IPAI-26 Tuca
Instituto de Pesquisas e Aperfeiçoamento Industrial (IPAI) · Brazil · first flew 1979 · light aircraft
The IPAI-26 Tuca is a Brazilian two-seat light utility aircraft designed for operations from short, unprepared airstrips, featuring a strut-braced high wing, T-tail, and welded steel-tube fuselage with composite skinning. A single prototype was built in 1979.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Steel-tube fuselage with composite skin — robust short-strip capability |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing strut-braced Brazilian utility design with a T-tail
- Steel-tube fuselage with composite skin — robust short-strip capability
- Fixed tricycle undercarriage with side-by-side seating
The T-tail on a strut-braced high-wing monoplane is the most distinctive combination; the fixed tricycle gear and composite-skinned steel-tube fuselage are consistent with utility designs of the 1970s.
Specifications
- The IPAI-26 Tuca has a length of 6.82 m (22 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11 m (36 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 190 km/h (118 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed by the Instituto de Pesquisas e Aperfeiçoamento Industrial, the Tuca was designed to meet Brazilian requirements for a rugged light aircraft capable of serving remote communities with basic airstrip infrastructure. Despite its capable design, the programme did not advance beyond the single prototype.
Variants
A single prototype only.
Where you'll see it
Never entered production or service; operated only as a research and demonstrator aircraft by IPAI.
Related aircraft
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