DINFIA IA 38

The DINFIA IA 38 was a 1960s Argentine four-engine experimental tailless transport, designed under the direction of Reimar Horten and based on the German Horten Ho VIII project and built by the DINFIA.

Development
The IA 38 was an experimental cargo transport based on research by Reimar Horten. It was an all-metal tailless shoulder-wing swept monoplane, with the vertical control surfaces instead located near the tips of the wings. The short, stubby fuselage was fitted with retractable tricycle landing gear. Power was provided by four I.Ae. 16 El Gaucho radial engines mounted within the wings and driving pusher propellers mounted clear of the wing trailing edge. The two-man cockpit was faired into the leading edge of the wing. A cargo compartment within and below the wing was capable of carrying 6100kg (13,448lb) of freight using a rear access door.

The prototype was completed in 1959, however problems with engine cooling delayed the first flight to 9 December 1960. Horten was forced to use the IA 16 engines which were below the power rating of the intended powerplants. As a result, the craft was severely underpowered and showed a poor performance.

After the project was cancelled, the IA 38 found its way into the grounds of the Aeronautical School, where it was used as a static display until a fire destroyed the aircraft's skin (suspected to have been an act of arson). The remains of the plane were scrapped afterwards.