Utva Lasta (Swallow)

Basic Trainer / Light Attack Aircraft [ 2010 ]

The Serbian-made Utva Lasta can train upcoming airmen in the nuances of basic flight and ground-attack.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/16/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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The basic/primary aircraft trainer has long since been a part of airman training in the military sphere. Modern forms very much follow the same proven design lines incorporating a low-mounted straight mainplane wing, single rudder fin, nose-mounted engine, tricycle undercarriage, and tandem seating for instructor and student. The Utva "Lasta" ("Swallow") is no different - encompassing all of these qualities while being born from local Serbian industry in its post-war recovery years. The aircraft took to the air for the first time in prototype form on September 1st, 1985 but, due to regional instability, was not introduced until August 5th, 2010 (this with the Iraqi Air Force). Some thirty-seven have been produced to date. The Serbian Air Force is the only other global operator of the type (2019).

The Lasta has been developed as a direct successor to the aging Utva Model 75 fixed-wing flight trainers appearing in the late-1970s. Like other basic trainers appearing in the skies today, the Lasta is a high-performance monoplane capable of basic airman training, basic weapons training, and aerobatics. This inherent ability stems from the robust construction of the aircraft which is designed to take considerable forces all the while delivering the basic training that up-and-coming airmen require. Design work encompassed the "Lasta 1" in 1985 followed by the improved "Lasta 2" of 1989. However, the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s derailed the project to the extent that work was not restarted until 2006 - resulting in the "Lasta 95" incarnation based heavily in the work completed on the Lasta 2 form (of its six prototypes, only five survived the war).

The basic arrangement of this aircraft is conventional. Overall length reaches 26 feet with a wingspan of 31.9 feet and a height of 9.3 feet. Empty weight is 2,000lb against an MTOW of 2,700lb. The nose-mounted Lycoming engine drives a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose, in turn driving the aircraft to speeds of 215 miles-per-hour up to an altitude of 20,000 feet out to a range of 720 miles. Rate-of-climb is 1,670 feet-per-minute. With its underwing hardpoints, the aircraft can carry the usual conventional drop ordnance (220lb bombs) or 57mm 7-shot rocket pods as well as machine gun pods (in both 7.62mm and 12.7mm flavors). This gives the aircraft the versatility needed to accomplish various tasks utilizing a single flexible airframe.

Variants of the line include the "Lasta 95N" which serves as a basic trainer. Its power is from a 6-cylinder engine of 300 horsepower driving a two-bladed propeller unit and two hardpoints allow for light weapons training while the overall design of the aircraft allows for higher-performance maneuverability (for aerobatics). The "Lasta 95V-54" is a military model taken on by the Serbian Air Force. Changes to the type include a switch to the Lycoming AEIO-580-B1A engine of 315 horsepower, revised instrumentation and controls, and a pair of underwing hardpoints for fully-fledged ordnance-carrying. The "Lasta 95P-2" is a customizable version of the Serbian Air Force's Lasta 95V-54 intended for the export market.

At present, the Iraqi Air Force accounts for some twenty Lasta 95N models with an option for sixteen more airframes (2019) - the service actually became the first operator of the aircraft in 2010. The Serbian Air Force, which began use of the aircraft in 2012, counts fourteen having been delivered of the twenty-four total ordered (2019). There are other possible operators on the aircraft's horizon but commitments have not been forthcoming.©MilitaryFactory.com

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December 2007 - The Iraqi Air Force has committed to an order for 20 firm and 16 optional Lasta 95 series aircraft.

August 2010 - First-deliveries of the Lasta 95 to the Iraqi Air Force have taken place.

February 2012 - The final Lasta 95 on-order for the Iraqi Air Force has been delivered.

March 2012 - The Lasta 95 series aircraft has begun service with the Serbian Air Force.

Specifications

Service Year

2010

Origin

Serbia

Status

ACTIVE
In Active Service.

Crew

2

Production

37
UNITS

Utva Aviation Industry - Serbia

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Iraq; Serbia

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Close-Air Support (CAS)
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.

✓ Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

✓ Training (General)
Developed ability to be used as a dedicated trainer for student pilots (typically under the supervision of an instructor).

Length

25.9 ft
(7.90 m)

Width/Span

31.8 ft
(9.70 m)

Height

9.4 ft
(2.85 m)

Empty Wgt

1,984 lb
(900 kg)

MTOW

2,668 lb
(1,210 kg)

Wgt Diff

+683 lb
(+310 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the Utva Lasta 95 production variant)

Installed: 1 x Lycoming AEIO-580-B1A 6-cylinder air-cooled piston engine developing 300 horsepower driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose.

Max Speed

214 mph
(345 kph | 186 kts)

Ceiling

19,685 ft
(6,000 m | 4 mi)

Range

715 mi
(1,150 km | 2,130 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

1,670 ft/min
(509 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Utva Lasta 95 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

Up to 440lb of externally-held ordnance, namely 2 x 220lb conventional drop bombs (one bomb under each wing). Additional support for 7.62mm machine gun pods and 57mm 7-shot rocket pods.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

Graphical image of an aircraft machine gun pod

Graphical image of aircraft aerial rockets

Graphical image of an aircraft rocket pod

Graphical image of an aircraft conventional drop bomb munition

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 2

Lasta ("Swallow") - Base Series Name.

Lasta 95 - Base Series Designation.

Lasta 95N - Basic trainer / aerobatics high-performance model; 2 x Hardpoints for light weapons training; 300 horsepower engine.

Lasta 95V-54 - Lycoming 315 horsepower engine; 2 x Hardpoints for weapons-carrying.

Lasta 95P-2 - Export variant based in the Lasta 95V-54 variant.

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