FMA SAIA 90

The FMA SAIA 90 was an air superiority aircraft designed by the FMA (Fabrica Militar de Aviones) with the collaboration of Dornier in the mid-1980s. The SAIA 90 which was the last stage of the ACA (Avión Caza Argentino) project, which was started by the Proceso de Reorganización Nacional to develop an Argentine fighter aircraft.

The three stages of the project were:
 * The IA 63 Pampa, a trainer/attack aircraft, which was the only of the three to reach production. The Vought Pampa 2000 version was entered into the US JPATS competition in the 1990s, losing to the T-6 Texan II.
 * The IA 67 Cordoba, a light attack bomber project that remained unbuilt.
 * The SAIA 90, an air superiority aircraft with minimum radar cross section, an "stealthy" aircraft.

Phases of the project
By the middle of 1980 the Fabrica Militar de Aviones and Dornier had a flowing relationship as a result of the combined development of the IA 63, and both contemplated a cooperation agreement for the production of future airplanes. This agreement called to both parties to establish a common office in the city of Córdoba, Argentina within the year for the production, marketing and associated support services of their products.

The development of a trainer was the first step of three in the strategy of Fabrica Militar de Aviones, elaborated after the development of the IA 58 Pucará by the middle of those ' 60, the steps of this strategy contemplated: Nro.1, the Pampa, Nro.2, an airplane of light transport and Nro.3, a combat airplane.

This way, the German maker gave some sketches of the preliminary design, which contemplated generic aspects for a combat airplane, that then the air force should adapt to its own requirements.

The study of the Germans foresaw some analyses that allowed to formulate those basic requirements as being: air combat under imaginary operative conditions, and characteristic of the weapons that this aircraft probably have. This way it could be defined the call of field of aerial fight.

Acting in combat
Taking as reference the Vietnam War, the combats were carried out in inferior bench marks than the 8000 mts and most pilots tried to neutralize the threat of SAM. Although in both sides they had Mach 2 airplanes, the combats got rid to speeds of among Mach 0.5 and 0.9, overcoming few times the supersonic speed.

It is probable that to those regimens they were achieved the best turn speed and the pilots surely found in those ranges a high yield of their airplane.

These parameters were taken into account in the design of the airplane to achieve high values of Mach, for what achieves a more enlarged curve of the régime of sustained turn, but the maximum values are conserved in the region transonic, in this aspect it also takes into account the load factors determined by the pilot that can define the régime of instantaneous turn.

Characteristics
According to this analysis the margins of design of the airplane should be: sustained turn speed of Mach 0.9 at 6000m of height; great capacity of acceleration among Mach 0.9 at 1.5 to 9000 m: high deceleration, independent of the relative speed; reasonable combat autonomy with integral deposits; and minimum radar silhouettes and to IR (Stealth).

Possible armament
– 1 Mauser 27mm gun with 150 cartridges. – 2 AAM InfraRed (type AIM-9 Sidewinder) – 4 AAM radar guided located under the fuselage maybe AIM-120 AMRAAM. – Up to 5000 kg of air to surface armament.

The avionics
Air to air radar on board in way to be able to detect 5m2 targets at a distance of 90 km without been detected by the enemy ECM, and it should also have capacity to make the multiple pursuit of 6 targets that could be identified with an associate IFF. For the way it attacks, air-earth, was convenient a radar able to capture the profile of the earth.

Configuration
Although it was desirable to achieve a combination of the advantages that a very loaded wing delta and little weight offers; the turn capacity to régime transonic/subsonic of one darted with small lengthening, the stability of a wing delta without line plane and the character STOL of a wing of arrow variable, was impossible to gather all these qualities in a wing.

The opposing solution of commitment for the pattern, was the continuation of the border of attack of the wings that generated a vortex of high energy and it improved the aerodynamic yield notably in big angles of incidence. Another characteristic of the design was the artificial longitudinal stability that allowed equilibrating the airplane by means of the application of positive forces on the line planes.

This way a direct wing was configured with big arrow angles, continuations in the union wing-fuselage and a double derives located before the stabilizers that it keeps certain likeness to the F/A-18C Hornet.

Engines: 2 turbofan of 5600 kg of push (possibly GE F-404) Maximum speed: About Mach 2 Weight (empty): 7.800 kg

The weight calculated for the airship was reasonably low, achieved by means of the use of compound materials. The experience of Dornier in these materials was wide (Alpha Jet and Do 228). In the proposal for this airplane suggested the use in the wing of 65% reinforced plastics with fibers of carbon (PRFC), 20% aluminum and the rest in several materials as the titanium, the front fuselage would have 60% of PRFC, the central 18% and the bottom 10%, being completed with other materials employees in the wing, and the stabilizers would have 55% of PRFC, while the fin would take 70%, the same materials would be used for the admission nozzles and the landing train. (aeroespacio 1982/83)

Terms of the project
The Fábrica Militar de Aviones estimated in about 12 to 15 years until crystallizing it from the moment the specifications they were approved, that in 1987 they were very high. In that time, the airplane would be able to replace the existent fighter fleet. The first flight of the prototype was foreseen later for 1989 and the deliveries two years later.



Looking for partners
By the middle of 1980 Fábrica Militar de Aviones, was already facing serious financial difficulties, with a deficit of U$S 50 million annually and it was in the search of partners to face diverse business that they allowed him to survive giving 49% of their property.

It was evident that the factory could not complete the project by itself and it maintained diverse contacts, such as Aermacchi-Aeritalia, McDonnell Douglas and Fairchild, with the intention of attracting a partner with whom to share the project.

Although the intention of the air force was to add McDonnell Douglas, which maintained negotiations for a possible license of production of the A-4M Skyhawk II (now, the A-4AR Fightinghawk) and another one of ejection seats for the trainer IA 63 Pampa, but the American company resisted assuming the risk, because its offer of fighters was covered.

Another possibility was explored then with Aeritalia-Aermacchi, but the financial problems that it crossed the country they made finally abandon the project.

Conclusion
The benefits for Argentina that this project would represent, as being the obtaining of machineries and technologies, and regarding structures and compound materials, such as the fibers of carbon and the titanium, they had served as industrial base to the project and Fábrica Militar de Aviones.

Specifications
Role: multirole. Crew: 1, although there also would have been a 2-seat trainer version. Length: 15.53 m. Height: 3.96 m. Wing span: 10.95 m. Wing area: 30 m². Wheelbase: 6.60 m. Empty weight: 7,800 kg. Max take-off weight: 14,500 kg. Max wing loading: 266.67 kg/m². Max speed: Mach 2.25. Max climb rate: 15,000 m/min. Ceiling: 15,000 m. Range: 3380 km. Engine: 2 GE F404 turbofan. Armament: 11 hardpoints for a total of 5.000 kg : 4 under the fuselage, 2 under each wing, 2 wingtip and 1 central harpoint. It'd also had one revolver cannon 27 mm. Avionics: air to air radar capable to detect 5m2 targets in a range of 90 km, 6-target multiple pursuit, 3D air to surface radar capable to receive the earth shape, digital flight control system, multi-function nav/attack system and secure communications. Cost: unknown but projected to be cheaper than 4.5th generation aircraft.