IAR.80 AND IAR.81, THE: Airframe, Systems and Equipment

Possibly one of the most significant aircraft of WW2, but one that has been virtually forgotten. During the war it fought the Russians (as well as the Americans and then later the Germans) - when the war ended and Romania was under the Russian sphere of influence, the pilots, engineers, mechanics that worked on this aircraft were hunted down and many of them ended up in the Russian Gulags. As a result, Romanians were afraid to talk about it, and because Romania was stuck behind the Iron Curtain, western researchers had no access to info. This combination of factors led to the type being overlooked.

Performance-wise, it was in the same class as a Bf-109E or Hurricane, with enough powder to face the P-38s, and even Mustangs, and was extremely lethal against the B-24 Liberators that came to Ploesti. It also scored numerous 'kills' against the Russians and there is a long list of aces who gained this title while flying the IAR.80.