Super galeb article

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Thought some people might find this interesting, article from Aerosvet magazine from (I think) 1987.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/pics678/g41.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/pics678/g42.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/pics678/g43.jpg

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 6,208

It is interesting mate, if not touched by some propaganda. I find the G-4 and interesting plane but feel that the IAR-99 Soim is a much superior plane.

http://www.studenten.net/customasp/axl/image/foto/11-7-2003-8-46-iar-99_soim_(3)_parked.jpg
http://www.studenten.net/customasp/axl/image/foto/11-7-2003-8-45-iar-99_soim_(18)_three_in_flight.jpg
http://www.studenten.net/customasp/axl/image/foto/11-7-2003-8-45-iar-99_soim_(2)_taxiing.jpg
http://www.studenten.net/customasp/axl/image/foto/11-7-2003-8-45-iar-99_soim_(16)_overhead.jpg

Original IAR-99 wasn't better, but now it is after being modernized by IAI of Israel, mostly the avionics and cockpit. The G-4M upgrade should bridge the gap again. Although G-4 is much older, first flight in 1978, while IAR-99 first flew only in 1985. Actually I have heard from someone that IAR-99 was built based on G-4, although I don't know how true that is. Cooperation betwen the aerospace companies of Yugoslavia and Romania was huge all throughout the 70's and 80's.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 7,989

Is the G-4 (or IAR-99 for that matter) still being built?

A rather interesting article indeed.......thanks for sharing.

I think the production line for the IAR-99 still exists, although I don't think it has put out any new aircraft recently.

As for the G-4, factories that built parts for it were located in all of former Yugoslavia. Utva (Serbia's only remaining aircraft manufacturer) built I think only the cabin and fuselage center. Plan now is to upgrade all G-4's into G-4M. G-4M ads capability for R-60 and AGM-65 missiles, increased payload to 1950 kg, new MFD and HUD, meets HOTAS requirements, new nav-attack system, and they're testing it with a new locally designed LGB and a new locally designed tv guided missile called the Grom-B which is supposed to be compatible with the Maverick launcher but increases range, can engage faster moving target, better rejects background noise, etc.

Grom B missile being tested on Super Galeb:
http://www.vj.yu/vti/vti/lab/tv/4.jpg

id rate the super galeb as good as the bae hawk, maybe not the 2nd gen hawk but easily the 1st one. handling sounds almost identical and weapons capability sounds simliar, plus they look simialar, have one engine etc etc. any views on a hawk comparison?

Well... Hawk has been continuously improved, while all plans for the G-4 died with the old Yugoslavia so that the G-4 today is the same as when it first flew in the late 70's, so it doesn't even come close to the Hawk.

Interesting fact is that there was also a plan for a single seat version of the G-4 with a radar and air-air missiles.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 6,208

yes the Soim and the Super Galeb have a similar linage but I think production closed a couple of years ago.

I read about the G-4M not long ago in AFM, interesting project. As for the single seater, wasn't that supposed to replace the single seat G-22's?

Comparing this to the Hawk is very dangerous, the Hawk has had a lot of money invested in it, if this machine had half as much money invested in it, we'd see a different plane now.

Member for

19 years 7 months

Posts: 400

JPATS was won by the turboprop T-6 Texan2 wasn't it?