The Soko J-20 Kraguj (from Serbian : крагуј , lit. 'sparrowhawk') is a light military, single-engine, low-wing single-seat aircraft with a metal airframe, capable of performing close air support , counterinsurgency (COIN), and reconnaissance missions, that was designed by VTI and manufactured by SOKO of Yugoslavia, first flown in 1962.
6-559: It is of classic semi-monocoque, metal structure with a slightly tapered wing. The pilot is accommodated in an enclosed, heated and ventilated cockpit with adjustable seats. The cockpit canopy slides backwards to open. The landing gear is non-retractable with a tail wheel. Rubber dampers provide shock absorption, and hydraulic brakes are used for wheel braking. The power plant comprises one 340 hp Textron Lycoming GSO-480-B1J6 piston engine and Hartzell HC-B3Z20-1/10151C-5 three-blade metal variable-pitch propeller. The engine cooling airflow
12-452: A collimator sight in the cockpit. For combat missions there is a capacity for an external load of bombs and two 57 mm and two 128 mm (HVAR-5) air-to-ground rocket launchers. Adapters on the underwing pylons can be used to switch the armament configuration from free-fall bombs to multi-tube launchers with twelve 57 mm air-to-ground rockets. Cluster, bombs, cargo bombs, and 128 mm air-to-ground rockets can be fitted. Drawing on
18-587: A ground support platform, it was also used as a trainer, both for basic visual day/night flight and for more advanced ground attack training. Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1969-70 General characteristics Performance Armament Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Lycoming O-480 The Lycoming GO-480 is a family of six- cylinder , horizontally opposed fixed-wing aircraft engines of 479.6 cubic inch (7.86 L) displacement, made by Lycoming Engines . The engine
24-477: Is a six-cylinder version of the four-cylinder Lycoming O-320 . GO-480 series engines are installed on a number of different aircraft types. Their main competitive engines are the Continental IO-520 and IO-550 series. All engines have an additional prefix preceding the 480 to indicate the specific configuration of the engine. Although the series is known as the "O-480", there are only geared engines in
30-471: Is intensified by means of two specially designed ejectors. 36 US Gal of fuel contained in two rubber tanks enables a flight range of 350 NM for the fully armed configuration of the aircraft. 28 V DC electric power is supplied from a 1,5 kW generator and a storage battery. De-fogging and de-icing of the windshield is done by blowing of hot air. Permanent armament comprises two wing-mounted 7.7 mm Colt–Browning Mk II machine guns with 650 rounds each and
36-668: The nation's experience in WWII, Yugoslav military planners assumed that any potential aggressor would disable airfields early in the conflict. The Kraguj was therefore intended to provide a limited reconnaissance -gathering and strike capability to guerilla and insurgent groups in the event of the neutralization of the Yugoslav Air Force, and was referred to as a "Partisan aircraft". It was designed to operate from short, unprepared auxiliary airfields, especially in mountainous regions, and could be fitted with skis. In addition to its primary role as
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