FR015 Ikarus IK-2 VVKJ

History (Yugoslavia):
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.

Camouflages and markings: initially painted overall in aluminium, the IK-2s get 4 large 1 m diameter  ‚Kosovo crosses‘ on wings, cyrillic letterings are applied.  Big black numbers 1 to 5 are painted on fuselage of aircrafts nr 9 to 13. Late 1940, a standard camouflage, upperside ochre/ dark green/ dark brown, lowerside light blue-grey is applied on all aircrafts, with usually modifications of the topside crosses: overpainting of the starboard and reduction of port to 70 cm . 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