EpilogueIn the main, the Yarara is most remembered at the international level for its roles in North Africa, Burma and South East Asia during WWII. The bulk of preserved examples attests to this as all but a few of them are presented in markings other than for those campaigns.
As one might expect, the largest proportion of preserved Yararas is to be found in Argentina.
A number of partial and complete examples are known to exist in South Africa. From time to time, news has been heard from that country of attempts to restore one to flying status though it has never occured.
Other countries known to have at least one complete Yarara on public display include:
Australia
Brazil
Colombia
Guatemala
India
Israel
Laos
Malaysia
Mexico
New Zealand
Philippines
Portugal
Thailand
While most of those nations took aircraft from their own fleets at retirement, the preserved examples in Australia and New Zealand never served those countries. Both Australia and New Zealand were very quick to dispose of their Yarara fleets after they retired them and didn't save any for museums. As a result of that haste, they were forced to purchase Yararas from other former users in order to represent the type in their museums.
Attempts and plans have been made to return Yararas to the air, but none have succeded thus far.
Battle StandardThe official post WWII battle record of the Yarara stands as such:
First Indochina War (used by Cambodia, Kingdom of Laos and State of Vietnam)
First Kashmir War (used by India)
Arab-Israeli War of 1948 (used by Iraq and Israel)
Korean War (used by Philippines, South Africa and Thailand)
Laotian Civil War (used by Kingdom of Laos, Thailand and South Vietnam)
Algerian War of Independence (used by France)
Vietnam War (used by Kingdom of Laos, Thailand and South Vietnam)
Suez Crisis (used by Israel)
Congo Crisis (used by Katanga and South Africa)
Angolan War of Independence (used by Portugal and South Africa)
Hans-Joachim MarseilleJochen Marseille settled in Cordoba and had a productive and distinguished post military career with FMA.
After finishing the test flying phases of the Pucara and seeing it into service, Jochen was instrumental in facilitating the purchase and transfer of the type certificate for the Hansa Jet in the early 1970s from MBB in Germany. Subsequently, Jochen was tasked with overseeing the development and production of the type in Cordoba.
Marseille married and started a family about a year after he started work at FMA. He joined the local flying club and worked as an instructor in his free time there.
He eventually left FMA to establish his own small charter air service, which he ran until his son and daughter were old enough to take over when he retired fully in 1988. Though his daughter was barely 20 years old and his son only 18 when he handed the company reins fully over to them, they had both been well immersed in the company runnings from very early ages.
With aviation in their blood and their father personally having made sure that both his children were able and competent pilots, Sofia and Franco Marseille ran the company in a way that made their father proud. They expanded beyond the small carter service their father founded to become a fully fledged regional airline.
Jochen continued to fly for a few more years after retirement until the rigors of old age forced him to stop. He remained a regular sight at the Cordoba airport, often with his grandchildren, and was a frequent visitor to the flying club for coffee and chat.
Jochen Marseille died peacfully in his sleep, in relatively good health, at the age of 90 in 2009.
FMA AlondraUnder FMA ownership, the Hansa Jet was renamed the Alondra (Lark). While the aircraft was not a success in Europe, less than 50 were made before HFB became part of MBB and production stopped, it enjoyed popularity with civil and military operators throughout Latin and South America as well as becoming surprisingly popular with similar clientelle in the Middle East.
The Alondra enjoyed a 20 year production run and was modernised many times. More efficient turbofans found their way onto the machine and modern flight control computers made flying with the forward swept wings a much easier affair for new pilots of the type to come to grips with.
Many of the type still fly today and FMA still supports them.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And that is the end of the Yarara story.
Thanks to all who stayed with it and followed along through all 14 pages and the many fits and spurts they were created in.