FMA SAIA 90 The FMA SAIA 90 was an air superiority aircraft designed by the FMA ( Fabrica Militar de Aviones ) with the collaboration of Dornier in the mid - 1980s . The SAIA 90 which was the last stage of the ACA ( Avión Caza Argentino ) project , which was started by the Proceso de Reorganización Nacional to develop an Argentine fighter aircraft . The three stages of the project were : Phases of the project . By the middle of 1980 the Fabrica Militar de Aviones and Dornier had a flowing relationship as a result of the combined development of the IA 63 , and both contemplated a cooperation agreement for the production of future airplanes . This agreement called to both parties to establish a common office in the city of Córdoba , Argentina within the year for the production , marketing and associated support services of their products . The development of a trainer was the first step of three in the strategy of Fabrica Militar de Aviones , elaborated after the development of the IA 58 Pucará by the middle of those ' 60 , the steps of this strategy contemplated : Nro . 1 , the Pampa , Nro . 2 , an airplane of light transport and Nro . 3 , a combat airplane . This way , the German maker gave some sketches of the preliminary design , which contemplated generic aspects for a combat airplane , that then the air force should adapt to its own requirements . The study of the Germans foresaw some analyses that allowed to formulate those basic requirements as being : air combat under imaginary operative conditions , and characteristic of the weapons that this aircraft probably have . This way it could be defined the call of " field of aerial fight " . Acting in combat . Taking as reference the Vietnam War , the combats were carried out in inferior bench marks than the 8000 mts and most pilots tried to neutralize the threat of SAM . Although in both sides they had Mach 2 airplanes , the combats got rid to speeds of among Mach 0 . 5 and 0 . 9 , overcoming few times the supersonic speed . It is probable that to those regimens they were achieved the best turn speed and the pilots surely found in those ranges a high yield of their airplane . These parameters were taken into account in the design of the airplane to achieve high values of Mach , for what achieves a more enlarged curve of the régime of sustained turn , but the maximum values are conserved in the region transonic , in this aspect it also takes into account the load factors determined by the pilot that can define the régime of instantaneous turn . Description . Characteristics . According to this analysis the margins of design of the airplane should be : sustained turn speed of Mach 0 . 9 at 6000m of height ; great capacity of acceleration among Mach 0 . 9 at 1 . 5 to 9000 m : high deceleration , independent of the relative speed ; reasonable combat autonomy with integral deposits ; and minimum radar silhouettes and to IR ( Stealth ) . Possible armament . – 1 Mauser 27mm gun with 150 cartridges . – 2 AAM InfraRed ( type AIM - 9 Sidewinder ) – 4 AAM radar guided located under the fuselage maybe AIM - 120 AMRAAM . – Up to 5000 kg of air to surface armament . The avionics . Air to air radar on board in way to be able to detect 5m2 targets at a distance of 90 km without been detected by the enemy ECM , and it should also have capacity to make the multiple pursuit of 6 targets that could be identified with an associate IFF . For the way it attacks , air - earth , was convenient a radar able to capture the profile of the earth . Configuration . Although it was desirable to achieve a combination of the advantages that a very loaded wing delta and little weight offers ; the turn capacity to régime transonic / subsonic of one darted with small lengthening , the stability of a wing delta without line plane and the character STOL of a wing of arrow variable , was impossible to gather all these qualities in a wing . The opposing solution of commitment for the pattern , was the continuation of the border of attack of the wings that generated a vortex of high energy and it improved the aerodynamic yield notably in big angles of incidence . Another characteristic of the design was the artificial longitudinal stability that allowed equilibrating the airplane by means of the application of positive forces on the line planes . This way a direct wing was configured with big arrow angles , continuations in the union wing - fuselage and a double derives located before the stabilizers that it keeps certain likeness to the F / A - 18C Hornet . Engines : 2 turbofan of 5600 kg of push ( possibly GE F - 404 ) Maximum speed : About Mach 2 Weight ( empty ) : 7 . 800 kg The weight calculated for the airship was reasonably low , achieved by means of the use of compound materials . The experience of Dornier in these materials was wide ( Alpha Jet and Do 228 ) . In the proposal for this airplane suggested the use in the wing of 65 % reinforced plastics with fibers of carbon ( PRFC ) , 20 % aluminum and the rest in several materials as the titanium , the front fuselage would have 60 % of PRFC , the central 18 % and the bottom 10 % , being completed with other materials employees in the wing , and the stabilizers would have 55 % of PRFC , while the fin would take 70 % , the same materials would be used for the admission nozzles and the landing train . ( aeroespacio 1982 / 83 ) Terms of the project . The Fábrica Militar de Aviones estimated in about 12 to 15 years until crystallizing it from the moment the specifications they were approved , that in 1987 they were very high . In that time , the airplane would be able to replace the existent fighter fleet . The first flight of the prototype was foreseen later for 1989 and the deliveries two years later . Looking for partners . By the middle of 1980 Fábrica Militar de Aviones , was already facing serious financial difficulties , with a deficit of U $ S 50 million annually and it was in the search of partners to face diverse business that they allowed him to survive giving 49 % of their property . It was evident that the factory could not complete the project by itself and it maintained diverse contacts , such as Aermacchi - Aeritalia , McDonnell Douglas and Fairchild , with the intention of attracting a partner with whom to share the project . Although the intention of the air force was to add McDonnell Douglas , which maintained negotiations for a possible license of production of the A - 4M Skyhawk II ( now , the A - 4AR Fightinghawk ) and another one of ejection seats for the trainer IA 63 Pampa , but the American company resisted assuming the risk , because its offer of fighters was covered . Another possibility was explored then with Aeritalia - Aermacchi , but the financial problems that it crossed the country they made finally abandon the project . Conclusion . The benefits for Argentina that this project would represent , as being the obtaining of machineries and technologies , and regarding structures and compound materials , such as the fibers of carbon and the titanium , they had served as industrial base to the project and Fábrica Militar de Aviones . Specifications . Role : multirole . < br > Crew : 1 , although there also would have been a 2 - seat trainer version . < br > Length : 15 . 53 m . < br > Height : 3 . 96 m . < br > Wing span : 10 . 95 m . < br > Wing area : 30 m² . < br > Wheelbase : 6 . 60 m . < br > Empty weight : 7 , 800 kg . < br > Max take - off weight : 14 , 500 kg . < br > Max wing loading : 266 . 67 kg / m² . < br > Max speed : Mach 2 . 25 . < br > Max climb rate : 15 , 000 m / min . Ceiling : 15 , 000 m . < br > Range : 3380 km . < br > Engine : 2 GE F404 turbofan . < br > Armament : 11 hardpoints for a total of 5 . 000 kg : 4 under the fuselage , 2 under each wing , 2 wingtip and 1 central harpoint . It ' d also had one revolver cannon 27 mm . < br > Avionics : air to air radar capable to detect 5m2 targets in a range of 90 km , 6 - target multiple pursuit , 3D air to surface radar capable to receive the earth shape , digital flight control system , multi - function nav / attack system and secure communications . < br > Cost : unknown but projected to be cheaper than 4 . 5th generation aircraft .