Ikarus IO

The Ikarus IO (Serbian Cyrillic:Икарус ИО - Извиђач Обални) was a biplane flying boat produced in Yugoslavia in the late 1920s. It was a conventional flying boat design for its day, featuring a large single-bay wing cellule, the staggered wings of slightly uneven span braced with N-struts. The pilot and observer sat side by side in an open cockpit, and a gunner sat in an open position ahead of them, on the bow. The pusher engine and frontal radiator were carried on struts in the interplane gap.

Development


After the fall of the prototype reconnaissance seaplane (Ikarus IM)(Serbian Cyrillic:Икарус ИМ - Извиђач Морнарички) with 260 hp BMW engine, 31 May 1926. year, Ikarus immediately started development of the second prototype reconnaissance seaplane with the engine Ford-Liberty L-12 with 400 hp, which is constructed as the previous engineer, Josef Mikl Technical Manager Ikarus. The new prototype is named Ikarus IO (Coastal Reconnaissance) and the first test flight took place on the Danube at Novi Sad, September 1926th year.

After all-round tests, the aircraft was given a positive assessment of the Naval Air Force ordered the first series of 12 copies. The first series of the Ikarus delivered during the 1927th The planes and received numerous marks from 101 to 112 Based on observations arising from the operational use of the aircraft, certain modifications and the PV at the end of the 1928th Company made an order for another 24 aircraft IO modified copies. Planes on other series have received numerical codes 113 to 136 In parallel with the development of the second series seaplane Ikarus IO IO designed the prototype aircraft with engine Loren (classic conversion). Markings subtypes of these aircraft were fitted with engines.

Ikarus IO is a class seaplane with central boat, completely wooden structure. It was a biplane, his wings were wooden structures, rounded at the edges and covered with canvas. At the bottom under the wing struts are built-in auxiliary floats that increase the stability of navigation. From his metal braces made, belt and metal support, structures engines (canopy). The aircraft was propelled by a water-cooled engine Ford-Liberty L-12 (Liberty L-12), a 12-cylinder inline engine V-cylinder arrangement with two rows at an angle of 45 °, with 400 hp and pushing wooden propellers fixed steps.

He had three crew members, scout and pilot were seated side by side in parallel and gunner sat in front of them turret. Seaplanes were the standard IO colored light gray. The plane was next to coastal reconnaissance and function bombers could carry about 250 kg. bombs and was armed with a machine gun Darn 7.7 mm in front of the turntable turret.

Variants
Markings subtypes of these aircraft were fitted with engines, according to [1]:


 * IO/Li - Coastal Reconnaissance seaplane with the engine Librerti L-12 400 HP, (36 copies + 1 prototype built the 1927th and 1928 when available).
 * IO/Lo - Coastal Reconnaissance seaplane with the engine Lorraine-Dietrich 12Eb 450 hp, (1 copy - a prototype conversion 1929th year)
 * IO/Re - Coastal Reconnaissance seaplane with the engine 12Ke Reno 500 horsepower (1 copy - the prototype of the 1930th year 1937),
 * IO/Lo - Coastal Reconnaissance seaplane with the engine Lorraine Dietrich-12dB 400 hp (20 copies - Conversion 1934th year).

Operational history
Airplane Ikarus IO is used in the navy of the Kingdom of SHS / Yugoslavia as coastal reconnaissance and light bomber. His service began in 1927 and lasted until just before the war in 1941. The planes were deployed and served in bases: Divulje, Vodice and Kumbor. In the beginning of using this aircraft occurred relatively large number of accidents that is already in 1932, the number of these aircraft was dropped from the initial 37 to 29 used copies. Because of intensive use in 1933 have expired resources of most motor Liberty in 1934 and was made a substitute Liberty motors, Lorraine-Dietrich, allowing the continued use of these aircraft. In January 1941, the composition Naval Aviation was 4 aircraft of this type, of which two were correct. During military operations in April 1941 these planes were not used, their function took more modern planes Rogožarski SIM-XIV-H and Rogožarski SIM XIV B-H.

Operators

 * Kingdom of Yugoslavia
 * Yugoslav Royal Navy