The UTVA Kobac (English:
''Sparrowhawk'') was a prototype Serbian single-engine, low-wing tandem-seat
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fuel ...
training/light
attack aircraft
An attack aircraft, strike aircraft, or attack bomber is a tactical military aircraft that has a primary role of carrying out airstrikes with greater precision than bombers, and is prepared to encounter strong low-level air defenses while pre ...
manufactured by
Pančevo
Pančevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Панчево, ; german: Pantschowa; hu, Pancsova; ro, Panciova; sk, Pánčevo) is a city and the administrative center of the South Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is located on ...
based
UTVA Aviation Industry
Utva Aviation Industry (commonly known as UTVA) is a Serbian manufacturer of general aviation aircraft, subsidiary of Yugoimport SDPR, headquartered in Pančevo.
History
Utva was founded on 5 June 1937 in Zemun, since 1940 located in Pančevo ...
and designed by the
Military Technical Institute
Military Technical Institute ( sr, Војнотехнички институт, Vojnotehnički institut; abbr. ) is a Serbian weapons and aircraft design institute, headquartered in Belgrade, and governed by the Serbian Ministry of Defence. It ...
. Revealed as a
mockup
In manufacturing and design, a mockup, or mock-up, is a scale or full-size model of a design or device, used for teaching, demonstration, design evaluation, promotion, and other purposes. A mockup may be a ''prototype'' if it provides at leas ...
on 02 September 2012 during the
Batajnica
Batajnica ( sr-Cyrl, Батајница, ) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. It is located in the Belgrade municipality of Zemun.
Location and geography
Batajnica is located in the Syrmia region, in the northern ...
2012 Air Show, the aircraft's first flight was planned for 2013, but was never realized.
Design Concept
Based on the proven UTVA
Lasta 95P-2 tandem two-seat low-wing trainer, the Kobac promised a maximum speed and was intended to serve the
Serbian Airforce and export customers with advanced training in all weather conditions. Equipped with the capability to conduct border patrols and strikes against ground-based targets, the aircraft was touted as a
close air support
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
,
counterinsurgency
Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionari ...
, and
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
aircraft similar to the
Super Tucano and
Texan II.
The Kobac concept envisioned modifications to the Lasta platform to suit advanced new roles. Most importantly it was planned to be powered by a turboprop engine housed in a lengthened nose and possess five hard points for the carriage of more than of stores.
Two engine options were planned to be offered in the production version of the Kobac. The
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25C and the
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
built
Ivchenko-Progress Motor Sich AI-450S. To handle the increase in power, the rear fuselage of the Lasta airframe was lengthened and a new rear fin was designed. Additionally, fuel tip tanks were planned to compliment the internal fuel capacity, raising the Kobac flight endurance to approximately five hours or .
All four underwing pylons of the Kobac were intended to carry
unguided munitions, tube rocket launchers and gun pods for either a 12.7-mm (0.5-inch) machine gun or
autocannon
An autocannon, automatic cannon or machine cannon is a fully automatic gun that is capable of rapid-firing large-caliber ( or more) armour-piercing, explosive or incendiary shells, as opposed to the smaller-caliber kinetic projectiles (bull ...
. The outer wing pylons were intended for mounting air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles or racks for practice bombs; while the centreline hardpoint was designed to carry an electronic warfare pod.
UTVA redesigned the Kobac cockpit with a new canopy offering better visibility than the Lasta-95. The rear seat was raised by approximately to give the back-seater better forward vision and both positions were to be fitted with
Martin-Baker
Martin-Baker Aircraft Company Limited is a British manufacturer of ejection seats and safety-related equipment for aviation. The company's origins were originally as an aircraft manufacturer before becoming a pioneer in the field of ejection s ...
Mk 15B lightweight ejection seats. A modern three-screen cockpit was installed in the Kobac mockup, with a large central multifunction display for tactical displays and sensor imagery. Control of the system was to be by
HOTAS
HOTAS, an acronym of hands on throttle-and-stick, is the concept of placing buttons and switches on the throttle lever and flight control stick in an aircraft's cockpit. By adopting such an arrangement, pilots are capable of performing all vit ...
(hands-on throttle and stick) and a navigation and attack system was reportedly devised with sensors mounted in a low-profile pallet under the centre fuselage.
Politika (Serbian)-April 4, 2012 - Kobac iz domaceg jata
/ref>
Specifications (Kobac prototype)
Video promotion
KOBAC - turboprop training aircraft - Al Jazeera Balkans
See also
References
{{Utva aircraft
UTVA aircraft
Military Technical Institute Belgrade
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Low-wing aircraft
Single-engined turboprop aircraft
Serbian military trainer aircraft
Experimental aircraft