Ikarus Ik-2

The design of a single-seat fighter monoplane with a braced, shoulder-mounted wing was initiated in 1932 by Ljubomir Ilic and Kosta Sivcev. It was ordered as a private venture prototype in 1934 and built by Ikarus AD in Novi Sad. The prototype carried the designation IK-L1 (IK comes from the surname of the first and the name of the second designer, while L1 signifies "Lovacki 1", meaning "Fighter One"). It was first flown on 22.04.1935. It had an all-metal construction with fabric-skinned wings, rear fuselage and tail surfaces. The powerplant was a Hispano Suiza 12Ycrs engine, rated at 860 hp. at 4.000 m. providing a max. speed of 435 km/h. The radiator was located between the landing gear. It had an excellent manouverability and it was able to climb to an altitude of 5.000 m. within 5 minutes and 25 seconds. The first prototype was lost in an accident on 24.04.1935 and a second prototype, designated IK-02, was made and it first flew on 24.08.1936. It had a revised radiator bath and a metal wing skinning, the wheel spats of found on the IK-L1 were now removed and carried a full armament, comprised of one Hispano Suiza HS 404 hub-mounted 20 mm. cannon and two fuselage-mounted 7,92 mm. machine guns. The initial batch of 12 aircraft similar to IK-02, designated IK-2, was ordered and delivered early in 1939. Because the design was considered to be obsolete, no further aircraft were built. The Ikarus IK-2 was the first fighter designed in Yugoslavia.
The IK-2 fighters were operationally used by one squadron of the 40th fighter wing (40ti Lovacki Puk) of the VVKJ (Vazduhoplovstvo Vojske Kraljevine Jugoslavije - AF of the Yugoslav Royal Army). They were painted silver-grey, and had the normal national markings on both sides of the wings and with a blue-white-red tricolour on the vertical stabiliser. Over the tricolour the type, weight, serial number of the aircraft and the type of engine were written (similar to the practise in the French AF). These aircraft were used in the defence of the country during the April 1941 attack and fought well against the German opponents. Few were captured by the Germans and given to the AF of the newly created Croatian state, known as NDH (Nezavisna Drzava Hrvatska - Croatian Independent State). They were subsequently destroyed during the war.


Technical information
Type Ik-2
Function single seat fighter
Year 1935
Crew 1
Engines 1xHispano Suiza 12Ycrs
Length 7,88 m
wingspan 11,40 m
Wing area 18,00 sq. m
Empty weight 1.502 kg
Loaded weight 1.857 kg
Speed at 0m 360 km/h
Speed at 4000 m 435 km/h
Turn time
Landing Speed
Landing Roll
Takeoff Run
Range
Flight Endurance
Ceiling
Climb
1000m
3000m
Armament
Guns one Hispano Suiza HS 404

+ 2X7,92 mm.

Created November 12, 1998
by Vladimir Trendofilovsky, Sergey Andreev
and Aexandre Savine ;