Category: Navy Argentine

At the end of August 1971, the British Government requested help from our country to rescue and save the lives of two British scientists who were in the small base of Fossil Bluff, in the interior of the Antarctic plateau (territory claimed by Argentina, Chile and the United Kingdom). The sick were: Roger O’DONOVAN, 25 years old, suffering from viral hepatitis and Richard WALKER, of the same age with a broken leg.
The Navy ordered its Naval Aviation to analyze the possible rescue using a Fairchild PC-6B 1 single-engine plane that had just been incorporated from the factory and was already operating from the Petrel Antarctic Base.
The responsibility fell on Navy Lieutenant Roberto Juan Seisdedos, Frigate Lieutenant Juan Carlos Ansay, Mechanic Warrant Officer Gerardo Palladino and Doctor Aurelio Bosso.
The rescued wounded were transferred at the Marambio Base to a C-130 of the Argentine Air Force with final destination Buenos Aires.

Technical Specifications

MANUFACTURER: Fairchild Industries, under license from Pilatus Fluzengwerke.

PURPOSE: Light transport and general purpose.
CREW: 2
CAPACITY: 7 passengers or 1000 kg of cargo.

DIMENSIONS
WINGSPAN: 15.2 m
LENGTH: 10.9 m
HEIGHT: 3.20 m
WEIGHT: 2767 kg
PERFORMANCE
MAXIMUM SPEED: 280 km/h
RANGE: 898 km
ENGINE: 1 Pratt & Whitney Aircraft of Canada PT-6-A-20 turboprop of 559 hp. Three-bladed, variable-pitch, reversible propeller.

ARMAMENT: None.

NUMBER OF DEVICES: 4
CHARACTERISTICS: 4-G-1 to 4-G-4, 6-G-1 to 6-G-4, 2-G-2
PERIOD OF USE: 1971 onwards

At the end of August 1962, the Argentine Government acquired six (6) Grumman HU-16B Albatros aircraft and assigned three (3) to the Navy and three (3) to the Air Force.
The Navy incorporated them to its Naval Aviation, on April 2, 1963, constituting the Naval Air Search and Rescue Squadron.
They were in active service until 1977 and carried out innumerable maritime control and rescue operations and several missions in the Antarctic continent and the Malvinas Islands.
In particular, they supported the crossing to Antarctica of smaller aircraft such as the Twin Otter to the Petrel Air Base in 1969 and 1970. Staying in flight throughout the operation.
In those years four (4) crossings were made. And then in 1971 two (2) crossings to Malvinas in support of an international wildlife rescue operation.
They operated from the Deception Island Naval Base as trifibian aircraft. Land, water and snow.

Technical Specifications

MANUFACTURER: The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation

PURPOSE: Reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue

CREW: 6
DIMENSIONS
WINGSPAN: 24.38 m
LENGTH: 18.5 m
HEIGHT: 7.4 m
WEIGHT: 12,281 kg
PERFORMANCE
MAXIMUM SPEED: 423 km/h
RANGE: 4,300 km
ENROLLMENT: 16 hours at 250 km/h
ENGINE: 2 x Wright R-1820-76A Cyclone engines of 1,425 hp each. Three-bladed, variable-pitch, reversible propellers.
ARMAMENT: None. NUMBER OF DEVICES: 4
CHARACTERISTICS: 2-G-201 to 2-G204, 4-BS-1 to 4-BS-4
PERIOD OF USE: 1960 – 1977

Between December 5, 1961 and January 22, 1962, the Argentine Naval Aviation would fulfill President Frondizi’s order of reaching the South Pole during the Antarctic Campaign of that year.
The task was in charge of the Second Transport Aeronaval Squadron with C-47 aircraft.
The Command of that Unit was in charge of the CFAV Hermes Quijada and the detailed crews above.

They reached the South Pole after three stages on January 6, 1962.

In March 1947 aboard the ARA “Patagonia” commanded by Lieutenant Commander Leandro M.B. Maloberti, a slightly more suitable aircraft is transferred, since it has its cabin closed in the fuselage, it is the Walrus M-O-2, whose crew is composed by: Frigate Lieutenant Oscar Tachella, Corporal 1º Mechanic R. J. Román and Mr. Pedro Pouchulu photographer. One of the tasks assigned was to intensify the aerial reconnaissance activity and to start using aerial photogrammetry in the hydrographic surveys, a task that will decide the incorporation of airplanes and equipment capable of carrying out this type of surveys for the next decade.
In December of that year the Sea Fleet was deployed, with the Cruisers “Brown” and “25 de Mayo” with Walrus aircrafts, to continue the exploration tasks.

Technical Specifications

MANUFACTURER: Vickers-Armstrong Ltd.
PURPOSE: Carrier-based and amphibious reconnaissance flying boat
CREW: 4
DIMENSIONS
WINGSPAN: 17 m
LENGTH: 11.6 m
HEIGHT: 4.6 m
WEIGHT: 3,266 kg
PERFORMANCE
MAXIMUM SPEED: 230 km/h
RANGE: 1,020 km
ENROLLMENT: 5.5 hours at 150 km/h
ENGINE: 1 x 775 hp Bristol Pegasus VI engine. Four-bladed propeller.
ARMAMENT: 2 x Vickers K machine guns .303″ and two 172 kg MK VII depth charges.
NUMBER OF DEVICES: 8
CHARACTERISTICS: M-O-2 to M-O-9, 7-O-1 to 7-O-6, 2-O-1
PERIOD OF USE: 1947 – 1958