Soko Kraguj (yugoslavian aviation)
Wed Dec 12, 2007 11:54 am
Is there any Soko Kragujs registered and flying in the US or any other Yugoslavian airforce aircraft?
Having just restored a Kraguj to airworthiness in the United Kingdom I just wondered if there was similar interest in the United states or in fact anywhere in the world.
I am aware of currently two airworthy aircraft in europe, one in France and one in the UK soon to be joined by another.
For further information on the Soko Kraguj
[http://www.sokokragujaviation.uksite.biz/][/url]
Having just restored a Kraguj to airworthiness in the United Kingdom I just wondered if there was similar interest in the United states or in fact anywhere in the world.
I am aware of currently two airworthy aircraft in europe, one in France and one in the UK soon to be joined by another.
For further information on the Soko Kraguj
[http://www.sokokragujaviation.uksite.biz/][/url]
Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:11 pm
Nick,
There's one Kraguj in the U.S. (not registered, evidently). Other Kraguj listings are at:
http://www.virtualspinllc.com/availability.htm
As far as other Soko aircraft, check out this FAA site:
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... dfind.y=10
Includes 4 x G-2s, 3 x G2-As (including one in New Zealand!), and 4 x Type 522s.
Hope that answers your query.
There's one Kraguj in the U.S. (not registered, evidently). Other Kraguj listings are at:
http://www.virtualspinllc.com/availability.htm
As far as other Soko aircraft, check out this FAA site:
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... dfind.y=10
Includes 4 x G-2s, 3 x G2-As (including one in New Zealand!), and 4 x Type 522s.
Hope that answers your query.
Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:56 pm
There's a Kraguj on display in the Wastern Aerospace Museum at Oakland.
Kraguj on display Oakland
Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:24 pm
Thanks Mike
Do you have any details of the aircraft or may be a picture?
I am a little unsure why the Kraguj is not very popular in the United states considering their value for money as a warbird?
May be it is the lack of heritage of the Soko Kraguj in the US which is strange being that it was based on an originally american design the Fletcher Defender, potentially an excellent coin (counter-insurgency) type but rejected by the Department of Defence, in those pre-Vietnam days, because it did not fulfil an existing requirement.
Due to this it has a Lycoming engine and Hartzell propeller and many other US originated parts.
Or is it that there is little known about them outside Yugoslavia(I believe they were not supplied to anyone but the Yugoslavian air force).
It is difficult to get information on their flight operations within Yugoslavia, more so towards the end of their service.
Thanks again for the information mike
Do you have any details of the aircraft or may be a picture?
I am a little unsure why the Kraguj is not very popular in the United states considering their value for money as a warbird?
May be it is the lack of heritage of the Soko Kraguj in the US which is strange being that it was based on an originally american design the Fletcher Defender, potentially an excellent coin (counter-insurgency) type but rejected by the Department of Defence, in those pre-Vietnam days, because it did not fulfil an existing requirement.
Due to this it has a Lycoming engine and Hartzell propeller and many other US originated parts.
Or is it that there is little known about them outside Yugoslavia(I believe they were not supplied to anyone but the Yugoslavian air force).
It is difficult to get information on their flight operations within Yugoslavia, more so towards the end of their service.
Thanks again for the information mike
Soko aircraft
Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:42 pm
Hi fellas,
i owned 1 of the 2 Soko 522's that are potentially flyable here in the US, i flew it for a few years and it has since been sold and is now in the North East. The other potential flyer is with the CAF Dixie wing and is being returned to flight status, the other 2 are projects that have not flown since coming here, one in Washington, the other in California.
i had looked at a Kraguj and a UTVA to buy, they are all very cool warbirds. Vladimir Bojovic in England has lots of these types, and we have spoken a few times over the years about parts when i needed some from Yugoslavia.
All of the planes that are shown with "virtualspin" are i believe his or were associated with plans to bring them to the US and set up distributorships.
I think at least the Soko 522 is a sleeper, will out perform a T-6 on the same budget ( except runway requirements) and is a very well built fun to fly machine, if more people could fly them, then i believe they would gain more recognition and hence value.
Simon
i owned 1 of the 2 Soko 522's that are potentially flyable here in the US, i flew it for a few years and it has since been sold and is now in the North East. The other potential flyer is with the CAF Dixie wing and is being returned to flight status, the other 2 are projects that have not flown since coming here, one in Washington, the other in California.
i had looked at a Kraguj and a UTVA to buy, they are all very cool warbirds. Vladimir Bojovic in England has lots of these types, and we have spoken a few times over the years about parts when i needed some from Yugoslavia.
All of the planes that are shown with "virtualspin" are i believe his or were associated with plans to bring them to the US and set up distributorships.
I think at least the Soko 522 is a sleeper, will out perform a T-6 on the same budget ( except runway requirements) and is a very well built fun to fly machine, if more people could fly them, then i believe they would gain more recognition and hence value.
Simon
those are quite the exhaust augmenters on that thing....
Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:49 pm
and you gotta love the P-51 style canopy... 
Re: Kraguj on display Oakland
Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:04 pm
nick stone wrote:Thanks Mike
Do you have any details of the aircraft or may be a picture?
I should have a picture or two - I'll post them up when I get home tonight.
nick stone wrote:I am a little unsure why the Kraguj is not very popular in the United states considering their value for money as a warbird?
'Not Invented Here' syndrome, possibly?
Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:34 pm
I actually like the Kraguj, but there isn't much information out there about them. How are spares availablity? What about parts for the Lycoming GSO-480? I know it's a Lycoming, but I already own one (O-435) that Lycoming doesn't support anymore, and spare parts availability is dwendling.
I wish there were some flying in the US. It looks like a fun airplane to fly (although you couldn't share the experience with anyone).
I wish there were some flying in the US. It looks like a fun airplane to fly (although you couldn't share the experience with anyone).
Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:55 pm
I have owned a Soko Galeb since 1993
Great aircraft but I haven't flown it in a while.
After seeing the re-engined L-29's beat the L-39's at Reno I think the Galeb would be the fastest jet out there if someone were to put some more thrust in it. With what looks like a faster airfoil it should be a lot faster then the L-39, but they still don't look as modern and no pressurization.
There is a guy putting new engines in the Iskra and I think this will also make that aircraft something to watch out for.
Great aircraft but I haven't flown it in a while.
After seeing the re-engined L-29's beat the L-39's at Reno I think the Galeb would be the fastest jet out there if someone were to put some more thrust in it. With what looks like a faster airfoil it should be a lot faster then the L-39, but they still don't look as modern and no pressurization.
There is a guy putting new engines in the Iskra and I think this will also make that aircraft something to watch out for.
Soko Kraguj spares
Thu Dec 13, 2007 4:19 am
Kraguj spares for the Lycoming GSO 0480 (340hp with super charger) are no problem at the moment, it is even still possible to get an 0480 overhauled in the united states at the moment.
The Beech queen air and others used a similar engine which means these type of engine come up for sale quite often as the number of airworthy queen airs decline. Also helping is that, the Kraguj on a permit to fly( Similar FAA experimental certification) as long as the parts fall within tolerances they can be used without full certification which is a great help.
However this excludes the propeller that has to be fully overhauled every 5 years by a certified propeller shop, which is a good policy considering the strain that it can be put under.
Most other parts for example mags,generator etc are quite easy to get parts for and overhauled due to them being used on many other US types.
Even the original Propeller supplied by Hartzell is still supported, which I must commend Hartzell for, even supplying original drawings and guidance enabling a propeller shop in the UK to overhaul my propeller from a box of bits.
Hartzell have also just re manufactured some prop clamps and put together an overhaul kit for the second Kraguj that is about to take to the air again in the UK.
Many of the parts on the Kraguj if you look hard enough ,you will find an american manufacturer(or are a Yugoslavian copy ) or part number that are quite easy to trace to a source.
The only early problem I had was to realise that all fittings and hardware were metric,although when you looked the fittings had american to metric adaptors fitted.
Again I sourced the metric hardware to a supplier that was very helpful in the US (there main custoners were YAK owners).
Yes it may be right that you cannot go down to your local Lycoming parts supplier and pick up the parts of the shelf but the parts are out there, just like any restoration project you learn quickly how to source Parts.
Also for the near future there is a two seat conversion being worked on in Yugolavia with a similar set up to the P51 mustang, although a little more cramped and with no flight controls, but it will be great to share the Kraguj experience with others.
The Beech queen air and others used a similar engine which means these type of engine come up for sale quite often as the number of airworthy queen airs decline. Also helping is that, the Kraguj on a permit to fly( Similar FAA experimental certification) as long as the parts fall within tolerances they can be used without full certification which is a great help.
However this excludes the propeller that has to be fully overhauled every 5 years by a certified propeller shop, which is a good policy considering the strain that it can be put under.
Most other parts for example mags,generator etc are quite easy to get parts for and overhauled due to them being used on many other US types.
Even the original Propeller supplied by Hartzell is still supported, which I must commend Hartzell for, even supplying original drawings and guidance enabling a propeller shop in the UK to overhaul my propeller from a box of bits.
Hartzell have also just re manufactured some prop clamps and put together an overhaul kit for the second Kraguj that is about to take to the air again in the UK.
Many of the parts on the Kraguj if you look hard enough ,you will find an american manufacturer(or are a Yugoslavian copy ) or part number that are quite easy to trace to a source.
The only early problem I had was to realise that all fittings and hardware were metric,although when you looked the fittings had american to metric adaptors fitted.
Again I sourced the metric hardware to a supplier that was very helpful in the US (there main custoners were YAK owners).
Yes it may be right that you cannot go down to your local Lycoming parts supplier and pick up the parts of the shelf but the parts are out there, just like any restoration project you learn quickly how to source Parts.
Also for the near future there is a two seat conversion being worked on in Yugolavia with a similar set up to the P51 mustang, although a little more cramped and with no flight controls, but it will be great to share the Kraguj experience with others.