Soko G-2
Encyclopedia
The SOKO
G-2 Galeb (Seagull) is a two-seat, single engine, jet trainer
and ground-attack aircraft developed in Yugoslavia
.
, in 1957. The Galeb features a straight wing with tip tanks, Folland
Type 1-B lightweight ejector seats, sideways hinging canopy transparencies and under-wing hard points for light bombs and rockets. The first flight of the prototype, Galeb 1, was performed by captain Ljubomir Zekavica on 31 July 1961. Galeb 1 had three rubber tanks in the fuselage
, while Galeb 2 had two fuselage tanks holding 230 gallons (US) and two wingtip tanks holding 51 gallons (US) each. Soon, after a full-size wooden mock-up, the second prototype Galeb 2 was built - establishing the G-2 type designation.
During flight tests, a maximum speed of 812 km/h (440 kt) at 6,200 m (20,100 ft) was achieved in clean configuration
, with no paint and a polished airframe. Top diving speed was Mach 0.81, obtained after a prolonged dive.
Without a pressurized cabin the practical ceiling is between 7,000 (22,800 ft) and 9,000 m (29,000 ft). A pressurized cabin would have increased costs by up to 15% because all components needed to be imported. The Air Force needed a trainer with secondary combat ability that could operate from unprepared runways. Not familiar with such requirements, the designers provided for landing gear strong enough to make the aircraft suitable for landing on aircraft carriers.
The need for a safe training aircraft that is forgiving on landings meant that the wheels retract into the wings instead of the fuselage, making for a heavier, straight wing, which is less likely to stall on landing, but precludes supersonic flight. It was flown primarily by the Air Academy of Yugoslavia. Production ceased in 1985.
Production began in 1964, making it the first indigenous jet to enter mass production in Yugoslavia (the first jet-powered plane built by Yugoslavia was the Ikarus 451M in 1952, which did not enter production). After the Soko 522
, it was the second aircraft built at SOKO
, Mostar
, Bosnia-Herzegovina. The first production series G-2A was entered in the aircraft register of the Yugoslav Air Force
on 30 July 1965, and the last one on 6 January 1981. The G-2A was known in Yugoslav military under the N-60 designation. Production of updated aircraft for export to Libya was extended until mid-1983. Soko produced a total of 248 Galeb aircraft, 132 of which were used by the Yugoslav Air Force.
The aircraft was very easy and forgiving in flight, with easy maintenance, so students and technicians loved it. They regularly achieved 5,000 hours in the air (the G-2 Galeb in the Yugoslav Aeronautical Museum
had 6,200 hours in its logbook). A G2-AE export variant became available from late 1974 and was built for Libya
and Zambia
.
and Yugoslavia supported Mobutu's government during the First Congo War. Namely, Yugoslavia agreed to deliver three J-21 and one G-2 aircraft, as well as four MiG-21s, while three Mi-24s were purchased from Ukraine
. All these aircraft were based at Gbadolite
and flown mainly by Serbian mercenaries.
With few exceptions it remains unknown exactly what happened with each of these aircraft and how were they used after their arrival in Zaire, in late 1997. The MiG-21s arrived in kit form and were put together by group of Russian or Ukrainian technicians at Gbadolite. In the case of Mi-24s it is known that one hit a power line and crashed on 27 March 1997, killing the three crewmen and four passengers. The fate of at least one J-21 Jastreb was not much better: sometime in 1997 one of the Serbian mercenaries, called Turcinovic, was killed while flying an ultra-low-level pass over Gbadolite and clipping a lamp post with his wing. The wreckage of his aircraft fell directly into a column of young soldiers on a parade, killing dozens of them. Turcinovic apparently fell victim to a massive liquor problem.
. One was destroyed after landing on 24 March 2011 by a French Dassault Rafale
after violating the No-Fly-Zone over Misrata.
Another five together with 2 Mi-35 helicopters were reported destoyed by the French Air Force
in the same area the following day, but satellite images showed that the five fixed wing aircraft were MiG-23s.
, at least a dozen Galebs were purchased by American warbird
dealers, and several are still on the civil register today. Other operators are located in Indonesia, Serbia, New Zealand, Slovenia and the United States.
G-2A-E: Two-seat export version for Libya
and Zambia
.
G-2Š: Unarmed trainer.
G-3 Galeb-3: Prototype of export version first flown 19 August 1970, with BMB (Rolls-Royce/Bristol Siddeley) Viper Mk 532 Turbojet engine from J-21 Jastreb, modern cockpit, cameras in tip-tanks, twice as higher capacity for armament, JATO (rocket engines for the reduction of takeoff) and other modifications.
Libyan rebels
Former Operators
:
:
:
SOKO
SOKO was an aircraft factory situated in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It gained prominence in Yugoslavia.-Products:* Soko 522* Soko S-55-5 Mk...
G-2 Galeb (Seagull) is a two-seat, single engine, jet trainer
Jet trainer
A Jet trainer is typically a turbofan or turbojet powered training aircraft, intended either for general aviation flying training or for more advanced jet aircraft. Jet trainers are typically divided into civilian and military, and custom designs versus versions of existing aircraft...
and ground-attack aircraft developed in Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
.
Design and development
Yugoslavia's VTI (Aeronautical Technical Institute) began design work on the airplane, named GalebGaleb
Galeb is the Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian word for "seagull". It can refer to any of the following:*Yugoslav Navy Yacht Galeb, presidential yacht used by Josip Broz Tito...
, in 1957. The Galeb features a straight wing with tip tanks, Folland
Folland
Folland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturing company which was active between 1937 and 1963.-History:British Marine Aircraft Ltd was formed in February 1936 to produce Sikorsky S-42-A flying boats under licence in the UK. The company built a factory on the western side of the Hamble...
Type 1-B lightweight ejector seats, sideways hinging canopy transparencies and under-wing hard points for light bombs and rockets. The first flight of the prototype, Galeb 1, was performed by captain Ljubomir Zekavica on 31 July 1961. Galeb 1 had three rubber tanks in the fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
, while Galeb 2 had two fuselage tanks holding 230 gallons (US) and two wingtip tanks holding 51 gallons (US) each. Soon, after a full-size wooden mock-up, the second prototype Galeb 2 was built - establishing the G-2 type designation.
During flight tests, a maximum speed of 812 km/h (440 kt) at 6,200 m (20,100 ft) was achieved in clean configuration
Clean configuration
Clean configuration refers to the flight configuration of an fixed-wing aircraft when its external equipment is retracted to minimize drag and thus maximize speed for a given power setting.-Application:...
, with no paint and a polished airframe. Top diving speed was Mach 0.81, obtained after a prolonged dive.
Without a pressurized cabin the practical ceiling is between 7,000 (22,800 ft) and 9,000 m (29,000 ft). A pressurized cabin would have increased costs by up to 15% because all components needed to be imported. The Air Force needed a trainer with secondary combat ability that could operate from unprepared runways. Not familiar with such requirements, the designers provided for landing gear strong enough to make the aircraft suitable for landing on aircraft carriers.
The need for a safe training aircraft that is forgiving on landings meant that the wheels retract into the wings instead of the fuselage, making for a heavier, straight wing, which is less likely to stall on landing, but precludes supersonic flight. It was flown primarily by the Air Academy of Yugoslavia. Production ceased in 1985.
Production began in 1964, making it the first indigenous jet to enter mass production in Yugoslavia (the first jet-powered plane built by Yugoslavia was the Ikarus 451M in 1952, which did not enter production). After the Soko 522
Soko 522
-References:* Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1961.*Illustrated history of aviation ’’Modern Ikars“, IRO Vuk Karadzic&Sluzbeni list SFRJ, Belgrade, 1989. ISBN 86-307-0088-2...
, it was the second aircraft built at SOKO
SOKO
SOKO was an aircraft factory situated in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It gained prominence in Yugoslavia.-Products:* Soko 522* Soko S-55-5 Mk...
, Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
, Bosnia-Herzegovina. The first production series G-2A was entered in the aircraft register of the Yugoslav Air Force
SFR Yugoslav Air Force
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslav Air Force , was the air force of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia . Formed in 1945, it was preceded by the Yugoslav Royal Air Force which was disbanded in 1941, following the German occupation of Yugoslavia...
on 30 July 1965, and the last one on 6 January 1981. The G-2A was known in Yugoslav military under the N-60 designation. Production of updated aircraft for export to Libya was extended until mid-1983. Soko produced a total of 248 Galeb aircraft, 132 of which were used by the Yugoslav Air Force.
Operational history
Powered by a license-built Rolls Royce Viper Mk 22-6 turbojet, the G2-A was the standard version for the Yugoslav Air Force. They were used primarily for school-combat training of VVA (Military Air Force Academy) cadets, so that the largest number of these aircraft was located in the VVA units.The aircraft was very easy and forgiving in flight, with easy maintenance, so students and technicians loved it. They regularly achieved 5,000 hours in the air (the G-2 Galeb in the Yugoslav Aeronautical Museum
Yugoslav Aeronautical Museum
The Museum of Aviation in Belgrade was founded in 1957 as the Yugoslav Aeronautical Museum . The facility is located adjacent to Nikola Tesla Airport...
had 6,200 hours in its logbook). A G2-AE export variant became available from late 1974 and was built for Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
.
Balkans
The G-2A was used extensively by the 105th Fighter-Bomber Regiment of the Yugoslav Air Force, in combat over Bosnia-Herzegovina.First Congo War
According to some reports, FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Yugoslavia supported Mobutu's government during the First Congo War. Namely, Yugoslavia agreed to deliver three J-21 and one G-2 aircraft, as well as four MiG-21s, while three Mi-24s were purchased from Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. All these aircraft were based at Gbadolite
Gbadolite
Gbadolite or Gbado-Lite is the capital of the Nord-Ubangi District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The town is located south of the Ubangi River at the border to the Central African Republic and northeast of the national capital Kinshasa...
and flown mainly by Serbian mercenaries.
With few exceptions it remains unknown exactly what happened with each of these aircraft and how were they used after their arrival in Zaire, in late 1997. The MiG-21s arrived in kit form and were put together by group of Russian or Ukrainian technicians at Gbadolite. In the case of Mi-24s it is known that one hit a power line and crashed on 27 March 1997, killing the three crewmen and four passengers. The fate of at least one J-21 Jastreb was not much better: sometime in 1997 one of the Serbian mercenaries, called Turcinovic, was killed while flying an ultra-low-level pass over Gbadolite and clipping a lamp post with his wing. The wreckage of his aircraft fell directly into a column of young soldiers on a parade, killing dozens of them. Turcinovic apparently fell victim to a massive liquor problem.
Libya
Colonel Gaddafi's forces have used the type to attack rebel forces during the 2011 Libyan civil war2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
. One was destroyed after landing on 24 March 2011 by a French Dassault Rafale
Dassault Rafale
The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine delta-wing multi-role jet fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Introduced in 2000, the Rafale is being produced both for land-based use with the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations with the French Navy...
after violating the No-Fly-Zone over Misrata.
Another five together with 2 Mi-35 helicopters were reported destoyed by the French Air Force
French Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
in the same area the following day, but satellite images showed that the five fixed wing aircraft were MiG-23s.
Popular warbird
Before the Yugoslav WarsYugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
, at least a dozen Galebs were purchased by American warbird
Warbird
Warbird is a term used, predominantly in North America, to describe vintage military aircraft.- Naming :Although the term originally implied piston-driven aircraft from the World War II era, it is now often extended to include all military aircraft, including jet-powered aircraft, that are no...
dealers, and several are still on the civil register today. Other operators are located in Indonesia, Serbia, New Zealand, Slovenia and the United States.
Variants
G-2A: Two-seat advanced jet trainer, light attack aircraft.G-2A-E: Two-seat export version for Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
.
G-2Š: Unarmed trainer.
G-3 Galeb-3: Prototype of export version first flown 19 August 1970, with BMB (Rolls-Royce/Bristol Siddeley) Viper Mk 532 Turbojet engine from J-21 Jastreb, modern cockpit, cameras in tip-tanks, twice as higher capacity for armament, JATO (rocket engines for the reduction of takeoff) and other modifications.
Operators
:- Libyan Air ForceLibyan Air ForceThe Libyan Air Force is the branch of the Libyan Armed Forces responsible for aerial warfare. In 2010, before the 2011 Libyan civil war, the Libyan Air Force personnel strength was estimated at 18,000, with an inventory of 374 combat capable aircraft operating from 13 military airbases in...
- (G2A-E version) 116 (rebels captured 5 aircraft at Misrata Airport on 24 February 2011 as part of the 2011 Libyan civil war2011 Libyan civil warThe 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
. A separate aircraft was destroyed on the ground by a French fighter with an air-to-ground missile as it was landing near Misurata on 24 March 2011 as part of the 2011 military intervention in Libya2011 military intervention in LibyaOn 19 March 2011, a multi-state coalition began a military intervention in Libya to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which was taken in response to events during the 2011 Libyan civil war...
.) Another five together with 2 Mi-35 helicopters were reported destoyed by the French Air ForceFrench Air ForceThe French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
in the same area the following day, but satellite images showed that the five fixed wing aircraft were MiG-23s.
Libyan rebelsFree Libyan Air Force
The Free Libyan Air Force is the air force of the National Transitional Council, a collection of defected Loyalist Military personnel and captured aircraft that have aligned themselves with the Anti-Gaddafi forces of the 2011 Libyan civil war.-Operations:...
- Free Libyan Air ForceFree Libyan Air ForceThe Free Libyan Air Force is the air force of the National Transitional Council, a collection of defected Loyalist Military personnel and captured aircraft that have aligned themselves with the Anti-Gaddafi forces of the 2011 Libyan civil war.-Operations:...
- (G2A-E version) 5 aircraft captured from the Libyan Air Force at Misrata Airport on 24 February 2011.
Former Operators
:
- Yugoslav Air ForceSFR Yugoslav Air ForceThe Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslav Air Force , was the air force of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia . Formed in 1945, it was preceded by the Yugoslav Royal Air Force which was disbanded in 1941, following the German occupation of Yugoslavia...
- former
:
- Croatian Air Force briefly flew 3 examples captured during Operation StormOperation StormOperation Storm is the code name given to a large-scale military operation carried out by Croatian Armed Forces, in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to gain back control of parts of Croatia which had been claimed by separatist ethnic Serbs, since early...
:
- 1 Galeb delivered together with 3 Jastrebs as part of a French - Yugoslav contract in 1997.
- Zambian Air ForceZambian Air ForceThe Zambian Air Force is the air force of Zambia.Following the creation of the Republic of Zambia in 1964, Zambian military avaition was organized as the Zambia Air Wing which lasted until 1968. The Zambian Air Force was then established....
, two aircraft delivered in 1971