The Soštarić Vrabac, ( sr, Врабац / Vrabac -
sparrow), was a
primary glider
Primary gliders are a category of aircraft that enjoyed worldwide popularity during the 1920s and 1930s as people strove for simple and inexpensive ways to learn to fly.Schweizer, Paul A: ''Wings Like Eagles, The Story of Soaring in the United Sta ...
for basic pilot training designed and built in the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 ...
in 1939.
Design and development
Of mixed composition, mostly wood and canvas, with undercarriage skis for landing, the Vrabac was designed by engineer
Ivo Šoštarić in 1939, inspired by the success of the
Zögling, a German primary glider. Unlike the Zögling, the Vrabac was not wire-braced, lacking a
kingpost
A king post (or king-post or kingpost) is a central vertical post used in architectural or bridge designs, working in tension to support a beam below from a truss apex above (whereas a crown post, though visually similar, supports items above f ...
and using
strut
A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension.
Human anatomy
Part of the functionality o ...
s to brace the wings to the lower fuselage.
During tests at
Vršac
Vršac ( sr-cyr, Вршац, ; hu, Versec; ro, Vârșeț) is a city and the administrative centre of the South Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. As of 2011, the city urban area had a population of 35,701, while ...
the Vrabac showed far better flight characteristics than not only its German exemplar, but also from the Polish
Kocjan Wrona.
Production of 15 aircraft in two versions - A and B began in 1939, as the first serially built glider in
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
. Production continued after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
and more than 150 were made. Due to the simple design of this glider, it was also made in local aeroclubs' workshops during the winter, so that they could be used for training during the summer.
Variants
;Vrabac A
:Initial version
;Vrabac B
:second version
Aircraft on display
*
Aviation Museum - Belgrade - a Vrabac A, manufactured in the Utva factory at
Pančevo
Specifications (Vrabac A)
See also
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sostaric Vrabac
1930s Yugoslav sailplanes