Aero Vodochody to take over IAR

Igor Hulak, president of the Czech company Aero Vodochody, has visited on Tuesday IAR Ghimbav and carried on discussions with the administration and trade unions. Aero Vodochody is the single company that remained in race for taking over IAR, after AVAS excluded from negotiations Marcovici Capital Ltd. Israel.

Igor Hulak stated that it was impressed by the organization of the society from Brasov. “However, the technology should be changed, starting with the production equipments and the ones that operate the chemical process or at least should be modernized the already existent ones. The investments will surely rise to about few millions of euro”, he says. “People shouldn’t be concerned because the aeronautic market has potential. We want to set up a centre in the domain of aeronautic production in the Southern-Eastern Europe”, Igor Hulak states. He added that he doesn’t intend on transforming the plant from Ghimbav in a real estate business, but he comes to Brasov with the plan of developing a business in the aeronautic domain. The president Aero Vodochody showed that the Czechs continue to show interest in taking over Avioane Craiova, although their offer was rejected by the representatives of the Authorities a month ago. “We’ll see when the company will be put again in auction for privatization and we are thinking to participate again”, Hulak adds. AVAS has taken again, in April 2008 the privatization process of IAR Ghimbav, company at which the Authority owns 64,89% from the social capital.

The first airplane unit in Romania

IAR has become the “first Romanian airplane unit” , as it is written in the inauguration document since October 11, 1927. Between 1927 and 1945, at IAR were realized 25 types of aircrafts, about 1.000 devices. In 1939, IAR was among the world biggest aircrafts companies, with a productive surface of 130.000 sq and 7.000 employees, being endowed with the most modern equipments and machineries in the country. Among the achievements of IAR Brasov are being noticed the fighter planes – bomber  IAR-81, recognized at international level. The unit from Brasov has been a significant military objective during the Second World War. In the spring of 1944, IAR was bombarded twice, being destroyed in proportion of 70%, fact that directed to the dispersion of the unit.

Closed by the Soviets  

 

After the war, the URSS leadership has disposed the shut down of the aircraft plant and its transforming in a unit of tractors, concomitantly with the move of equipments and machines in URSS. Since 1945 it was started the manufacture of the first Romanian tractors IAR-22. The ones that wanted to continue the aeronautic tradition to Brasov have regrouped and set up at June 1, 1951, the Unit of Repairing Flyweel Material URMV-3. On November 1, 1959 URMV-3 has dissolved, the activity following to be transferred to Bucharest, Medias and Bacau. The machines and the staff of the glider section were taken over through the engineer Erast Berentan by the Mixed Town Enterprise Sacele. Due to the lack of space and of flight terrain for this section, that had in work an order of 15 IS-7 gliders, the engineers Iosif Silimon and Erast Berentan have taken the decision of installing the glider section of the Local Industry Brasov, to Ghimbav, on the current location of IAR, in a barrack and an administrative pavilion. Over here were built gliders type IS, the gliders and airplanes were repaired and it was set up a vehicle with air pillow and IS-9A gliders. The events from Czechoslovakia, that took place in August 1968, have determined the set up on October 1, 1968, of the Aeronautic Construction Enterprise Ghimbav-Brasov (ICA). The production continued with the manufacture and repair operations of gliders type IS, repair operations for Foka and Blanik gliders, manufacture of the aircraft prototype IS-23, manufacture of aircrafts  IAR-822, IAR-823 and IAR-824, repair operations of airplanes and structure units for the airplanes type BN-2. In 1970 there were developed the gliders IS-29D of construction completely metallic, and in 1974 series IS 28D2 and IS-28B2, till the present being produced about 600 gliders, delivered in Romania and for export. Since 1973 there were realized the training and practice machines IAR-823.

Production value increased  27 times

The manufacture of helicopters started the modernization necessity of the military and the needs of using them in civil purposes.  The orientation was for the SNIAS products, the current EUROCOPTER, respective an easy helicopter –option SA 316 Alouette III and middle helicopter - Option SA 330 PUMA. The carry on of the license program has directed to the manufacture of 161 helicopters, of which 61 for export.   A special performance was represented by the delivery for flight of the IAR-330 Puma helicopters on the route Romania - Sudan, of over 5.000 km, of which 800 km in flight over the Mediterranean Sea. During 1970 - 1980, the value of production increased more than 27 times, realizing about 100 IAR 316B Alouette helicopters, 35 IAR 330 Puma helicopters, 90 aircrafts, 200 IS-29D2 gliders, 100 IS-28B2 glider and 20 IS-28M2 motor lark. Starting with 1980, the enterprise was involved in the development program of the Romanian jet trainer IAR-99, endowed with reactive engine.

The concerns of ICA - Brasov, turned in 1991 SC IAR-SA Brasov, have orientated towards the acrobatic gliders, being manufactured the IAR-35 gliders and the easy planes IAR-46. IAR Brasov is the only producer of profile from Romania that manufactured and exported airships in own view, fulfilling the procedures of the Type Certification of the Romanian Aeronautic Authority and of the foreign authorities.
    

Helicopters in mission of maintaining peace

After 1990, IAR oriented towards the modernization of the IAR 330 helicopter. In 1991, at European level it was agreed that Romania has the right of owning 120 attack helicopters. In consequence, the Ministry of Defense has proposed to the Supreme Council of Defense the program of endowing the Romanian Military Aviation with fight helicopters. There were forecasted 25 helicopters type IAR 330 Puma that followed to be modernized with the Opto-electronic System of Research and antitank Fight - SOCAT. The program has started in 1995, and the experience of IAR SA Brasov in manufacture, maintenance and modernization of 330 Puma helicopters allowed the development with success of the development, integration and testing stages of the SOCAT systems. In September 1997 it was finalized the first prototype Puma SOCAT, and on May 26, 1998, Puma SOCAT had its first official flight. The results of modernization with the SOCAT system were appreciated by the specialists and military experts, both to the aeronautic saloons, as during the military exercises. The operational qualities were tested, also, in the missions of peace keeping in the Balkan area, to which Romania contributed with three SOCAT helicopters, during one year. The program ended in June 2005 once with the delivery of the last machine.  

IAR, recognized on international leve

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The success of SOCAT modernization represented an impulse in approaching other similar programs. Also for the Romanian Air Forces there are in progress of modernization, in similar conditions, 16 helicopters type Puma directed to the transportation mission and medical evacuation - MEDEVAC, according to the NATO standards. IAR Brasov was also selected by the Ministry of Defense for supplying three multifunctional Puma helicopters in naval version, for being operated from the board of the frigates of Major State of Romanian Naval Forces. The experience gathered till the presence in the modernization area, quality of the products and services assured to the customers and the seriousness in respecting the previous contracts determined that SC IAR SA Brasov to be designated by the Ministry of Defense from the United Arab Emirates as first-contractor for modernization of 25 Puma helicopters, in PUMA SM variant.