Rogožarski IK-3
| Rogožarski IK-3 | |
|---|---|
 Model of an IK-3 |
|
| Type: | Fighter plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1938 |
| Commissioning: |
1940 |
| Production time: |
1939-1941 |
.svg){kind=small}
The Rogožarski IK-3 ( Serbian - Cyrillic Рогожарски ИК-3 ) was a single-seat Yugoslav fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 1940s, which was produced in small numbers.
development
The Rogožarski IK-3 was a design by the aircraft designers Ljubomir Ilić and Kosta Sivčev, who were also joined by the aircraft designer Slobodan Zrnić, who was trained in France . The fighter was intended as a compromise between the British Hawker Hurricane and the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 . Due to the French school of its designers and the same type of engine - the Hispano-Suiza 12Y-29 "Moteur-Canon" - it was very similar to the French Morane-Saulnier MS.406 . The project was presented to the Yugoslav Air Force Command in 1936 and construction of the first prototype began in the Rogožarski works near Belgrade in 1937 . The first flight took place in 1938. The prototype showed very good flight characteristics and reached a speed of up to 527 km / h, 40 km / h more than the MS.406. Towards the end of the flight test, the prototype was lost in an accident in which the test pilot died. The investigations into the cause of the accident showed processing errors by the Rogožarski works, which is why the project continued and a second prototype was built in 1939. The production model had a new cabin and was 8.00 m longer than the prototype with 7.85 m. 51. The hunting group of the Yugoslav Air Force, which first began IK-3, also hit the Bf 109 E-3a and Hurricane I . It is alleged that the pilots preferred the IK-3 because it was easier to fly, and the maintenance of the aircraft is said to have been easier. In early 1941, the second series appeared with a length of 8.10 m and a slightly increased speed of 535 to 540 km / h. The Turkey was interested in a license-but that prevented World War II further plans. After the war, the first Yugoslav post-war fighter Ikarus S-49 was developed from the IK-3 .
construction
The Rogožarski IK-3 was a low-wing aircraft. The fuselage consisted of a steel frame, the front part was covered with duralumin and the rest with wood and fabric. The wings were made of wood and were planked with plywood. The IK-3 was the first Yugoslav aircraft with a retractable landing gear. The centrally installed armament enabled a very precise effective range. The 20 mm cannon of the type Oerlikon FF / SMK M.39 EM or Hispano-Suiza HS.404 (60 rounds) was built into the engine and shot through the axis of the propeller, while two synchronized 7.92 above the engine -mm-MGs of the type M.38 Browning FN (500 rounds each).
Tests were also carried out with the Daimler-Benz DB 601 and Rolls-Royce Merlin III engines , with the latter being used by the most powerful IK-3.
commitment
The first batch of twelve aircraft was delivered to the 51st Fighter Group near Belgrade by the summer of 1940. Appropriate tactics were worked out in fictitious aerial battles with the Bf 109 E-3a (in service with the Yugoslav Air Force since 1939). The IK-3 proved to be more agile than the Bf 109 E, the Bf 109 E again flew a little faster. Another 48 IK-3s were to be delivered to the Yugoslav Air Force by 1942. With the attack by the Axis powers on Yugoslavia on April 6, 1941, only five of the twelve delivered IK-3s were operational, which recorded ten enemy aircraft being shot down. With the surrender of Yugoslavia, the Yugoslavs destroyed the remaining IK-3. 25 IK-3s, which were still in the construction phase and were to be delivered by the end of 1941, were captured by the Axis powers.
Military use
- Royal Yugoslav Air Force
.svg){kind=small}
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data IK-3 (1st series) |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| length | 8.00 m |
| span | 10.30 m |
| height | 3.25 m |
| Takeoff mass | 2630 kg |
| Top speed | 520 km / h at 5450 m altitude |
| Ascent time to 5000 m | 7.49 min |
| Service ceiling | 9400 m |
| Range | 600 km |
| Engines | a Hispano-Suiza HS 12Y29 with 690 kW (925 PS) |
| Armament | a 20 mm on-board cannon and two 7.92 mm machine guns (all in the fuselage) |
