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<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{|{{Infobox aircraft begin
|name=IAR-823
|image=IAR 823 F-AZLQ.jpg
|caption=IAR 823 F-AZLQ in Romanian Air Force markings at a French airshow
}}{{Infobox aircraft type
|type=Civil and military trainer
|national origin=Romania
|manufacturer=[[Industria Aeronautică Română|IAR]]
|designer=[[Radu Manicatide]]
|first flight=10 June 1973
|introduced=1974
|retired=
|status=
|primary user=[[Romanian Air Force]]
|more users=[[Angolan Air Force]]<br>[[Romanian Air Club]]<br>[[Hungarian Air Club]]
|produced=
|number built=80 <ref>{{harvnb|Lambert|1993|p=252}}</ref>
|variants with their own articles=
}}
|}
The '''IAR-823''' is a civil and military trainer aircraft built in Romania from 1974 until 1983. It is a conventional low-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle undercarriage. The pilot and instructor sit side-by-side, and two more seats can be fitted behind them. The type was adopted by the [[Romanian Air Force]] as a primary trainer, and was also supplied to Romanian and Hungarian aeroclubs and the national flying school of Angola.
==Development==
IAR-823 is the brainchild of one of the greatest figures in post-war Romanian aeronautics: eng. [[Radu Manicatide]]. The design was completed under his leadership in 1970, at IMFCA Bucharest (Institutul de Mecanica Fluidelor si Cercetari Aerospatiale - Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Aerospace Research). The prototype's construction began in autumn 1971 at ICA Brasov (now [[Industria Aeronautică Română|IAR Brasov]]). This plane, serialled 01, flew for the first time on 10 June 1973. The second plane built participated at the Farnborough Air Show in September 1974, registered YR-MEA.
It is a conventional low-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle undercarriage.  Usually a crew of 2 - student and instructor seated side by side. Three more seats are available in the back, bringing the maximum to 5 people, including the pilot(s). This configuration can be replaced by one pilot, a stretcher for one wounded and a paramedic, or one pilot with 500&nbsp;kg of freight.
The last aircraft produced for the Romanian Air Club, registered YR-MEL, was displayed at Le Bourget 1985, together with IAR-831 Pelican registered YR-IGA, a development of the IAR-823, which featured tandem seat arrangement. A more distant relative was the IAR-825TP Triumph (YR-IGB) - based on the Pelican, but with a turboprop engine.
Although not envisioned to be used in combat, the aircraft has 2 underwing hardpoints, stressed for 100&nbsp;kg each. Total maximum allowed weight of external stores is 200&nbsp;kg
In total 78 planes were produced, with the last built in 1983. The first deliveries took place in 1974. The main customer was the Romanian Air Force, which needed to replace the IAR-813 in the basic flight training role.
==Operational history==
Initially they were assigned to the 20th Regiment at Boboc, subsequently some were transferred to the 19th Regiment on the grass airfield at Focsani. Small numbers of aircraft were delivered to the Romanian Air Club, being operated at Brasov, Clinceni, Pitesti, Deva and other airfields.
12 IAR-823s were ordered by [[Angola]] in 1980. These aircraft were deployed to [[Negage]] in 1981.<ref>{{harvnb|Fontanellaz|Cooper|Matos|2020|p=III}}</ref> There, the Romanians put the bases of the 188th ENAM (national military aviation school),<ref>{{harvnb|Fontanellaz|Cooper|Matos|2020|p=28}}</ref> also having at their disposal 6 IAR-316B Alouette III and 6 BN-2A Islander, all manufactured in Romania. Flight training began already on 18 May 1981, with the first solo sortie of an Angolan trainee taking place on 30 July 1981 on board the IAR-823. Although both the Alouettes and the 823s could be lightly armed, no combat missions were flown, only training ones. A fatal crash occurred on 6 July 1981, when lt-cdr. Gheorghe Preda and Angolan student Ruy Nelson died on board an IAR-823.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} In 1983, the contract for the deployment of Romanian instructors was cancelled.<ref>{{harvnb|Fontanellaz|Cooper|Matos|2020|pp=28, III}}</ref> The Romanians returned home while the remaining IAR-823 - plus the other aircraft - were handed over to the Angolan Air Force.
[[File:IAR823.jpg|thumb|An IAR 823]]
In service with the Romanian Air Force there were four crashes, including the one in Angola, all fatal. Operations with the IAR-823 became a problem in the early 1990s: the fuel required for the type was no longer produced in country and had to be imported from Greece, at a time when budget problems plagued the Air Force. Besides, starting from the mid 1980s the much cheaper to operate Yak-52 started entering service. By the mid 1990s it had completely taken over the role of the IAR. There is no official date for the IAR-823's retirement from service, but it seems that it was grounded in the 1995-96 timeframe. All the surviving airframes were put in storage at Brasov.
Surplus to requirements and in need of a serious overhaul, they were put up for sale. 10 were bought by a private US customer in 1999, followed by another 36, plus all remaining spare parts in 2000. Another 6 were purchased in October 2004 from the Romanian Air Club, The overwhelming majority of these were restored back to flying condition.
==Variants==
Theoretically, there are no versions of the IAR-823, all planes being built to the same specifications. Some of the aircraft were manufactured without hard points.
Production changes included a transition from a tubular canopy to an all fiberglass canopy, a transition from a three piece instrument panel to a single piece slide out instrument panel.
==Operators==
===Civil===
;{{CAN}}
* [[International Test Pilots School]] - 1 Aircraft operated at the London International Airport, Ontario Canada.
** C-FPIU
;{{HUN}}
* [[Hungarian Aeronautical Association]] - 4 aircraft operated at the [[Budaörs Airport]]. Purchased from the USA.
** HA-JDL, c/n 41<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wildberger|first1=Anton|title=LOXN|url=http://www.wildbergair.com/photos/airports/Austria/LOXN/130929/20130929_HA-JDL.htm|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref>
** HA-JDM, c/n 42<ref>{{cite web|title=HA-JDM Registration|url=http://www.avia-info.hu/talalat.php?KeresettSzo=HA-JDM|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref>
** HA-JDN, c/n 44<ref>{{cite web|title=HA-JDN Registration|url=http://www.avia-info.hu/talalat.php?KeresettSzo=HA-JDN|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref>
** HA-VEZ, c/n 44<ref>{{cite web|title=HA-VEZ Registration|url=http://www.avia-info.hu/talalat.php?KeresettSzo=HA-VEZ|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref>
;{{ROU}}
* {{ill|Aeroclubul României|ro}} - 10 aircraft registered in the YR-MEC to YR-MEL range. 6 were sold to private owners in the USA. One aircraft (YR-IAR) restored to flying condition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Doroftei |first=Marius |date=2023-07-24 |title=IAR-823 revitalizat de Aeroclubul României, foarte aproape de primul zbor |url=https://www.aviatiamagazin.com/aviatie-civila/iar-823-revitalizat-de-aeroclubul-romaniei-foarte-aproape-de-primul-zbor/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=Aviatia Magazin |language=ro-RO}}</ref>
;{{USA}}
* Private Ownership - 35 aircraft registered,<ref>{{cite web|title=FAA REGISTRY Make / Model Inquiry Results|url=http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=IAR&Modeltxt=823&PageNo=1|website=Federal Aviation Administration|access-date=24 September 2017|archive-date=24 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924141138/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=IAR&Modeltxt=823&PageNo=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> most of which are from Romanian Air Force stock
===Military===
;{{flag|Angola}}
*[[Angolan Air Force]] - 12 aircraft (c/n range between 56-67) delivered in 1981 to the ENAM flight school at Negoge.
;{{ROM}}
*[[Romanian Air Force]] - 56 aircraft, c/n 01 to 57, were operated until the late 1990s by the 19th Liaison School Group at Focsani. Most surviving airframes were sold to private owners in the USA.
==Aircraft on display==
A number of aircraft are preserved and on display:
* c/n 01 at the [[National Military Museum, Romania|National Military Museum in Bucharest]]
* c/n 15 and 19 at the National Aviation Museum in Bucharest
* c/n 37, registration YR-MEH, at the Clinceni Airfield, near Bucharest
* c/n 51 at the Henry Coanda Air Force Academy in Braṣov
==Specifications==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1980-81<ref name="JAWA80p164">{{harvnb|Taylor|1980|p=164}}</ref>
|prime units?=met
<!--
General characteristics
-->
|genhide=
|crew=Two, pilot and instructor
|capacity=3 passengers
|length m=8.24
|length ft=
|length in=
|length note=
|span m=10.00
|span ft=
|span in=
|span note=
|height m=2.52
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=15.00
|wing area sqft=
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=NACA 23012 (modified)
|empty weight kg=900
|empty weight lb=
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=1500
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|360|L|USgal impgal|abbr=on}} (internal)
|more general=
<!--
Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Lycoming IO-540]]-G1D5
|eng1 type=air-cooled [[flat-six]] engine
|eng1 kw=216<!-- prop engines -->
|eng1 hp=<!-- prop engines -->
<!--
Performance
-->
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=310
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=at sea level
|max speed mach=<!-- supersonic aircraft -->
|cruise speed kmh=290
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=(economy cruise, at 60% power)
|stall speed kmh=98
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=(flaps down, power off)
|never exceed speed kmh=400
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=1800
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|range note=
|endurance=6 hr
|ceiling m=5600
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|g limits=+6, -3G<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=1475
|climb rate note=
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}
<!-- ==See also== -->
{{aircontent
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|see also=
|related=<!-- related developments -->
|similar aircraft=<!-- similar or comparable aircraft -->
|lists=<!-- related lists -->
}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
* {{cite book |last1=Fontanellaz |first1=Adrien |last2=Cooper |first2=Tom |last3=Matos |first3=Jose Augusto |title=War of Intervention in Angola, Volume 3: Angolan and Cuban Air Forces, 1975-1985 |date=2020 |publisher=Helion & Company Publishing |location=Warwick, UK |isbn=978-1-913118-61-7}}
* {{cite book |last= Lambert|first=Mark |title= Jane's All The World's  Aircraft 1993-94 |year= 1993|publisher=Jane's Data Division |location=Coulsdon, UK |isbn= 0-7106-1066-1}}
* {{cite magazine |title=Romania's IAR-823 |magazine=[[Flight International]] |date=19 September 1974 |page=347 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1974/1974%20-%201467.html |access-date=2008-05-06}}
* {{cite book |last= Taylor|first=John W. R. |author-link=John W. R. Taylor |title= Jane's All The World's  Aircraft 1980-81 |year= 1980|publisher=Jane's Publishing |location=London |isbn= 0-7106-0705-9}}
* {{cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |page=527 }}
* {{cite book |last= Simpson |first= R. W. |title=Airlife's General Aviation |year=1995 |publisher=Airlife Publishing |location=Shrewsbury |page=341 }}
==External links==
{{commons category|IAR 823}}
* [http://www.iar823.com iar823.com]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110911204608/http://www.cartula.ro/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=48&g2_itemId=14771 IAR823 foto page at cartula.ro]
{{IAR aircraft}}
[[Category:1970s Romanian military trainer aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear]]
[[Category:IAR aircraft|823]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1973]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]