BASIC BUILD
Garry Tobiss examines the newly tooled quarter-scale IA-58 Pucará from Kinetic in an almost-out-of-the-box build.
Various online sources suggest the translation of the name Pucará is ‘fortress’ in the Quechua language used in South America – also the birthplace of the aircraft.
This unusual-looking type was designed and built for counter-insurgency missions by the Argentinian company Fábrica Militar de Aviones. Entering service in May 1975, the two-seat machine is armed with two 20mm cannons and four 7.62mm machine guns, but it can also carry bombs and/or rocket pods on three wing and fuselage hardpoints.
Pucarás were flown by both the Sri Lankan and Uruguayan Air Forces, but have since been retired; they are still in service with the Argentine Air Force. Several examples were captured by the British during the Falklands conflict and some of these airframes can be seen displayed in various states of restoration at UK museums.
Above: Above: There were numerous styrene parts for the cockpit, as shown by this layout of the breakdown; note the excellent moulded detail on the side consoles.
Above: Above: Moulding quality and surface detail were superb throughout – as exhibited by the fuselage and tailplane.
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