The Soko Works, Mostar, Wednesday, 21 April 1948
Boris Cijan and Stanko Obad guided their visitors across the factory floor towards the experimental unit. When the sliding doors were opened they stepped through, and Velimir Radojkovic and Goran Maksimović had their first look at the prototype of the new Soko product.
“Behold the Strsljen!” said Cijan with a dramatic flourish.
Neither Radojkovic nor Maksimović spoke at first, but their eyes widened. At last Maksimović muttered, “Now that is a fighter aircraft!”
“We think it more suited as a replacement for the Jastreb fighter bomber,” Obad cautioned. “In that role is should hold its own for several years.”
Radojkovic began to sputter, “When will it fly? Why have you not flown it already? This will be the greatest triumph of the Yugoslav aviation industry…” As chairman of the National Aviation League he tended to be impatient as well as over-zealous.
“The engines for the prototype are en route from Germany as we speak,” Cijan assured them. “We anticipate ground trials within the next two weeks, and, if they are successful, a first flight before the end of May.”