UTVA Aero 3 explained

The UTVA Aero 3 was a piston-engined military trainer aircraft built in Yugoslavia to replace the Ikarus Aero 2 then in service. One hundred ten were built, in Yugoslav Air Force service from 1958 to mid-1970s.^[1] It was superseded by the UTVA 75.

Design and development

First flown in 1956, the Aero 3 was designed to meet a Yugoslav Air Force requirement for a primary trainer that could also be used in the army co-operation role.

The Aero 3 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane that seated the student and instructor in tandem under a bubble canopy. Of all wood construction, it had a fixed, tailwheel landing gear and was powered by a nose-mounted 190 hp (142 kW) Lycoming O-435-A piston engine.^[2]

Former military operators

• • • Yugoslav Air Force
    • Aviation Technical Group of Aviation Training School (1958–1960)
    • Light Combat Aviation Squadron of 3rd Air Command (1959-1961)
    • Light Combat Aviation Squadron of 5th Air Command (1959-1961)
    • Light Combat Aviation Squadron of 7th Air Command (1959-1961)
    • 463rd Light Combat Aviation Squadron (1961-1965)
    • 464th Light Combat Aviation Squadron (1961-1965)
    • 465th Light Combat Aviation Squadron (1961-1965)
  • Letalski center Maribor (Civil operator 1961-2011)

Aircraft on display

Serbia

• Museum of Aviation (Belgrade) in Belgrade

A UTVA Aero 3 prototype and UTVa Aero 3 are on displayhttp://www.aviationmuseum.eu/World/Europe/Serbia/Belgrade/Muzej_Ratnog_Vazduhoplovstva.htm

References

Bibliography

• Book: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). Orbis Publishing.

External links

• Photos and drawings at Ugolok Neba

Notes and References

1. http://www.airwar.ru/enc/other/aero3.html Ugolok Neba
2. Orbis 1985, page 36