09.12.2011.
New Lasta aircrafts in Batajnica
The commander of Air Force Brigadier General Ranko Zivak said today that the first two training aircraft - "Lasta", produced by the Pancevo factory Utva arrived at 204th Aviation Brigade in Batajnica. These are the first domestic aircrafts produced after the dissolution of former Yugoslavia, and the first new aircraft introduced in weapons since 1992.Brigadier General Zivak reporters at the airport in Batajnica were shown the first produced aircraft Lasta, wearing military designation H-54.
He said that this was a very good air craft that could fully meet the needs of flight training, which can also be used for basic combat training because it has the ability to carry small quantities of weapons.- Optimization and savings in primary flight training will be one of the biggest benefits of introducing new aircraft into operational use, but - safety in performance of flight training with a new generation of pilots is another factor we must take into account, as General Zivak remarked.
Furthermore, the initial project of producing training aircraft "Lasta" has after many years entered the final phase.
- The needs of the Serbian Armed Forces are defined in the contract signed with UTVA and 204th Aviation Brigade and its 252nd school-practicing aviation squadron "Kurjaci sa Usca" will receive a total of 15 aircraft by the end of next year and will be the best gift to mark the centennial of our Air Force, said Zivak.
- The airplane is of very good quality and can meet the most essential elements of basic flight training and testing in the Technical Testing Center where it proved to have easy-to-use key flight modes that can be challenging for younger pilots. Also, the cockpit was is fitted with multifunctional digital display that will improve the former system display basic flight information and serve as an effective transition to more modern aircraft of the future we intend to obtain, said General Zivak.
He said that early next year the flight training of active pilots on the plane "Lasta,"would begin and in September the first generation of cadets would start training in this aircraft.
"Lasta" is a single-engine air craft, a two-seater with seats one behind another. Retractable landing gear enables take-off and landing on concrete and grass airstrips. The aircraft was developed for elementary training of pilots."Lasta" is equipped with two external pylons with 120 pounds payload that can carry containers with machine guns, a multi-rocket launcher with caliber 57 mm or two bombs weighing up to 100 pounds.
The maximum flight speed is 340 kilometers per hour, range is 1.060 km, tactical aircraft radius is 400 kilometers, while the flight ceiling 5200 meters.
