Glasic International Aircraft Eagle

GIA Eagle
Role	Air superiority and strike fighter
National origin	Tír Glas
Manufacturer	Glasic International Aircraft
Designer	Michael Murphy Joseph Connolly
First flight	1976
Introduction	1980
Status	In production and service
Primary users	Tír Glas (ARTG) Menghe, Dayashina, Rajamaa
Number built	>1,000
Unit cost	Eagle F ~$80 million (2018)

The Glasic International Aerospace Eagle (Glasic: Iolar, lit. 'Eagle') is a twin-engine, twin-tail multi-role combat aircraft. Designed as a direct replacement for the Fantaise. The Eagle unlike the Phantom was originally designed to be operated by a single person, rather than the pilot and systems operator arrangement formerly employed. Conflicting opinions during the design phase lead to the aircraft being easily convertible between single or twin occupancy, initially with only a change in canopy but more recently simply by adding or removing a fuel tank or cockpit as required. The type's main employment is now that of a strike fighter in the air interdiction and close air support roles; the Eagle however still retains all of its counter-air prowess, being widely regarded as the premier air-combat aircraft amongst aviation analysts.

Design and development

Initial development

Initial requirements for what would result in the Iolar can be traced back as far as the mid 1960s with requirements for an aircraft or aircraft to complement and eventually supplant the Támhas in the air defence role and the Píoráid in the interdiction role. Eventually the two competing requirements were combined into a single requirement in the hope to lower procurement costs by sharing development work. An official request for information was put out in March 1970 to Glasic industry and select foreign companies. Ten companies responded, soon being whittled down to four. These were Kelleher, Devaughn, Clarke White and the Government Aircraft Factories. Between these four companies some three hundred concepts were worked through, many with variable-geometry wings, most were too large. The Air Force redrafted requirements to better define the required aircraft which resulted in a further set of refined proposals more in line with the Támhas / Píoráid replacement.

The initial versions of the Iolar were the single-seat Iolar A and twin-seat Iolar B

Variants

GIA designations

Eagle A

Single-seat aircraft

Eagle B

Twin-seat aircraft

Aerfhórsa Ríoga na Tír Glas(ARTG)

CAT.1