Ikarus Aero 2

{{Infobox aircraft |name = Aero 2 |image = Aero2DuMuzejuJvBeogradSlika1.jpg |caption = Aero 2D on display at the [[Belgrade Aviation Museum]] |type = Primary trainer |national_origin=Yugoslavia |manufacturer = [[Ikarus Tvornica Aero i Hydroplana|Ikarus]] |designer = |first_flight = 1940 |introduction = 1948 |retired = 1959 |status = |primary_user = [[Yugoslav Air Force]] |more_users = |produced = |number_built = 248 |unit cost = |developed_from = |variants = }}

The '''Ikarus Aero 2''' was a piston-engined military [[trainer aircraft]] built in [[SFRY|Yugoslavia]] in the years following [[World War II]], although the design pre-dated the war.

==Design and development== The Ikarus Aero-2 was developed as a replacement for the [[Zmaj Fizir FN]], which had been the most commonly used training aircraft of the [[Yugoslav Royal Air Force]] up until 1941. The Ikarus Aero-2 was designed by Boris Cijan and Đorđe Petković. Also at same time, was started project on two different aircraft, low-wing [[Ikarus MM-2]] for advanced train and low-wing [[Rogožarski Brucoš]] for basic train. First flight test was made on April 20, 1940 and test pilot was Vasilije Stojanovic. 248 plane were eventually built, serving from [[1948 in aviation|1948]] to [[1959 in aviation|1959]] (380 built according to.<ref>[http://www.airwar.ru/enc/other/aero2.html Ugolok Neba]</ref>

Powerplant was to be the [[de Havilland Gipsy Major]] because of its successful use in similar trainer aircraft built in other countries. The Aero 2 was a low-wing monoplane that seated the student and instructor in tandem, open cockpits (although later versions added a canopy to enclose them). Undercarriage was fixed and used a tailskid.

==Variants== ;Aero 2B : Open cockpit version with a 145hp (108kW) [[de Havilland Gipsy Major]] engine. ;Aero 2BE : Enclosed cockpit version with a 145hp (108kW) de Havilland Gipsy Major engine. ;Aero 2C : Open cockpit version with a 160hp (119kW) [[Walter Minor|Walter Minor 6-III]] engine. ;Aero 2D : Enclosed cockpit version with a 160hp (119kW) Walter Minor 6-III engine. ;Aero 2E : Enclosed cockpit version with a 160hp (119kW) Walter Minor 6-III engine. ;Aero 2F : Open cockpit version with a 160hp (119kW) Walter Minor 6-III engine. ;Aero 2H : Twin-float version with a 160hp (119kW) Walter Minor 6-III engine.

==Operators== ;{{YUG}} *[[SFR Yugoslav Air Force|Yugoslavian Air Force]] **[[1st Training Aviation Regiment]] (1945–1948) **[[3rd Training Aviation Regiment]] (1946–1948) **[[103rd Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment]] (1949–1951) **[[105th Assault-Training Aviation Regiment|105th Training Aviation Regiment]] (1948−1949, 1951−1959) **[[267th Aviation Regiment of School of Reserve Officers]] (1951–1953) **[[122nd Hydroplane Liaison Squadron]] (1949–1959) **[[Training Squadron of 29th Aviation Division]] (1953–1961) **[[Training Squadron of 39th Aviation Division]] (1956–1959) **[[Training Squadron of 44th Aviation Division]] (1956–1961) **[[Liaison Squadron of 7th Aviation Corps]] (1953–1956) *[[Letalski center Maribor]]

==Specifications (2B) == {{Aircraft specs |ref=''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft'' <ref>Orbis 1985, page 36</ref> |prime units? = met |crew=1 |capacity=1 |length m=8.45 |length ft=27 |length in=8.75 |span m=10.5 |span ft=34 |span in=5.25 |height m=2.80 |height ft=8 |height in=10.25 |wing area sqm=17.4 |wing area sqft=187 |empty weight kg=564 |empty weight lb=1241 |gross weight kg=996 |gross weight lb=2196 |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=[[de Havilland Gipsy Major]] |eng1 kw=108 |eng1 hp=145 |max speed kmh=208 |max speed mph=129 |range km=680 |range miles=423 |ceiling m=4500 |ceiling ft=14,765 }}

==See also== {{aircontent  |see also= |related= |similar aircraft= *[[Miles Magister]] *[[RWD-23]] |lists= }}

==References==

===Notes=== {{reflist}}

===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} *{{cite book |title= The [[Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft]] (Part Work 1982-1985)|publisher= Orbis Publishing}} {{refend}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} *[http://www.airwar.ru/enc/other/aero2.html Photos and drawings at Ugolok Neba]

[[Category:Ikarus aircraft]] [[Category:1940s Yugoslav military trainer aircraft]] [[Category:Low-wing aircraft]] [[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]] [[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1940]] [[Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear]] [[Category:Single-engined piston aircraft]]