Questions about IAR-80/81 types

Some questions for those more knowledgeable in ARR:

1) Was IAR-81A ever used as intended (ground attack plane) or just used as IAR-80B? There were only 10 of this variant?

2) What is the story of IAR-81B ? Were they used as fighters only under the designation of IAR-80C?

3) Was IAR-81C ever armed with bombs for use on ground attack missions or was used only as fighter? When did IAR-81C entered service?

1) There was no I.A.R.81-A
This was meant as a 81 armed with 13.2 FN Browning machine guns. They were planned but none were produced.

2) There was no I.A.R.81-B
This was mant to be a 81 armed with 20mm Ikaria MG FF cannons. They were planned but none were produced.

3) There is ample photographic evidence that most (if not all) I.A.R.81-C left the factory equipped with bomb-carrying equipment. However, they were never used as dive-bombers (and there is no record of such) and the under-fuselage bomb carrier was often removed (although some survived all the way to the scrap-heap thus equipped). The main problems with using the 81-C as a bomber was that the heavy armament and ammunition increased the wing load to such an extent that adding bombs would actually bring the wing load factor beyond what was deemed "safe". There is an official report stating that.
The first I.A.R,81-C, No.301 was completed in January 1943. No.302, the next airframe, was completed in March 1943, at which point production switched over to I.A.R.81-C only.

No.301 was used for a number of tests after it was completed and it joined Esc.61Vt in the summer of 1943. No. 302 joined Esc.59Vt. during ther summer of 1943 also.

HTH
Radu

This post has been edited by Radub on January 12, 2012 07:13 pm

Thanks for answer. So the only IAR which was employed as ground attack aircraft was the original IAR-81, armed with 6 7.92 MGs and bombs, correct?

What about the variants of IAR-80: A, B and C. Which of these did exists and were operational?

C'mon Dragos, this is basic stuff!

Gen. Dénes

I admit, my ARR knowledge lacks
The ARR section of the site is Victor's stuff

Yes, only the six-gun I.A.R.81 was ever used as a dive bomber.
I.A.R.80-A was a fighter with 6x7.92mm machine guns.
I.A.R.80-B was a fighter with 4x7.92mm + 2x13.2mm machine guns.
I.A.R.80-C was a fighter with 4x7.92mm machine guns and 2x20mm Ikaria MG FF cannons.
HTH
Radu

And two more questions:

1) Were there any notable differences between IAR-80 A, B and C models except armament? Any armor upgrades or performance boost?

2) Was there any difference between IAR-80C and IAR-81C except the unused bomb rack for the latter?

Thanks!

1. The main external difference between the A,B and C was the weapons, the different weapons had different access panels.

Some changes happened during the production run of the B types when the fuselage was extended by 70mm ahead of the firewall strating with No.200 and then the wings were extended to 11 metres starting with No.212.

Then during the production run of the C-types, starting with No.251 a second oil cooler was added in the left wing.

The engine stayed the same all the way through, so as the increased firepower made the machine increasingly heavier, there was a drop in performance. The 81-C was the pinnacle where a reasonably good balance was struck between firepower and engine power.

2. The 80-C and the 81-C were quite different. The 80-C had a bigger punch with 4x7.92mm machine guns and 2x20mm MG FF cannons, but it had less ammunition on board. The 81-C had 2x20mm MG151/20 cannons and 2x7.92mm machine guns but could carry more ammunition. The MG FF and the MG151/20 were very diffent, with the latter being better and less prone to jamming. Also, the MG151/20 protruded much more out of the wings.
Also, the 81-C was fitted with an internal armoured glass panel n the windsceen that gave it a bit more protection.

HTH
Radu

Many thanks Radu!

And the last questions: when did 81-C entered service ?

Radu just answered to that question

Sorry, I didn't look back

The first I.A.R.81-C joined operational units in the summer of 1943. They were produced at a n average rate of approximately 10 per month after March 1943 - there were months when less or more were produced as well as two months when none were produced at all. After completion, each airframe spent a few weeks (up to six/eight weeks) undergoing "reception" flights and tests. Production ceased in May 1944 when the factory was damaged in the USAF bombing.
So, the I.A.R.81-C entered "operational service" in small numbers in the summer of 1943, but it became available in significant numbers only in the late half of 1943/first half of 1944.
Radu

From the large garden of the InterNet :

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2005...ofile_iar80.htm

http://rumaniamilitary.wordpress.com/tag/iar-81/

On many links you can find info about IAR 81A or IAR 81B but the info is misleading. It is not mentioned that they were only planned, never produced, as Radu said.

I also have 2 questions
1 How many IAR 80/81 were actually built? As far as i know the serie numbers reached 450 but many machines were upgrated and after received a new number.

2 I've read somewhere that iar 80 C were patrolling over Black Sea with the 2 50 Kg bombs even late in the war as an antisubmarine measure. Is it true?

Have a good day all of you!