The Romanians were asking throughout the war for BMW-801 engine (the one in the FW-190) , to put in the IAR-80. They asked for licence to build it in Romania but they couldn't get it.
The Gnome Rhone engine used on the IAR reached it's peak at the begining of the war but the Romanians didn't have another engine to put in the plane.
That's why in 1943 they had to buy BF-109G's from Germany and started licence building complete BF-109's, instead of building only the BMW-801 engine and strap them to the IAR-80. BMW-801 engine was about the same size with the K-1000 and would have been the best choice for the airframe.
With the BMW engine straped on the light airframe of the IAR-80.the new IAR would have been one of the best front line fighters in the east. Right up there with FW-190 and La5-fn.
Had generous wing area, great visibility, with the Mauser cannons it had good enough firepower and it could have been a succesful fighter.
But it was not to be.
