Intended to replace the Gloster Meteor F.Mk 4s in service with the Argentine air force, the I.Ae.33 Pulqui II (Arrow II) was designed by a team headed by Germany's brilliant Dr Kurt Tank. Not surprisingly, it embodied some of the results of the advanced research carried out in Germany during World War II, incorporating a shoulder-mounted wing with 40° of sweep-back, and a T-tail with all-swept surfaces. Landing gear was of retractable tricycle-type and power provided by a Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet mounted in the rear fuselage. The pilot was accommodated on an ejection-seat in a pressurised cockpit, protected by armour and a bulletproof windscreen, and enclosed by a sliding canopy that could be jettisoned in emergency.

The first of four-flying prototypes made its maiden flight on 27 June 1950 but it was not until 18 September 1959 that the last was flown. In the intervening period the first prototype had crashed and Dr Tank and his team had left Argentina. These factors, coupled with serious financial problems, meant that development came to an end.

3-View

A three-view drawing (1660 x 1143)