Wings of Argentina

A detailed history of Argentina's FAdeA, its pioneering jets, designers, and aircraft from 1927 to today.

The Argentinian Aircraft Factory, Fábrica Argentina de Aviones SA (FAdeA), is Argentina's main aircraft manufacturer. Founded in 1927 and located in Córdoba for most of its existence it was known as Fábrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) until its privatisation in the 1990s when it became part of Lockheed Martin. In 2009, it was renationalised and the company is now once again wholly owned by the Argentine government.

Initially, the factory produced aircraft built under licence from companies such as Avro but it is best known for making the first jet fighter aircraft in Latin America: the Pulqui I (1947) and the Pulqui II (1950) under the director of engineers Emile Dewoitine and Kurt Tank respectively. The post World War Two era was a particularly interesting one at the FAdeA with creative and innovative designers such as Reimar Horten being involved with the business.

This book is a history of the company and the aircraft it produced from the 1920s to the present day. It covers all the aircraft that were produced by the company, both those built under licence and original designs. It also examines the many projects and prototypes which were developed over the years. For all those with an interest in some of the less well-known aspects of aviation history, this book will be a revelation.