The IAe 33 Pulqui II was a prototype Argentinian jet fighter, one of the most advanced in the world at the time.

Gallery:

Features:

• Blueprint recreation of the real aircraft
• Fairly realistic performance
• XML edited weapons (Hispano cannons)
• Custom landing gear with nose wheel steering
• Custom airbrake
• Custom canopy view

Nonstandard Controls:

• AG 8 for lights
• VTOL for flaps
• Trim for trim
• Yaw for nose wheel steering

Notes:

• Fly with mouse as joystick
• Don’t mirror it
• This reproduction is based on the fifth prototype
• Very happy with how this one turned out, wings and control surfaces were a bit of a pain but it worked out in the end

Background:

The Pulqui II has quite a storied history for a prototype aircraft. After World War II, a number of German aerospace engineers fled to Argentina, including Kurt Tank. Tank had previously worked at Focke-Wulf as the lead designer for the Fw 190, Ta 152, and others. Tank was hired by the Argentinian government to design a modern jet fighter. He based his aircraft on the Ta 183, an unbuilt, late war design that also influenced the MiG-15 to some degree.

The project was ambitious, featuring swept wings and the famous Rolls-Royce Nene engine. The first prototype flew in 1950 with promising performance, comparable to the famous F-86 and MiG-15. There was even some foreign interest in purchasing the Pulqui II. But the aircraft had a number of teething issues. Argentina lacked experience building jet aircraft, and did not have the precision machining tools to mass produce them. Five prototypes were constructed, four of which crashed. One prototype even saw combat service during a coup.

Technical, political, and economic challenges brought about the end of the program, with the Argentine government opting instead to purchase F-86 Sabres. Today, one Pulqui II survives, on display at the Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica de Argentina.