F.M.A. I.Aé.-35 Huanquero [AR]
Fuerza Aérea Argentina [Argentine Air Force]

Tony May
I had never heard of this aircraft before but it's very interesting looking! Was it still in service during the Falklands War/Guerra de Malvinas?

Alfredo Jurado
Ugly aircraft but very useful for photographic reconnaisance. Had a short use during Falklands war, in calibrating the runways.
Mostly used in the same reconnaisance role during the Beagle Canal conflict between Argentina and Chile, in dispute for a bunch of useless islands down at the tip of South America, close to Drake´s Passage.

Tony May
Yes, it is quite ugly, as were a lot of Kurt Tank's designs. Still it stands out as unique in several ways, like the main landing gear, the odd shape to the cockpit/nose & the vertical stabilizers that look like scaled up versions of those mounted on the He-162. (Just not tilted inward, obviously.) My first reaction to seeing it though was that it could be thought of as a lovechild between a Ju-86 & a Bristol Blenheim!

That's quite fascinating that this aircraft was still in service during the Falklands War. I had never heard of the Beagle Canal Conflict until you mentioned it which caught me off guard. As this aircraft was responsible for photo-reconnaissance prior to the cancelled invasion this COULD be included in my area of interest for construction BUT since no combat actions took place it falls into a gray area. Considering the price tag on this model kit I should probably keep my hands clear? It was over $200USD was it not? 😉

My collection includes construction of aircraft that were in service between 1930-1980. No earlier & no later, either in support of or directly involved in combat operations. (I include combat, transport, AWACS, tanker, trainer, reconnaissance, army coop aircraft, etc.) I had to draw those lines because I was falling further & further behind all of the different wars in the world. While I respect the aircraft designers, airmen & maintenance personnel of the Great War I just cannot force myself to become terribly interested in the period even though it played such an incredible role in the development of aerial warfare throughout the next century.

You included the Far South Models decal set with this project but you do not have it on your wish list? Have you since removed it from your wish list but forgot to remove it from the project? Not long ago I looked into obtaining their sheet of Bolivian markings for the Ford 5-AT-D Trimotor serving in the Chaco War. The markings I have from Blue Rider are quite plane & include no Bolivian specific markings at all. I want to see those beautiful, bold, roundels & tail flash! While I do not recall the payment method Far South Models requested it was not something I was used to & so I have abstained for the moment. Now that I look I see that you are the only other modeler on the site with this same set anywhere on your list; That's quite surprising!

Alfredo Jurado
Hi Tony... several questions and remarks to answer, and here I go...

1. Obviously, some aircraft from I.Aé (later FMA), are modified copies of some German aircraft from WWII, with the exception of the F.M.A. I.Aé.-24 Calquín, who is almost a carbon copy of the de Havilland Mosquito. Argentina was always close to Germany during WWII and is a reason why, during and after the war several Germans fled to Argentina, and southern South America (Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia). Several German engineers helped to develop the Argentine aircraft industry.

2. Actually, this was a very old conflict, and the first antecedents of the conflict date back to 1888, seven years after the signing of the Boundary Treaty, and in 1901 the first Argentine map appeared in which some of the islands in question were drawn under Argentine sovereignty. Despite the small size of the islands, their strategic value between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans led to a long conflict between the Argentina and Chile.
The conflict centered on the dispute over the sovereignty of the islands and the oceanic rights generated by them to Chile. Argentina's military government rejected the ruling, declaring it "incurably null and void." They revived then their claims as far as Cape Horn, including in the dispute part of several islands and bringing both countries to the brink of war.
The conflict reached its climax on December 22, 1978 when the Argentine Military Junta ordered Operation Sovereignty, with the invasion of the disputed islands, retracting its execution, when the clash of the Chilean Squadron and the Argentine Sea Fleet was imminent. The last-minute political decision of the Argentine military junta to accept Vatican intervention averted war and led to mediation that led to the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship on November 19, 1984, which resolved the conflict after more than two-thirds of a century of conflict.
This conflict saw several aircraft patrolling these areas, like Chilean Hunters, Canberras and F-80s. On the Argentine side could be seen Meteors, and their indigenous types like this one.

3. The Huanquero kit is a 3D Print and the only kit I know of othis type. I bought from an Argentine hobby shop ( elbaron-rojo.com.ar/ ) and the price was USD 34.00 + postage. The decals can be also obtained in the same shop.

4. My interest is in Latin American aviation history of all times, obviously more focused in Ecuadorian aviation, as is my home country.

5. The decals should not be in the wishlist (have to check), because my Argentine order is on its way to me and should have in 2 weeks aprox.

6. I have several decals from Argentina. Some are good and other no so good. Some are printed in a complete sheet, so you have to carefully cut them out with scissors. In other cases, I transfer them to other blank sheet more reliable, from the UK or USA, and then cut them out. This is to prevent coming out once in place in the model. Varnish is a must to help them adhere to the model.

7. You can get the decals directly from El Baron Rojo (Red Baron) hobby shop and the payment is via bank transfers or Western Union transfers to their bank account. Actually is my first experience with them, so let´s wait for the kits and stuff to see if finally worked or not. So far so good and I have been in contact with the owner via WhatsUp and phone calls, and seems ok.

Tony May
Thank you Alfredo, for imparting so much information towards my questions!

1. I'm aware that Kurt Tank was among those Germans that traveled to Argentina post-war & if I remember what I read correctly, the Huanquero was one of his designs too? My favorite among his post-war designs though was the IAe.33 Pulqui II. One of these, according to Wikipedia (might be right & might be wrong,) saw combat service in the Liberating Revolution of 1955. It's a real shame that Argentina did not continue to develop the Pulqui II; Perhaps fitting it with Avro Canada Orenda engines instead of the Rolls-Royce Nene II? My ALL TIME favorite design of Kurt Tank was the Focke-Wulf Fw-200 Condor. I have read several books about Adolf Galland. Some of those discuss his post-war activities, including his rearrangement of Argentina's air force into a modern air combat military branch. It's said that he commented that if the Messerschmitt Me-262 had been fitted with the Derwent 5 engines of the Meteor F.4 it would have been the perfect fighter.

2. I am still shocked at my ignorance of the Beagle Canal Conflict. Of course, I searched this on Wikipedia once you wrote of it to read what was there. Unfortunately everything a person reads there should be read with a "grain of salt." There is a profuse amount of misinformation on Wikipedia either by way of vandalism, propaganda, outdated references or the intentional spread of misinformation. Chilean Hunters, Canberras & F-80s were also used in patrolling the area at the time? I had to laugh at the idea that days before I would become a year old Gloster Meteors were patrolling the southernmost islands of the Americas! (Similarly I have no reliable reference material about the Liberating Revolution of 1955.)

3. Is that truly?! The price is $34 USD?! I saw the price listed as $29600 but now I realize that it's listed as Argentinian Pesos! The use of the "$," which we here in the US literally refer to as the "dollar sign," was confusing. This is partly why I interpreted it as having such a high price but I am also used to 3D printed models being priced quite high. My son purchased a 3D printed 1/35 tank model from a seller on eBay which was close to $100 USD. I don't quite understand why they offer them at such prices but it's very welcome that they are not price gouging. I have no idea what shipping would cost to the United States still though. I see that they have the decals from Far South Models there as well. They have a small but well priced assortment of Squadron Signals books too but I think I will refrain from ordering those from South America until I know the pricing better.

4. Latin American Aviation History is one that is sorely under-represented in the wider modeling community so I am looking forward to seeing more of your projects in the future. I mentioned earlier what my proclivities were regarding building but I admit a definite preference towards WW2 military aviation subjects. (I consider the War of '41 as falling within that broad spectrum of time.) I admire that you focus especially on the aviation history of Ecuador, as it is your home nation.

* I have never once considered focusing primarily on US aircraft. The fact that I have no interest in civil aviation is one part of it. Another part is that since I focus on aircraft directly or indirectly involved in the air war of conflicts I always want to represent the other side of the conflict as well to pay them the respect which they are due. The final component is that in some cases I do not believe the US's cause for getting involved in conflicts is justified & feel especially respectful towards those nations which fought against us. (Bay of Pigs Invasion, Vietnam War, etc. - don't get me started on post-1980 conflicts...)

5. I was referring to the Ford Trimotor decals & my surprise that you are the only person on Scalemates that has the Far South Models decals in your Stash while I am the only one that has it in my wish list. Now I understand why the Far South decals for your Huanquero do not appear in your stash or wishlist though. It's in your "On Order" section.

6. I think the reliability of decals from one set to another is a universal problem. There are some Eastern European decals that will bleed colors as though they are painted with watercolor paints as soon as they hit the water. I have found some Lindberg decals can roll up into a tight cylinder making them impossible to use. Then there are those that just refuse to leave the carrier sheet. I've encountered this with SMER & ESCI. I used to fear shattering decals a great deal. I am so glad that I discovered Microscale's Liquid Decal Film! I believe you were speaking of those which are on a solid carrier sheet though, yes? I think these are decals made with an ink jet printer. I have never personally handled such decals. One person offered to make such decals for me but it fell through. (That is a long story.)

7. I see that the decals I was looking for are indeed available at The Red Baron! They do not have their shipping prices listed & when you submit your order that is when they calculate it. I will wait on the news of the arrival of the package with you before I make any moves towards obtaining models or decals from them though.

Alex K
Gentlemen, if you allow me... maybe, for the casual reader / mate that stumbles upon this interesting discussion, it would perhaps be interesting to mention here the following recent reference books that may be pertinent:

Book: The Beagle Conflict (by Antonio Luis Sapienza Fracchia)

Book: The Beagle Conflict (by Antonio Luis Sapienza Fracchia)

and also:

Book: Revolución Libertadora (by Antonio Luis Sapienza)

Book: Revolución Libertadora (by Antonio Luis Sapienza Fracchia)

Alfredo Jurado
Tony:

1. As far as my knowledge goes, the Pulqui II did not see any military action. The concept itself came in a militarized Argentina and President Peron decided to give the Argentinians what they wanted: the real evidence that Argentina could build a military fighter bomber to consolidate a military supremacy against Chile, their natural enemy.
About the Focke Wulf Condor, this aircraft was widely used as a civil transport in Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia.

2. Well, the Beagle Canal existed and also the Liberty Revolution, which confronted Argentinians with themselfs: Meteors versus Meteors, Texans versus Texans, Trojans versus Trojans, in a similar way than the revolt that brought Cnl. Chavez in the political arena in Venezuela and later to the Presidency.

3. Take advantage of the Argentinian products, as the Peso Is losing its value almost daily. Now is 890 ARS per USD.

4. I had to reduce my scope in the modelling and interest, because I have almost one thousand kits and at the pace I´m having in combination with my job, I need another life to finish them all. So I am selling everything I have that is out of Latin America, which is still a huge scope.

7. Because of inflation in Argentina, they wait until your order is complete and placed, before quoting you. They use Argentina´s regular mail service but into the U.S. is not much trouble, but maybe will take a little longer than usual within the US. In my case, despite my residence is in Ecuador, I travel very often to the US and I order my stuff to be delivered there, so I pick them up and bring with me. Despite closer, the mail in Ecuador is a nightmare and can take a year or more to get my models.
Be confident, seems to be a straight vendor, but soon I will be able to tell you my experience.

Alfredo Jurado
Thanks Alex for the timing in your imput. I have seen one of those publications and definitively will go after. I have an historian Argentinian friend and will ask about this books and the author. In the market there are several books in the same format about the Ecuador-Peru wars, written by a Peruvian author, but definitively is not telling the truth, specially about the last two wars, but anyhow... his motivation was more patriotical than accurate history.

Tony May
Alfredo: Your comment about the Pulqui II again highlights the inaccuracies of Wikipedia as that's one of the places I read that one of them might have seen combat. I thought I'd seen it one other place but I cannot find it now. Does Argentina still view Chile as a regional adversary?

In regards to the Fw-200 Condor & knowing it's important history both in civil aviation as well as military aviation history, the "Scourge of the Atlantic" as Winston Churchill once called it: What are your thoughts about the single remaining aircraft of the type being salvaged & restored while converting it to a civilian configuration?

I will do my best to try to obtain these Argentinian goods while I still can. At the same time there are many Ukrainian products I would like to obtain before the inevitable occurs. However the USD is also steadily losing it's value. We spend more in a week now on groceries than we spent in a month in 2004 & we're bringing home less money than we did then. It's a delicate balancing act, life hacks to reduce actual expenses & the clever use of funds so as to not upset the missus.

I'm also thinking about removing most AAA equipment from my wishlist while leaving a handful of items for dioramas or just something to put on the shelves to busy-up the scene a bit. There are several that are absolutely unnecessary as they were used as mobile anti-aircraft weapons rather than in the defense of strategic targets like airfields.

It's hard for me to say exactly how many models I have in total. My stash indicates 560 complete kits but there are some that are duplicated like the Hasegawa Loading Set, Ground Equipment Set & US Pilot/Ground Crew set where they can pop up in multiple places in the stash as separate kits. There are others that only occupy one space in the list when in fact it includes 2-4 of the same type of aircraft.

Then there are those that I will receive back from my son. He was rendered legally blind by COVID-19 last year. He's already stated that he refuses to try to build biplanes, vacuform models or anything else from World War I. However he's been reluctant to try his hand at anything in 1/72 scale ever since he had Covid & though his vision has improved a little he still requires help in building his 1/35 armor. If he gives up on 1/72 then MOST of those I will likely try to sell to replace them with older 1/48 scale model kits like those from ARII, Revell, Monogram, Tamiya, etc. However there are some I would probably ask to keep because they were never bad kits in the first place just outdated when compared to newer tooled kits.

Currently between my stash & his it's almost completely swallowed up his closet. He has this small little corner where he has his dress clothing & exterior wear hung up while everything else is folded & placed in his drawers.

Tony May
Alex K, You couldn't have timed your input any more magnificently! I'm going to check in a couple of places I've had some luck with before & hope for the best! Thank you so very much.

Alfredo Jurado
Yeah. Confirmed, the Pulqui II never saw action and never surpasses the experimental phase, therefore there are only very few units spread out in museums or totally destroyed.
On the Condor, several survivors after WWII were transported to South America (I doubt they were flown) and were used by the Bolivia Air Force in the El Chaco War against Paraguay, and others used as commercial airliners. Any survivor was converted into cargo plane for the transportation of meat. Bolivia used several converted freighter for this purpose, including american types DC-3s, DC-4s, C-46s, DC-6s, and Ju.52s, W.34s and at least one Condor now that I koff, from the German side. Perhaps this one was the one preserved as civilian.

Alfredo Jurado
and at least one Condor now that I know of, from the German side.

Tony May
Then indeed someone added some form of misinformation to Wikipedia on the Pulqui II & I'm willing to bet that the other online resource that mentioned the Pulqui II being used in the Liberating Revolution was based on that very same misinformation on Wikipedia.

In regards to the presence of Fw-200s in South America I don't have any great references on the type. Most books that I have which cover the Fw-200 cover dozens or hundreds of other aircraft. There is mention of it's use in Brazil by Syndicato Condor but nothing else really; Wait, could you be referring to the Curtiss Condor II that Bolivia tried to import during the Chaco War but were intercepted in Peru? As I understand it these might've served on both sides of the Leticia War; Only with those from Colombia being float planes. I don't doubt your information it's just bizarre how sparse knowledge of Latin American aviation is outside of South & Central America.

The one remaining Fw-200 is absolutely based on the wreckage of Fw-200C aircraft (the armed reconnaissance bomber variant.) The two airframes that contributed the most started with one which ditched off of the coast of Ireland. It was recovered from the sea in 1999. I just watched an abridged version of the recovery video & saw the turret ring just behind where the cockpit should've been. It's main wing spar buckled as it was lifted out of the water over where they were planning to set it down creating a real mess. In the end they had to source the wings from another Fw-200C that crashed/landed on a mountain in Norway. There are considerable differences in the landing gear, engines, cowlings, nacelles & propellers between the civilian version & the military version. I only noticed this now that while scrutinizing the images. While it is painted an overall aluminum color, with the trademark Condor logo on the side, with all vestiges of armament removed; Under the port wing it shows half of a Balkankreuz & part of it's fuselage code! Maybe restoring that paint, in part, was their singular compromise in memorial to the legacy of it's true origins.

Alfredo Jurado
Forget about what I said about the Condor in Bolivian service. The only Condors over there are the birds. I mixed up things from a book I have about civil aviation in Bolivia and there is no reference at all about the FW200. There is a lot about te other types mentioned transporting meat, but are American types.
Sindicato Condor was the Brazilian company owned by Deutsche Lufthansa and a local partner, using the civil version FW200A. Lufthansa also had operations in Colombia with SCADTA and in Ecuador with SEDTA; both operating Junkers Ju.52. During WWII, both Colombia and Ecuador were aligned with the U.S., and both Governments "declared war" to Germany and confiscated both airlines. In Ecuador, one of those Junkers was transferred to FAE (Ecuadorian Air Force) and other was operational with TAO airlines (as freighter) until early 70´s.