IAR-80 was the most famous Romanian fighter aircraft during the World War II.
The Romanian IAR-80 fighter aircraft project was initiated in 1937, as a private venture, at the aircraft factory in Brasov IAR (Industria Aeronautica Romana).
The first prototype was manufactured in spring 1938 and performed the maiden flight in 1939. This prototype had an open cockpit and was armed with two Browning FN 7.92 mm machine guns mounted on the wings. The engine equipping the aircraft was type IAR K14 II C32 870 HP.
The Romanian Government ordered 100 aircraft of this type at the end of 1939 and other 100 aircraft in 1940. Delivery started in February 1940, with the aircraft equipped with 960 HP engines (IAR K-14 III C-36) and armed with four Browning FN machine guns (2,400 7.92 mm rounds in total). Later on, new K-14-1000 (1025 HP) was installed as well as two additional machine guns.
The production improvements after the first 200 aircraft included:
13.2 mm machine guns
20 mm guns (Icaria/Oerlikon)
bomb mounts (up to 225 kg bomb) for the diver bomber versions
Specifications
- Dimensions: wingspan 10.0?10.7 m (32 ft 1 in)
- length 8.9 m (32 ft)
- height 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in)
- Powerplant: K14-1000 14 cylinder air-cooled double-row radial, 1,000 hp
- Max. speed: 510 km/h (317 mph) at 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
- Range: 940 km
- Climb to 1,000 m: 1 min. 20 sec.
- Climb to 4,000 m: 5 min. 40 sec.
- Ceiling: 10,500 m (34,500 ft)
- Armament: IAR-80B: 4 x FN 7.92 mm guns, 2 x 13.2 mm cannon
- Number built: 346 (IAR-81 diver-bomber included)