Історія створення військової авіації в Еквадорі (перша половина ХХ століття)

Abstract

This research provides a detailed historical reconstruction of the formative years of the Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE) from the early 20th century through the pivotal reforms of the 1940s. Although the official date of FAE’s establishment is October 27, 1920 , its conceptual roots are traced back to the patriotic surge of 1910, when the Club de Tiro in Guayaquil initiated the first local aviation efforts. These early civilian initiatives led to the heroic exploits of Cosme Rennella Barbatto, a World War I ace whose 18 aerial victories in Italy served as a primary catalyst for the professionalization of aviation in his homeland. The article analyzes the dominant influence of the Italian Military Mission, which provided the foundational pedagogical framework and technical expertise for Ecuadorian flight training until 1939, utilizing Italian-built aircraft such as the IMAM Ro.37bis.A significant focus is placed on the strategic reorientation of Ecuador’s military policy following the outbreak of World War II. The author examines the transition from Italian to North American cooperation, a shift that facilitated comprehensive fleet modernization and the introduction of advanced U.S. aircraft. This included a wide array of training and reconnaissance models, such as the Curtiss-Wright Travel Air and Ryan PT-22 Recruit, alongside the activation of the nation’s first pursuit squadron equipped with Seversky P-35 fighters. During this era, the military air corps functioned with a modest but dedicated staff of sixty personnel and thirty aircraft, while the civilian routes continued to see the operation of diverse European types, including German Junkers Ju 52.Furthermore, the paper evaluates the impact of the 1941 Peru-Ecuadorian War as a decisive institutional turning point. The study highlights how the urgent requirements of this conflict exposed the limitations of maintaining aviation as a subordinate branch of the land forces. Consequently, the ensuing military reforms led to the total administrative autonomy of the air arm and the subsequent birth of the modern Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana as a separate military branch by 1944. The study concludes that the first half of the century was a period of rigorous professionalization and rapid strategic adaptation, providing the essential infrastructure and technical heritage that defined Ecuador’s modern aerial sovereignty and national defense identity.