Soko J-22 Orao
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| J-22 Orao | |
|---|---|
 Serbian Air Force J-22 Orao |
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| Type | Fighter Bomber |
| Manufacturer | SOKO |
| Maiden flight | November 1976 |
| Introduced | 1978 |
| Primary user | Serbian Air Force, Bosnian-Republika Srpska Air Force |
| Variants | IAR-93 |
- For other uses of "J22", see J22 (disambiguation).
The Soko J-22 Orao (Eagle) is a twin-engined, subsonic, close support, ground attack and tactical reconnaissance aircraft, with secondary capability as low level interceptor. It was built as single-seat main attack version or as a combat capable two-seat version for advanced flying and weapon training. It was developed as a joint Yugoslav-Romanian project in the 1970s for the air forces of both nations.
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[edit] Design and development
On May 20 1971, the governments of Romania and Yugoslavia signed an agreement for the formation of YuRom, a joint R&D venture. The program was headed by Dipl. Dr. Engineer Teodor Zanfirescu of Romania and Colonel Vidoje Knezević of Yugoslavia. The aircraft was intended as a replacement for the lightly armed Soko J-21 Jastreb (Hawk) and the Republic F-84 Thunderjet, then in the JNA arsenal.
The requirements called for a light aircraft to be built on a simple structure, using locally produced equipment and avionics (but compatible with western components), tough (able to operate on grass or damaged runways), easy to maintain and reliable. The aircraft was of conventional twin-engine, high mounted wing monoplane configuration with all flying surfaces swept. The designers originally planned a single-engined supersonic aircraft, but Britain would not authorize the license for the engine the designers wanted (due to Romania being in the Warsaw Pact), so the weaker Rolls-Royce Viper was chosen as the power plant, as Soko had experience with license-building this engine. It was originally intended that an afterburner would be developed for the Viper engines, but there were prolonged difficulties with this project, meaning that none of the pre-production aircraft featured it, and neither did early production examples. During the 1980s, both countries developed slightly different versions to take advantage of the after burning engines that had since become available.
The Yugoslav prototype 25002 made its first flight on November 1976 from Batajnica Air Base near Belgrade, with Major Vladislav Slavujević at the controls.
The third aircraft, numbered 003, a pre-production two-seater version, made its first flight on July 4, 1977, but was lost almost a year later due to tail flutter problems. However, construction continued, and the first batches of pre-production machines were delivered in 1978 to the Air Force Aircraft Testing Facility in Belgrade, with serial production being set-up in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
[edit] First Supersonic flight
On November 22, 1984, Orao 25101 piloted by test pilot Marjan Jelen broke the sound barrier in a shallow dive over Batajnica Air Base, becoming the first Yugoslav-designed aircraft to exceed Mach 1. The aircraft is, however incapable of breaking the sound barrier in level flight, so it is classified as subsonic.
[edit] Technical description
The Orao is a twin-engined combat jet aircraft for close air support, ground attack and tactical reconnaissance warplane with limited air-defense capability
- Powerplant
Orao/Turbomehanika (Rolls-Royce/Bristol Siddeley) Viper Mk 633-41 turbojets each rated at 17.79 kN dry and 22.24 kN with afterburning
- Dimensions
Wing: Span 9.30 m; aspect ratio 3.33; area 26.00 m2
Fuselage and tail dimensions: Length 14.90 m including probe; height 4.52 m; tailplane span 4.59 m; wheel track 2,50 m; wheel base 5.40 m
Operational weights: Empty 5500 kg equipped; normal take-off 8170 kg; maximum take-off 11080 kg
- Performance
Maximum speed: Maximum level speed ‘clean’ 1020 km/h at 11000 m and 1130 km/h or Mach 1.06 at sea level; cruising speed, maximum 743 km/h at 11000 m
Maximum range: Ferry range 1320 km with two drop tanks; radius 522 km on a hi-lo-hi attack mission with four cluster bombs and one drop tank, or 460 km on a hi-lo-hi attack mission with four 500 kg air mines and one drop tank, or 370 km on a hi-lo-hi attack mission with eight 250 kg bombs and one drop tank
Maximum rate of climb at sea level 5340 m per minute; climb to 6000 m in 1 minute 20 seconds; service ceiling 15000 m
G limits: -4.2 to +8
- Electronics & operational equipment
Standard communication and navigation equipment, plus (fire control and weapons management) Thompson-CSF VE-120T HUD replacing the original Ferranti ISIS D-282 gyro sight (defensive sensors and systems) Iskra SO-1 RWR and provision for up to tree chaff/flare dispensers and P10-65-13 passive jammer pod, and (navigation) Honeywell SGP500 twin-gyro platform; there is also provision for an optical/IR reconnaissance pod or a optical reconnaissance/jammer pod
[edit] Operational history
The first SFR Yugoslav Air Force unit which received Orao aircraft was the 351. IAE (reconnaissance aviation squadron) from 82. Aviation Brigade, Cerklje. Until the war, there were only three squadrons fully equipped with J-22 attack aircraft and NJ-22 trainer-attack aircraft. Those units were the 238. LBAE (fighter-bomber aviation squadron) from 82. Aviation Brigade, 241. LBAE from 98. Aviation Brigade, Skopski Petrovac and 242. LBAE from 127. Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment, Golubovci Airbase. There were also about three squadrons half equipped with Orao aircraft.
At the beginning of the Yugoslav wars, in Slovenia, J-22s flew over in a show of force, but did not drop any bombs. The first offensive action by the J-22 was in 1991 when the Yugoslav National Army used them to strike targets in Croatia. They were used in attacks on arms dealers which were smuggling weapons into Croatia. During the first year of war only three Oraos were shot down, NJ-22 No.25508 flown by Lieutenant Colonel Muse Begić who ejected safely and J-22 No.2512? flown by Major Z.Tomić (KIA) from 238. LBAE. Afther the withdrawal of the JNA from Slovenia, 82. Aviation Brigade was relocated from Cerklje to Banja Luka Zalužani air base. When in the 1992 the Bosnian war started, the JNA left on squadron with Oraos to Republika Srpska Air Force. That squadron was the 238. LBAE nicknamed the "Risovi Vrbasa" (Vrbas Lynxes). Those aircraft were used in a few combat operations at the beginning of war.
In 1999, Yugosalv J-22s saw limited combat against the KLA flying 20 combat missions at treetop level with no air-to-air losses to NATO aircraft. However, one Orao, J-22 No.25104 flown by Života Đurić (KIA) was lost in an accident - hitting a hillside in Kosovo. In addition, eleven aircraft were destroyed on the ground, most at Ponikve airbase when a NATO air strike hit one hangar with 6 J-22 and two MiG-21 aircraft which have remained buried. The small number of Oraos destroyed on the ground is because the attack aircraft in Yugoslav Air Force were painted in green-gray camouflage scheme (unlike the MiG-21s which were painted in gray). During the campaign, Serbian sources claim, a J-22 shot down a Tomahawk cruise missile.
[edit] Variants
- IJ-22 Orao 1
- This designation is applied to the 15 Yugoslav-built pre-production aircraft (including a few completed to INJ-22A Orao two seat standard) with the non-afterburning powerplant and used for the tactical reconnaissance role with a centerline pod carrying optical and/or IR sensors. In other respects, the IJ-22A Orao 1 differs from the J-22B Orao 2 in details such as its powerplant of two Viper Mk 632-41R turbojets each rated at 17.79 kN dry and supplied with fuel from an internal weight of 2360 kg, length of 14.90 m including probe for single seat model or 15.38 m including probe for two-seat model, wheel base of 5.40 m for single-seat model or 5.88 m for two-seat model, empty equipped weight of 5755 kg, normal take-off weight of 8500 kg with reconnaissance pod, maximum take-off weight of 9500, maximum level speed ‘clean’ of 1033 km/h at 8000 m and 1050 km/h at sea level, maximum rate of climb at sea level of 2280 m per minute, climb to 6000 m in 3 minutes 12 seconds, and service ceiling of 13500 m.
- J-22A Orao 1
- This is the Yugoslav variant equivalent to the IAR-93A with a non-afterburning powerplant of two Orao/Turbomecanica (Rolls-Royce/Bristol Siddeley) Viper Mk 632-41R turbojets each rated at 17.79 kN dry, but the larger and more diverse weapons load of the J-22B carried on that variant’s higher-rated hardpoints. The variant first flew in October 1983 and was built only in single-seat form.
- J-22B Orao 2
- This is the Yugoslav variant equivalent to the IAR-93B with an afterburning powerplant, integral wing tankage, the greater weapons load and diversity of the J-22A Orao 1, and Thomson-CSF HUD. The variant is being built only in single-seat form, and J-22A/B production will total 165 aircraft. Yugoslavia planned a major upgrade of its J-22 Oraos with a radar and a computer nav/attack system integrated via a MIL 1553B digital database, but the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the civil war of the early 1990s made this an unlikely happenstance.
- NJ-22 Orao
- This is the dedicated two- seat reconnaissance variant operated by the Yugoslav Air Force with provision for a reconnaissance pod (with optical and IR sensors) carried on the centerline hardpoint. The type first flew in July 1986, and 35 were delivered in NJ-22A Orao 1 and NJ-22B Orao 2 forms with non-afterburning and afterburning powerplants respectively.
[edit] Operators
- There are currently 32 J-22 Aircraft in the Serbian Air Force,
[edit] Former operators
- Total of 111 J-22's aircraft in all versions were operated by SFR Yugoslav Air Force
- FRY Air Force operated about 60 Orao aircraft.
- The Bosnian Serb Air force operated 7 Orao aircraft until it was was integrated into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Fate of aircraft is unknown.
- Romanian Air Force operated IAR-93 aircraft (67th Fighter-Bomber Regiment and 49th Fighter-Bomber Regiment from Craiova and Ianca respectively), withdrawn from service.
[edit] Survivors
Most produced J-22 aircraft were withdrawn from use and 16 of them are currently owned by aviation museums[1].
- Soko/CNIAR IJ-22 Orao 1
- 25001, prototype preserved at MJV Museum in Belgrade.
- 25710, preserved at Topola.
- 25719, preserved at MJV Museum in Belgrade.
- 25721, preserved at MJV Museum in Belgrade.
- 25723, preserved at MJV Museum in Belgrade.
- 25724, preserved at MJV Museum in Belgrade.
- Soko/CNIAR INJ-22 Orao 1
- 25606, preserved at MJV Museum in Belgrade.
- Soko/CNIAR J-22 Orao 2
- 25101, gate guard at Pančevo "UTVA" Aircraft Factory (first Orao which broke the sound barrier).
- 25107, preserved at MJV Museum in Belgrade.
- 25118, preserved at MJV Museum in Belgrade.
- 25120, preserved at MJV Museum in Belgrade.
- 25168, gate guard at Kraljevo-Lađevci Military Airbase.
- Soko/CNIAR NJ-22 Orao 2D
- 25505, preserved at MJV Museum in Belgrade.
- 25506, preserved at MJV Museum in Belgrade.
- 25509, preserved at MJV Museum in Belgrade.
- 25511, preserved at MJV Museum in Belgrade.
[edit] Specifications (J-22M)
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Crew: one, pilot
- Length: 13.02 m (42 ft 8 in)
- Wingspan: 9.30 m (30 ft 6 in)
- Height: 4.52 m (14 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 26.0 m² (280 ft²)
- Empty weight: 5,750 kg (12,676 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 10,900 kg (24,030 lb)
- Powerplant: 2× Turbomecanica/Orao-built Rolls-Royce Viper Mk 632-47 turbojets
- Dry thrust: 17.79 kN (4,000 lbf) each
- Thrust with afterburner: 22.24 kN (5,000 lbf) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 1,420 km/h (882 mph)
- Range: 1,320 km (825 miles)
- Service ceiling 15,000 m (49,210 ft)
- Rate of climb: 5,340 m/min (17,520 ft/min)
Armament
- 2 × 23 mm GSh-23L cannon
- Up to 2,800 kg (6,173 lb) of stores, including:
- AGM-65 Maverick TV guided AGM
- Grom-1 Radio-guided AGM (based on Soviet Kh-23)
- BL755 cluster bombs
- AA-8 Aphid AAM
- Durandal runway attack bomb
[edit] See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Utva Aviation
- National Institute for Aerospace Research "Elie Carafoli"
- AIRSERBIA - Serbian Aeronautical Information Network
- Photos of Soko J-22 Orao at Airliners.net, as well as here, here, here, here, and here.
- Photos at Avioni.net: Orao in low level flight at Kecskemet airshow in 2005, also here: at Batajnica airport, and here: at Batajnica.
- Photo at ABG (Avijacija Bez Granica): Orao NJ-22 in flight 1980's
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