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Description
Hello again! Here is another illustration that is some time old. A Romanian IAR-81 against a p-38 Lightning over the skies of Ploesti.

The IAR is one of the most curious and original aircrafts that participated during the second world war. This aircraft was born out of the Romanian high command's need, during the 1930s, to provide the army with a new fighter adapted to modern times and produced domestically, in order to stop depending on other countries.

In 1939, the engineers of the Romanian Aeronautical Industry (IRA in Romanian) presented a monoplane fighter model that surprised both the high command and international observers. It was fast, agile and, although somewhat weakly armed, could stand up to its monoplane counterparts from other countries.

With Romania's entry into WW2, its first combat experience was over the skies above Stalingrad, facing Soviet fighters. After Stalingrad, the IAR-81 version was introduced, armed with two haevy guns and the ability to drop several bombs, fulfilling the role of dive bomber.

In 1944, with the Soviets almost at the border, the IAR was assigned to protect against American bombers bombing the Ploesti oil fields. In one of the encounters between enemy aircraft, a group of P-38 heavy fighters engaged a squadron of IAR 80 and 81, with the latter emerging victorious. The Romanian IARs were able to claim 22 American casualties.

The IAR, although an ethnologically backward aircraft in 1945, ended the war being recognised by the Allies as a good fighter. After the war these aircraft were relegated to trainer roles and were withdrawn from 1952 onwards.

Technical characteristics:

Crew: 1
Length: 8.97 m (29 ft 5 in)
Wingspan: 11 m (36 ft 1 in)
Height: 3.600 m (11 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 17 m2 (180 sq ft)
Empty weight: 2,200 kg (4,850 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 3,030 kg (6,680 lb)
Fuel capacity: 230 kg (510 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × IAR K14-IV C32 1000A 14-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial piston engine, 750 kW (1,000 hp)
Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propeller
Performance

Maximum speed: 510 km/h (320 mph, 280 kn) 524 Km/h at 5,350 m in tests of IAR 80 Nr.2 on 16.12.1940
Range: 730 km (450 mi, 390 nmi) on internal fuel only
Ferry range: 1,330 km (830 mi, 720 nmi) with extra fuel tanks
Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
Time to altitude: 4'41" - 7'00" to 5,000 meters (depending on variant)
Wing loading: 132.35 kg/m2 (27.11 lb/sq ft)
Armament
Guns: 2 × 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151/20 cannon and 4 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) FN-Browning machine guns mounted in the inner portion of the wing
Bombs: one 250 kg (550 lb) SC250 bomb under the fuselage and/or 2 x 50 kg (110 lb) SC50 bombs under the wings.

Description
Hello again! Here is another illustration that is some time old. A Romanian IAR-81 against a p-38 Lightning over the skies of Ploesti.

The IAR is one of the most curious and original aircrafts that participated during the second world war. This aircraft was born out of the Romanian high command's need, during the 1930s, to provide the army with a new fighter adapted to modern times and produced domestically, in order to stop depending on other countries.

In 1939, the engineers of the Romanian Aeronautical Industry (IRA in Romanian) presented a monoplane fighter model that surprised both the high command and international observers. It was fast, agile and, although somewhat weakly armed, could stand up to its monoplane counterparts from other countries.

With Romania's entry into WW2, its first combat experience was over the skies above Stalingrad, facing Soviet fighters. After Stalingrad, the IAR-81 version was introduced, armed with two haevy guns and the ability to drop several bombs, fulfilling the role of dive bomber.

In 1944, with the Soviets almost at the border, the IAR was assigned to protect against American bombers bombing the Ploesti oil fields. In one of the encounters between enemy aircraft, a group of P-38 heavy fighters engaged a squadron of IAR 80 and 81, with the latter emerging victorious. The Romanian IARs were able to claim 22 American casualties.

The IAR, although an ethnologically backward aircraft in 1945, ended the war being recognised by the Allies as a good fighter. After the war these aircraft were relegated to trainer roles and were withdrawn from 1952 onwards.

Technical characteristics:

Crew: 1
Length: 8.97 m (29 ft 5 in)
Wingspan: 11 m (36 ft 1 in)
Height: 3.600 m (11 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 17 m2 (180 sq ft)
Empty weight: 2,200 kg (4,850 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 3,030 kg (6,680 lb)
Fuel capacity: 230 kg (510 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × IAR K14-IV C32 1000A 14-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial piston engine, 750 kW (1,000 hp)
Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propeller
Performance

Maximum speed: 510 km/h (320 mph, 280 kn) 524 Km/h at 5,350 m in tests of IAR 80 Nr.2 on 16.12.1940
Range: 730 km (450 mi, 390 nmi) on internal fuel only
Ferry range: 1,330 km (830 mi, 720 nmi) with extra fuel tanks
Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
Time to altitude: 4'41" - 7'00" to 5,000 meters (depending on variant)
Wing loading: 132.35 kg/m2 (27.11 lb/sq ft)
Armament
Guns: 2 × 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151/20 cannon and 4 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) FN-Browning machine guns mounted in the inner portion of the wing
Bombs: one 250 kg (550 lb) SC250 bomb under the fuselage and/or 2 x 50 kg (110 lb) SC50 bombs under the wings.