IAR-93

Retirement

Following the outbreak of the war in Yugoslavia and the UN embargo, the IAR-93 program ended in Romania in 1992, with several airframes in different stages of construction.

Around 75 aircraft were still in service, a few of them being used for testing and research (#200 - first B model with afterburners, #600 (DC) - the only one fitted with canards).

The last IAR-93s were withdrawn and mothballed from the Romanian Air Force in 1998. Surviving airframes are stored at Deveselu (IAR-93A #116), Timisoara (IAR-93MB #214), and Craiova (about 60 aircraft), not flight worthy (engines and other equipment removed) and most of them are up for sale.

Apparently 20 of them were scrapped until 2006, with the rest awaiting the same fate in 2007.

The J-22 Orao are still in service with the air force of Serbia. The last Yugoslav aircraft was delivered in February 1992, and the plant in Mostar was destroyed shortly after.

Specifications (IAR-93B)

Data from Avioane Craiova SA, INCAS

General characteristics

Crew: 1

Payload: 2,500 kg (5,512 lb)

Length: 14.90 m (48 ft 10 in)

Wingspan: 9.30 m (30 ft 6 in)

Height: 4.52 m (14 ft 10 in)

Wing area: 26.0 m² (280 ft²)

Airfoil: NACA 65A-008 (modified)

Empty weight: 5,750 kg (12,676 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 10,900 kg (22,030 lb)

Powerplant: 2 × Turbomecanica/Orao-built Rolls-Royce Viper Mk 633-47 afterburning turbojets

Dry thrust: 17.79 kN (4,000 lbf) each

Thrust with afterburner: 22.24 kN (5,000 lbf) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 1,089 km/h (680 mph)

Cruise speed: 1,086 km/h (675 mph)

Stall speed: 274 km/h (171 mph)

Range: 1,320 km (825 miles)

Service ceiling: 13,600 m (44,608 ft)

Rate of climb: 3,900 m/min (12,800 ft/min)

Wing loading: 419.2 kg/m² (85.9 lb/ft²)

Armament


2 x 23 mm GSh-23L twin-barrel cannon in lower front fuselage, below engine air intakes, with 200 rds/gun; gun camera and GEC-Marconi D282 gyro gunsight
up to 2,500 kg (5,511 lb) on 5 pylons

BM 500 bomb

BEM 250 bomb

BE 100 bomb

LPR 122 rocket launcher

LPR 57 rocket launcher

PRN 80 rocket launcher

AA-2 Atoll / R-3S AAM (license-built in Romania as A-91) - only on some IAR-93B
only on the J-22

BL755 cluster bombs

AGM-65 Maverick TV guided AGM

AS-7 Kerry / Kh-23 Grom AGM

AA-8 'Aphid' AAM

Avionics

VHF/UHF air-to-air and air-to-ground radio (20W transmission power)
gyro unit (Honeywell SGP500 twin-gyro platform in ORAO)

radio altimeter

ADF

radio compass and marker receiver

IFF (IAR-93B only)

GEC-Marconi three-axis stability augmentation system, incorporating a basic bank/altitude hold autopilot and emergency wings-level facility