The Zmaj R-1 () was a
twin-engine
A twinjet or twin-engine jet is a jet aircraft powered by two engines. A twinjet is able to fly well enough to land with a single working engine, making it safer than a single-engine aircraft in the event of failure of an engine. Fuel efficien ...
d
prototype bomber
A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped from an air ...
produced by
Zmaj aircraft of the former Yugoslavia, designed in the 1930s. The aircraft remained a prototype due to a number of difficulties in testing.
Design and development
During 1936 at the Zmaj factory,
Dušan Stankov, then technical manager, initiated the design and construction of a reconnaissance-bomber. After tests in the wind tunnel at
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
and acceptance by the Yugoslavian Air Force, the project was designated Zmaj R-1. The team of designers joining Eng. Djordje Ducić and a few young engineers who worked on the design completed the prototype before the beginning of a large aerospace workers strike in April 1940, with final assembly at the military part of the airport in
Zemun
Zemun ( sr-cyrl, Земун, ; hu, Zimony) is a municipality in the city of Belgrade. Zemun was a separate town that was absorbed into Belgrade in 1934. It lies on the right bank of the Danube river, upstream from downtown Belgrade. The developme ...
.
The first flight was on 24 April 1940, piloted by reserve Lieutenant Đura E. Đaković, a transport pilot with
Aeroput
Aeroput () was an airline and flag carrier of Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia from 1927 until 1948.
Society for Air traffic List of legal entity types by country#Serbia, AD Aeroput was the first Serbian company for civil air traffic, which was ...
. The initial testing justified all expectations in terms of aerodynamic characteristics and performance, unfortunately on the third flight the pilot was unable to lower the landing gear and had to land with the undercarriage extended, damaging the propellers and engines. Replacement parts for the propeller and landing gear were imported from
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
delaying repairs considerably. The aircraft was rebuilt so that testing could be resumed at the end of March 1941, but in early April the bombing of Zemun airport damaged the prototype Zmaj R-1 again. In late June 1941 the
Germans
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scrapped the aircraft.
This twin-engine mid-winged aircraft, powered by two
Hispano-Suiza 14AB
The Hispano-Suiza 14AB, a.k.a. Hispano-Suiza Type 80, was a 14-cylinder twin-row air-cooled radial engine. In 1929 the Hispano-Suiza company bought a license to produce the Wright Whirlwind engine. The technology from that engine was used to p ...
, was of mixed construction and well-armed, with two Oerlikon cannon, and four machine guns, with of bombs in a fuselage bomb-bay. The reconnaissance variant carried cameras, extra fuel tanks and three crew members in lieu of guns and bombs.
Operational history
Due to the cessation of flight testing the plans for the
Yugoslav Royal Air Force
The Royal Yugoslav Air Force ( sh-Latn, Jugoslovensko kraljevsko ratno vazduhoplovstvo, JKRV; sh-Cyrl, Југословенско краљевско ратно ваздухопловство, ЈКРВ; ( sl, Jugoslovansko kraljevo vojno letalstv ...
reconnaissance and bomber units to be solely equipped with the Zmaj R-1 came to naught.
[О. Петровић., Војни аероплани Краљевине СХС/Југославије (Део II: 1931–1941.), Лет (Flight) 3/2004. Београд, 2004.]
Operators
;
*
Royal Yugoslav Air Force 1 aircraft
Specifications
See also
Notes
References
#
# Војна енциклопедија, Београд, 1975., страна 348.
# О. Петровић., Војни аероплани Краљевине СХС/Југославије (Део II: 1931–1941.), Лет (Flight)No.3/2004. Београд, 2004.
#
External links
* http://vazduhoplovnetradicijesrbije.rs/index.php/istorija/246-zmaj-r-1
www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/yugo/af2/types/ikarus.htm* http://www.letletlet-warplanes.com/2008/06/02/zmaj-r-1/
* http://www.airwar.ru/enc/bww2/r1.html
{{Zmaj aircraft
Zmaj aircraft
1940s Yugoslav bomber aircraft
Mid-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1940
Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft