ROGOZARSKI IK-3 by Nenad Miklusev, Djordje Nikolic (Kagero Monograph in 3D, No.11, 2018)

ROGOZARSKI IK-3 by Nenad Miklusev, Djordje Nikolic (Kagero Monograph in 3D, No.11, 2018)

A new “Monograph Special Edition in 3D” from Kagero publications, about an aircraft most of us have to admit to knowing little or nothing about! 

The Rogožarski IK-3 was a 1930's Yugoslav low wing monoplane single-seat fighter, designed as a successor to the high winged Ikarus IK-2 fighter.

After the end of WW1 Yugoslavia (the kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes) found itself with dated aircraft in service. They could have continued to use foreign suppliers but also had the option to encourage their own domestic aviation industry. By the mid 1930s it was evident that the monoplane designs of the time were going to supersede the current biplanes.

The early work of Zivojin Rogozarski couldn't produce enough orders to support the business but after a rescue, the company went on to produce a prototype of a new IK-3 fighter.

The new fighter’s main armament was a hub firing 20mm cannon augmented by two fuselage mounted & synchronized machine guns. The IK-3 was born out of the necessity to update the hopeless outdated Yugoslavian Air Force in the 1930’s. The result was a state of the art fighter that was easier to handle than the Hurricane or even Bf109E, but at the same time, a relatively complex aircraft for the essentially primitive Yugoslavian aircraft industry. It was considered comparable to aircraft such as the Messerschmitt Bf109E and had some characteristics of the Hawker Hurricane and others of the French Dewoitine 520.

The prototype crashed during testing and a total of twelve production aircraft had been delivered by July 1940. Due to delays, only six aircraft were operational/serviceable by the time Germany invaded Yugoslavia in April 1941 - out of a planned 48. Two aircraft survived the invasion and were destined for the puppet Independent State Of Croatia, however, due to subterfuge by the resistance the Germans were fooled into scrapping these. All six were in service with the 51st Independent Fighter Group at Zemun near Belgrade.

Pilots flying the IK-3 claimed 11 aircraft shot down during the 11-day conflict. According to one account, to prevent them from falling into German hands, the surviving aircraft and incomplete airframes were destroyed by their crews and factory staff. Another account suggests that one aircraft survived the invasion and was later destroyed by sabotage.

The IK-3 design would later form the basis of the post-war Ikarus S-49 following the 1948 Tito/Stalin split. 

Specifications of IK-3

Role: Fighter

Manufacturer: Rogožarski A.D

First flight: late May 1938

Introduction to service: late March 1940

Retired: June 1941

Primary user: Royal Yugoslav Air Force

Number built: 13

Developed into: Ikarus S-49

This book is all in English, hardcover of 184 pages in 8 1/4" x 11 3/4" (21,5 cm X 30,3 cm), a bit larger than A4 page format.

It includes a separate large fold-out, A2 double-sided set of plans with line drawings (16 1/4" x 23" – 58 cm X 42 cm) in 32nd scale, folded twice to fit the book. One side has a top, bottom and side view of a DB-60 engine version, 3 side views of the engine, and a 3-view of the 2nd series version. The reverse side of this sheet has a 4-view of the prototype, side views of the 2nd production model, an illustration of the instrument panel, bulkheads and wing fillets.

There are also included 194 colour profiles, 130 archival photos, 28 scale modelling plans, and a fold out. The 3D drawings are especially detailed. The book contains 28 black and white photos of pilots that flew the plane, 70 black and white wartime photos and 22 black and white technical manual photos.

So, we have an 184-page hardback book which is split into three main sections. The first part of the book is filled with the text which gives us the background story, leading up to the early flights of the prototype IK-3, and includes an eye-witness account of it crashing, the development and modifications that were made plus getting it into production.

47 pages span the development of the IK-3. Starting halfway the 1930’s covering the IK-3’s predecessors (like the IK-1 and IK-2) and followed by the first test flight of the IK-3 Br.1.The construction of the prototype is described extensively and accompanied by a lot of photos. Not soon after the IK-3 was pressed into service and entered the war. The amount of research, photographs, and details are impressive. That is followed by its service history and post-war use, as the basis of the Yugoslav built S-49 and by a section/chapter on Camouflage and Markings. Paint codes are reconstructed using a section of a crashed plane and a 1:20 era model with original paint.

Technical information: 20 pages with text and photos of different sections of the plane in great detail. This chapter gives you an idea of the materials used and aids in defining how to paint/weather your model. Technical details of each element of the aircraft: engine, cockpit, construction, control surfaces, hydraulics, electrics, armament and more.

Then we get to the plans/drawings section, which has 28 pages of sets of scale drawings in both 1/48 and 1/72 scale. There is also a large, separate sheet of 1/32 plans. The final section (80 pages) is packed with the detailed, colour, 3D computer images which show every aspect of the aircraft. These include skeletal detail of the wing construction, fuselage, engine, cockpit and so on, leading on to complete external views showing camouflage and markings. The last 9 pages give us a series of fine colour profiles.

This is a complete look at the rather forgotten Rogožarski IK-3. The aircraft was a good one but produced too late, and in too few numbers to make any difference for Yugoslavia.

We are surprised to see such a book published. We would have never expected the IK-3 to be the subject of such a large work, but one can expect such surprises from Kagero! And very positively surprised, as this is a little known but very interesting type. This book goes straight up the “to buy”list! An enormous amount of work has gone into this book. Books like this a labour of love by the people who write them, as finding the material must be hard. Thankfully they do, and thanks to Kagero for publishing it.

All in all, superb illustrations and a wealth of historical detail. For the aircraft historian and especially for the modeller we can't imagine you could want for anything more. A great new Monograph Special Edition in 3D from Kagero and the two authors. Highly recommended!

Scale models of the IK-3

Let’s see what kits are available of the IK-3. Being a less known fighter hasn’t stopped manufacturers and especially small companies of producing models of this plane. It has been done in almost all scales, although most or all of them were limited editions and out of stock now (may be found mainly on ebay)

1/32: Aeropoxy (a resin kit that requires a lot of skill and experience, 1993 - 2005).

1/48: Aeropoxy (resin kit, 1993 - 2005)

Classic Resin Airframes (resin kit, 1998)

1/72:

Aeropoxy (resin kit, 1993 - 2005)

AZ Model (plastic kit, 2010)

Azur-Frrom (plastic kit, 2013)

CMR - Czech Master Resin (resin kit, ~2003)

You can order the IK-3 book online here.

 

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