FR016 Ikarus IK-2 Hrvatska

History (Croatia):
Built on the Pulawski’s gull wing configuration, the IK-L1 prototype makes her maiden flight on 22 April, 1935, but is soon destroyed.  The second prototype IK-02 flies on 24 August, 1936. The Ikarus plant receives on 30 November, 1937, an order for production of 12 planes and delivers during December 1938 and March 1939. During Summer 1939, the IK-2s  are incorporated into 6 th Puk in Zemun airfield (Belgrade). In October 1939 they move to 4 th Puk in Borongaj airfield (Zagreb) then starting on 13 March, 1941, to Bosanski Aleksandrovac  airfield (near Banja Luka, Bosnia).

IK-2s take part in Bosnia defence and get involved in a very hard fight upon the Nova Topola airfield, on 8 April, 1941. On 11 April, the last IK-2 lands on Veliki Radinci airfield where all the surviving planes, including 3 IK-3s of 6 th Puk and some Me 109s, are destroyed by their crews on next dawn.  Nr 3, 4, 11 and 13, being serviced on 6 April during German attack on Yugoslavia, do not take part in the fights, but are captured by German troops and subsequently transferred to the Croat Air Force.  These planes are identified by nr 2901 to 2904, taken in charge by 17 th Jato, 6 th Grupa, on Rajlovac airfield (Sarajevo) and employed on reconnaissance missions. Two remain in use during 1944 but no IK-2 survives the war.

Camouflages and markings: the IK-2 are painted in dark green topside and grey underside. The Croat insignas appear on wings in the four usual positions and on both sides of the rudder. The identification number is applied on both sides of fuselage. All paintings are gloss.

Specifications:  wingspan 11,40 m, lenght 7,88 m, wing area 18 m2,  weight 1875 kgs, max speed 435 Km/h at 3.000 m, ceiling 12.400 m, range 700 Km. Weapons:  one 20 mm HS 9 gun, two 7,7 mm Darne 30 machine guns in fuselage. Engine: an in line liquid-cooled Avia (built under Hispano Suiza licence) 12 cylinders  12 Ycrs engine developing  860 cv driving a three-bladed Ratier propeller.  

References:

  • AirMagazine n°53   August- September 2011  (in french)
  • Ikarus IK-2, YASIG publications, Nenad Miklusev (2006)

Additional information, kit build:

  • Build in AirMagazine n°53
  • It seems a fifth IK-2 (n°6) was used by Croat Air Force, keeping the Yugoslav camouflage, with the Croat insigna replacing the Kosovo Cross and Yugoslav flag. Unfortunately, the Croat identification number is unknown

Special thanks to:

  • Mr Nenad Miklusev            Site:                                     Aeropoxy  
  • Mr  Dragan Draskovic        Site:                                     Lift Here! Decals