagle Editions, 2006. .
  • Bernád, Dénes. Rumanian Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces 54). Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2003. .
  • Bernád, Dénes. Rumanian Air Force: The Prime Decade, 1938–1947. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc, 1999. .
  • Crăciunoiu, Cristian and Jean-Louis Roba. Romanian Aeronautics in the Second World War, 1941–1945 (bilingual Romanian/English). București, Romania: Editura Modelism International Ltd, 2003. .
  • Brînzan, Radu. Vânător, Romanian Hunter, The I.A.R.80 and I.A.R.81 in Ultimate Detail, Mushroom Model Publications 2014. .
  • Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Three: Fighters. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers), 1961. .
  • Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "The I.A.R. 80... An Elegant Romanian." Air International, Vol 38:5, May 1990.
  • Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "The Polygenetic Rumanian." Air International, Vol 11:1, July 1976.
  • Hatch, Herbert. An Ace and his Angel: Memoirs of a World War II Fighter Pilot. Nashville, Tennessee: Turner Publishing Company, 2000. .
  • Konarski, Mariusz and Zenon Picko. IAR-80/81 (in Polish). Gdynia, Poland: Hawk Publications, 1991.
  • Kutta, Timothy J. "IAR 80: Romania's Indigenous Fighter Plane." World War Two Magazine, May 1996.
  • Neulen, Hans Werner. In the Skies of Europe. Ramsbury, Marlborough, UK: The Crowood Press, 2000. .

Further reading

  • Brînzan, Radu. The I.A.R. 80 & I.A.R. 81: Airframe, Systems & Equipment. Aviation Guide N° 3. Bedford, United Kingdom: SAM Publications, 2011. .
  • IAR 80 at historynet.com
  • IAR 80 at worldwar2.ro
  • The I.A.R.80 Story
  • Doru Sicoe, "Camouflage & Markings: IAR 80/81 – Romania's Best Fighter" (with artwork by Bogdan Patrascu), January–February 2005, IPMSStockholm.org Magazine.
  • Dan Antoniu and George Cicos, "Modeller's Guide to IAR 80/81 Variants" , March–April 2005, IPMSStockholm.org Magazine.
  • The Hodgepodge from Romania: The Story of the IAR 80 and 81, Jason Long, World War II (magazine)
  • "I.A.R.80 REDIVIVUS"