Ikarus IK 2
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| Ikarus IK 2 | |
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| Type | fighter |
| Manufacturer | Ikarus A.D. |
| Designed by | Kosta Sivcev, Ljubomir Ilic |
| Maiden flight | 22 April 1935 |
| Introduced | 1935 |
| Retired | 1942 |
| Primary users | Royal Yugoslav Air Force NDH |
| Number built | 12 |
The Ikarus IK-2 was a 1930s high-wing, all-metal, single seat, monoplane fighter aircraft of indigenous design built for the Yugoslav Air Force. The IK-2 was designed by Kosta Sivčev and Ljubomir Ilić, who saw the desirability of a home-developed aircraft industry in their country, whose aerial forces to that point were supplied by machines from abroad.
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[edit] Design and development
The prototype, designated the IK-L1, of the design was ordered from Ikarus A.D. in 1934, and was delivered for test in 1935. The aircraft was powered by a Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs inline engine. The forward-firing armament consisted of a 20 mm HS-404 cannon mounted under the engine, and two 7.92 mm Darne machine guns, mounted under and to each side of the engine. The design was similar to the Polish PZL P.8, sharing its Pulawski wing (gull-wing) design, giving the pilot an excellent view.[1] The wing on each side was braced with two struts; the fixed conventional landing gear was spatted and mounted off the wing struts. The fixed tailwheel was also spatted. The pilot was installed aft of the wing in an enclosed cockpit. The horizontal stabilizer on each side was braced from below with two rigid braces from the lower tailcone, and tied from above with two flying wires from the vertical stabilizer. The three-bladed propeller was manually adjustable in pitch.[2]
Captain Leonid Bajdak, a biplane advocate, tested the IK-1 in flight. During a full range of tests on the third flight the aircraft failed to pull out of a power dive and crashed. Bakdak bailed out and survived but claimed the IK-1 was not suitable as a fighter. Investigation of the wreckage disclosed that the failure was due to negligence in sewing a seam on one of the fabric-covered wings, and therefore a decision was made to proceed with the second prototype, designated IK-2. The second prototype had metal-skinned wings and a shallower cooling radiator. The IK-2 was ready for test in June 1936. A new test pilot, Dobnikar, performed the preliminary flight tests, including a mock battle against a Hawker Fury, a biplane, flown by Captain Bajdak. The IK-2 outperformed the biplane in all respects, thereby confirming the hopes of the young designers.
[edit] Operational history
Based upon results of preliminary testing, the Royal Yugoslav Air Force ordered a production batch of 12 IK-2 fighters, which were all delivered in 1937. When German forces invaded Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941, the only unit of the Yugoslav Air Force armed with the IK-2 was the 4th fighter regiment, composed of 33rd and 34th air force groups stationed at Bosanski Aleksandrovac. The 4th fighter regiment was armed with 18 Hawker Hurricanes and eight Ikarus IK-2 fighter aircraft.
On 7 April, five IK-2s with five Hawker Hurricanes engaged German fighter aircraft in a dogfight during a German attack on Rovine Airport, the base of Yugoslav 8th bomber regiment, situated north of Banja Luka. During this brief encounter Yugoslav fighters managed to repel attack by 27 German fighters but suffered heavy losses. For the rest of the war IK-2s were used for strafing advancing German columns. At the end of the war all of the surviving IK-2s were given to the air force of the newly-formed Independent State of Croatia.
[edit] Further Development
A proposed development of the IK-2 was the IK-4, a two seat reconnaissance monoplane, but it was never ordered.
[edit] Variants
- IK-1L : First prototype.
- IK-02 : Second prototype
- IK-2 : Single-seat fighter aircraft.
- IK-4 : Proposed two-seat reconnaissance aircraft. Not built.
[edit] Operators
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[edit] Specifications (Ikarus IK-2)
General characteristics
- Crew: one, pilot
- Length: 25 ft 10 1/4 in (7.88 m)
- Wingspan: 37 ft 4 4/5 in (11.40 m)
- Height: 12 ft 7 1/8 in (3.84 m)
- Wing area: 193 3/4 ft² (18.00 m²)
- Empty weight: 3,311 lb (1502 kg)
- Loaded weight: 4,094 lb (1857 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs liquid-cooled V12 engine 3-bladed, adjustable pitch, 860 shp (642 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 270.3 mph at 16,400 ft (435 km/h at 5000 m)
- Cruise speed: 155.3 mph (250 km/h)
- Range: 435 miles (700 km)
- Service ceiling 39,400 ft (12,000 m)
- Wing loading: 22 lb/ft² (107 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.21 hp/lb (0.35 kW/kg)
Armament
- 1 × 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon with 60 rounds
- 2 × 7.92 mm Darne machine guns
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.[edit] See also
Related development
- Ikarus IK-4
Comparable aircraft
- Avia B-534
- Hawker Fury
- PZL P.8
- PZL P.11
- PZL P.24
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ Ikarus IK 2
- ^ Green 1969
[edit] Bibliography
- Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Four: Fighters. London: MacDonald & Co.(Publishers) Ltd., 1961 (sixth impression 1969). ISBN 0-356-01448-7.
- Grujic, Zlatomir. Airforce of Serbia and Yugoslavia 1901-1994 Belgrade: Military book, 1997. ISBN 86-335-0019-1.
- Oštrić, Šime I. and Janić, Čedomir J. "Ik Fighters (Yugoslavia: 1930-40s)" Aircraft in Profile, Volume 13 (nos. 241-246). Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1973, p. 169-193. ISBN 0-85383-022-3.
[edit] External links
- Ikarus IK 2 (Serbian)
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