On 18 November 2017 in the Acad. Virgiliu Constantinescu amphitheater, professors and students of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering met Eng. Pilot Gabriel Iancic, President of the IAR AMERICAN organization and Eng. Sorin Ploscaru, aircraft designer. IAR AMERICAN presented an ambitious project, highly significant for the Romanian aviation: redesigning and manufacturing of a IAR-80 aircraft to fly again. This aircraft represents the peak of the Romanian aeronautical industry in its peak era, before and during WWII. In the same time, the IAR-80 fighter plane is representative for the numerous air victories won by the Romanian Royal Air Force in the war during 1941-1944 against Russian (Soviet) airplanes in the Barbarossa Operation, against American bombers and fighters in the Tidal Wave Operation, and against the German Luftwaffe, defending the country after the Royal Coup of 23 August 1944.

Gabriel Iancic is alumnus 1997 of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, specialization On Board Equipment and Installations. He lives in Canada since 2000 and is a frequent presence at the North American air shows, flying a number of sports aircraft, experimental, historic, both replicas and original aircraft. He is passionate of both flying and the technical side. Even since he was still in Romania, he repaired and released for flight a Zlin Z-726 which had been damaged in an accident. This continued to fly within the Romanian Airclub, based at the Pitești Geamăna Aerodrome. During a visit to Romania, Gabriel Iancic met a number of experts in aviation history, engineers, technicians from the old generations, who were at IAR Brașov in the pre-WWII era, with pilots of the Romanian Royal Air Force who have actually flown the IAR-80. The photo taken in November 2017 shows Air Brigade General (Ret) Pilot Ion Dobran, air Ace with 10 war victories, together with Eng. Gabriel Iancic. The air hero who won respect equally from Russian, American, and German pilots approaches his Centenary Anniversary. The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering wishes him good health and strength to continue to inspire our young for high performance aviation.

Unfortunately, from the 460 IAR-80/81 units manufactured in 1940-1944, not a single one survived destruction. The replicas exposed at the Aviation Museum and Military Museum in Bucharest have a rather symbolic and artistic value, lacking technical accuracy. Otherwise, most plans, drawings and original manufacturing documentation were lost. There is a possibility that an IAR-80 unit still exists, sunk in the Black Sea, in the Odessa region, but such a search and recovery operation could be extremely expensive.

The IAR-80/81 plane was designed by Prof. Dr. Eng. Ion Grosu, who was equally a graduate and a professor of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. The weaponry and manufacturing were done unde the command of  Eng. Mircea Grossu-Viziru. The engine was designed and manufactured by Eng. Teodor Gârneț.

The IAR AMERICAN organization took the road of recovering as many original drawings as possible, manufacturing documentation, and targets the design of a new IAR-80, as close as possible to the original, but using current design technology and modern materials. Here, the students of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering are expected to help. The young people showed their interest and understood the challenge. The students were encouraged by the the presence of professors Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eng. Octavian Thor Pleter, Lect. Dr. Eng. Grigore Cican,  Lect. Dr. Eng. Mihai Barbelian, and Assoc. Assistant Eng. Arnau Cubillo.

Finally, the participants visited the Piston Engine Laboratory of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, where one of the few original IAR-80 engines, the 14-cylinder Double Star K14-IV C32 of 920 HP is maintained.

 

 

 

0 Comments

Engineers Openings Tarom

  Courtesy of our Alumnus Eng. Constantin Petrescu, we inform you that the National Company TAROM recruits engineers. More details: https://www.tarom.ro/sites/default/files/u1348/anunt_recrutare_ing_ap_bord_0.pdf...

Dean 2020-2024 Contest

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering of the University Politehnica of Bucharest announces the public contest for the position of Dean in the 2020-2024 mandate. Applicants should submit applications on 6-7 January 2020. UPB staff or any other university staff from...

Faculty Office Special Schedule

During Winter Holidays (14 December 2019 – 5 January 2020) the Faculty Office is closed. For urgent matters please address an email to inginerie.aerospatiala@upb.ro. We wish you Merry Christmas and the Best New Year!    

HYPER @ UCF

Students from UPB/FIA are invited to apply for a DoD sponsored research internship at the University of Central Florida. The details of the invitation can be found below. Dear Sterian,   Because of your strong connection with undergraduate students who may pursue...

Events of the French Institute in Bucharest

Tuesday, 19 November 2019, French Institute in Bucharest, 7 pm. Projection of the movie 16 levers de soleil will be followed by a debate with Ms. Mioara Mandea from the National center for Space Studies of  France (CNES) and Marius Piso of the Romanian Space Agency....

DiscoverEU

DiscoverEU winter round registrations will start on Thursday, November 7, 2019 at 12:00 pm (CET) and will end on Thursday, November 28, 2019 at 12:00 pm (CET). DiscoverEU is an initiative of the European Union that gives you the opportunity to discover Europe through...

Erasmus 2020

  The interview for the ERASMUS competition will take place on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, from 1 pm to 3 pm, at the faculty office. UPDATE 31/10/2019: Results are available here.  

Student Contests in Aeronautics and Astronautics

UPB Faculty of Aerospace Engineering has a tradition of participating in student contests in the fields of aeronautics and astronautics. We encourage the current students to engage in these activities. All students who want to participate in student competitions as...

International Students Welcome Day

  Politehnica University of Bucharest organizes the ISWD event dedicated to foreign students: International Students Welcome Day. The event will take place on Monday, October 21st, 10.00, in the amphitheatre Radu Voinea (Rectorate building), with the following...