aircraft/loadouts Soko Galeb G-2 (Sea gull) - possible tier V event award vehicle for USA?

[___OverLord___ 60]

This beautiful straight-wing fighter is the Soko Galeb (sea gull) G2-A, manufactured in former Yugoslavia. The prototype first flew in 1961. Production began in 1963 and ended in 1983. The engine is a 2,500 lb thrust Rolls-Royce Viper turbojet.

 

This Galeb is one of seven imported to the USA in 1988. According to the owner, the Galeb's performance is better than on the L-39 Albatros. Hence why I think it should be a good tier V premium for the USAF or an event award.

 

 

History, Design & Development

 

Up until the mid-1960s the former nation of Yugoslavia fielded the American-made T-33 "Shooting Star" in the advanced jet trainer role. It's successor became indigenous product known as the G-2 "Galeb" ("Seagull") designed, developed and produced by SOKO. Manufacture of the product spanned from 1965 to 1983 to which 248 examples were completed. The only other major operator of the series became Libya which procured 116 for its Air Force.

 

 

Design work on the aircrft was headed by VTI (Aeronautical Technical Institute) and tangible work began in 1957. Two prototypes were completed for testing and one of these recorded a first-flight on July 3rd, 1961. Upon achieving type certification, the path was cleared for serial production which began in 1963. This marked the first designed, developed and produced aircraft of Yugoslavian origin.

 

 

Yugoslavian experience with the T-33 certainly showed through in the design lines of the G-2. A slim fuselage was selected which sat the crew of two in tandem under separate framed canopies (side-hinged). The cockpit was fitted ahead of midships and aft of a short, rounded nosecone. The wing mainplanes were straight with clipped tips and each wing capped by a wingtip pod. The mainplanes were positioned at midships. The tail unit consisted of a single vertical tail fin and a pair of low-mounted horizontal planes. The undercarriage was of a retractable tricycle design with very short legs, giving the aircraft a very low stance when ground-running.

 

 

Structurally, the G-2 showcased a running length of 10.35 meters with a wingspan of 11.62 meters and a height of 3.28 meters. Its empty weight was 5,775lb/2,619kg against a maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 9,480lb/4,300kg.

 

Internally, power was provided by a DMB Viper ASV.11 mk 22-6 turbojet engine outputting 2,500 lb of thrust (this powerplant was a license-built copy of the Rolls-Royce / Bristol Siddeley Viper). Performances specs included a maximum speed of 505 miles per hour, a cruising speed of 455 miles per hour, a range out to 770 miles and a service ceiling up to 40,000 feet. Rate-of-climb was listed at 4,500 feet-per-minute.

 

 

Armament was centered around a standard installation of 2 x 12.7mm heavy machine guns in the nose assembly and there were four external hardpoints that supported up to 660lb of total ordnance. Supported weapons included rockets and conventional drop stores for a light attack duty or weapon training.

 

General characteristics

 

Crew: 2

Length: 10.34 m (33 ft 11 in)

Wingspan: 11.62 m [28] (38 ft 1½ in)

Height: 3.28 m (10 ft 9 in)

Wing area: 19.43 m² (209.1 ft²)

Empty weight: 2,620 kg (5,775 lb)

Loaded weight: 3,374 kg (7,438 lb) (clean aerobatic trainer)

Max. takeoff weight: 4,300 kg (9,480 lb) (strike mission)

Internal fuel load: 780 kg (1,720 lb)

External fuel load: Up to 340 kg (750 lb) in two wing-tip drop tanks

Powerplant: 1 × DMB (license-built Rolls Royce/Bristol Siddeley) Viper ASV.11 Mk 22-6 turbojet, 11.12 kN (2,500 lbf)

 

Performance

 

Maximum speed: 812 km/h (438 knots, 505 mph) at 6,200 m (20,350 ft)

Cruise speed: 730 km/h (393 knots, 453 mph) at 6,000 m (19,700 ft)

Stall speed: 158 km/h (85 knots, 98 mph) (flaps and airbrakes down)

Range: 1,240 km (669 nmi, 770 mi)

Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,375 ft)

Rate of climb: 22.8 m/s (4,500 ft/min)

 

Armament

 

Guns: 2× 12.7 mm (.50 in) machine guns in nose

Hardpoints: 4 with a capacity of 300 kg (660 lb) total

 

Sources:
https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=1711

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soko_G-2_Galeb

http://www.airplanezone.com/Oshkosh/Scrapbook2003/page59.html

http://www.planecheck.com/index.asp?ent=da&id=37105&cor=y

Edited April 1, 2018 by ___OverLord___

[leroyonly 4,311]

Open for discussion. 

 

Please do note that we currently arent accepting tier 5 Premium plane suggestions due to there not being any top tier premiums. However, due to the LA-174 and He 162 A-1 you can suggest this plane as an event vehicle.

[___OverLord___ 60]

4 minutes ago, leroyonly said:

Open for discussion. 

 

Please do note that we currently arent accepting tier 5 Premium plane suggestions due to there not being any top tier premiums. However, due to the LA-174 and He 162 A-1 you can suggest this plane as an event vehicle.

Edited. Thank you kindly

Edited March 30, 2018 by ___OverLord___

[Admiral_Aruon 2,264]

interesting. i could see it being a USA event jet (besides being in a tech tree including Yugoslavia and its successors). it's certainly NOT OP by any stretch of the imagination. with how poor its armament is at only 2 (M3s i presume?) i could see it as low as 6.3 BR, though more likely at 6.7.

 

now that the suggestions forum has FINALLY been overhauled and non-primary nations have their own suggestion subforum you should also consider suggesting the G-3 Galeb-3 and the G-4/G-4M Super Galeb duo since minor nation suggestions won't be buried 10 pages back anymore.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Admiral_Aruon

[Thurny 179]

I'd rather see this plane in an independent Yugo tree, than that.
Although having the U.S. use it as event fighter is fine too, although to me there is the question of armament and historical usage by the americans.