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WWII Aircraft Listings - 1

The Avia B-534 is a Czechoslovak biplane developed and manufactured by aviation company Avia. It was produced during the period between the First World War and the Second World War. The B-534 was perhaps one of the most well-known Czechoslovakian aircraft of the era.

Maximum speed: 394 km/h (244.82 mph), Maiden flight: 25 May 1933, Length: 26.90 ft, Wingspan: 30.84 ft, Passengers: 1, Introduced: 1935

The Czechoslovakian Avia B.534 series of biplane was a highly regarded though often forgotten product of the European nation. Some reports make it the best aircraft of its category during its early run through the 1930s. Such was the performance of the machine that the German Luftwaffe would briefly setup a fighter squadron utilizing captured B.534 aircraft.

Simply put, the Avia B.534 can be thought of as a melding of two ages in aviation history. The B.534 featured a static undercarriage and coupled with its throwback biplane wing assembly. Under that outdated facade was also four 7.7mm synchronized machine guns, a powerful 850 horsepower engine capable of 245 miles per hour and the ability for the weapon system to carry no fewer than six 44lb bombs. Handling of the system was reported to be favorable, so much so that this combination of speed, handling and firepower was highly respected.

Fuselage construction of the Avia B.534 was a unique mix of fabric-covered steel-structured wing assemblies. The fuselage, as a whole, was highly aerodynamic in nature, complete with an enclosed cockpit. The operational flight ceiling of over 30,000 necessitated this feature.

Avia B.534's would eventually see combat against the invading German forces, for the conquering German forces against the Soviet Union and ultimately phased out of service after completing several, less note-worthy, roles.

During 1932, work had commenced on the development of a new single-engined biplane fighter aircraft, the Avia B-34, which had been designed by aeronautical engineer František Novotný. During its development, various alternative engines were considered and trialled before eventually settling upon the license-built Hispano-Suiza 12Y engine. Other improvements during the prototype stage included the adoption of an enclosed cockpit along with a revised tail and undercarriage arrangement. On 14 April 1934, the second prototype, while flown by test pilot Václav Kočí, successfully attained a Czechoslovak national speed record of 365.7 kilometres per hour (227.2 mph). Deliveries of production aircraft to the Czechoslovak Air Force commenced in October 1935.

Partially as a result of its impressive maneuverability, as well as some operators continuing to maintain a preference for the established biplane configuration over the incoming generation of monoplane fighters that would soon prove to outperform them, the B-534 achieved numerous export sales. During the late 1930s, Czechoslovakia sought to expand production of the type in response to German claims over the Sudetenland (the western border area of Czechoslovakia). Large numbers of the type saw combat with multiple nations during the course of the Second World War. While relatively ineffective in combat, the type formed a sizeable proportion of several country's military aviation components.

During 1932, the Czechoslovak aircraft company Avia flew the first prototype of a single-engined fighter biplane, the Avia B-34, designed by aeronautical engineer František Novotný. After modification, the Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence placed an order for B-34s. A second prototype, the Avia B-34/2, was built, which was intended to be powered by a 450 kilowatts (600 hp) Avia Rr 29 radial engine instead of the Hispano-Suiza 12N V12 engine of the first prototype and the initial production series. This engine proved prone to overheating and vibration, however, and it was decided to re-engine the B.34/2 before it flew, fitting it with a Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs V12 engine.

Performance
Maximum speed: 405 km/h (252 mph; 219 kn) at 4,400 m (14,436 ft) (standard 380 km/h )
Cruise speed: 345 km/h (214 mph; 186 kn)
Range: 600 km (373 mi; 324 nmi)
Service ceiling: 10,600 m (34,800 ft)
Rate of climb: 15.15 m/s (2,982 ft/min)
Time to altitude: 5,000 m (16,404 ft) in 5 minutes 30 seconds
Wing loading: 84 kg/m2 (17 lb/sq ft)
Power/mass: 0.319 kW/kg (0.197 hp/lb)

Armament
Guns: 4× 7.92 mm (0.312 in) vz. 30 (Česká zbrojovka Strakonice) machine guns with 250–300 rpg
Bombs: 6× 10 kg (22 lb) or 4x 20 kg (44 lb) bombs

General Characteristics
Crew: one
Length: 8.1 m (26 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 9.4 m (30 ft 10 in)
Height: 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
Wing area: 23.56 m2 (253.6 sq ft)
Empty weight: 1,460 kg (3,219 lb)
Gross weight: 2,120 kg (4,674 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 1,980 kg (4,365 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 12Ydrs liquid-cooled V12 engine, 632.5 kW (848.2 hp)

Role: Fighter aircraft
Manufacturer: Avia
Designer: František Novotný
First flight: 25 May 1933
Introduction: 1935
Status: Retired
Primary user: Czechoslovak Air Force
Number built: 568

Operators
Bulgaria - Bulgarian Air Force – The Bulgarian Air Force operated between 48 and 100 aircraft (though mostly the number 78 is named), which they called "Dogan" (Hunting Hawk).
NDH - Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia – An unknown number of Avia B-534 aircraft were supplied by the Germans.
Czechoslovakia - Czechoslovakian Air Force
Germany - Luftwaffe – The German Luftwaffe used most of the airframes confiscated from the Czechs. These aircraft served through the early years of the war as trainers, night fighters, and glider tugs; three were used to test carrier landing operations for the aborted German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin. The Germans had another use as well: B-534s also starred disguised as Polish fighters in a German propaganda film, "Kampfgeschwader Lützow".
Greece - Hellenic Air Force – A Greek businessman bought two B-534s and presented them to the Greek government. They were lost in the chaos of 1941.
Hungary - Royal Hungarian Air Force – One B-534 was captured by the Hungarians during the border war in 1939 and tested for a period, carrying the code HA-VAB, later serialled G.192.
Romania - Together with three DFS 230 gliders, Romania received an unknown number of Avia B-534 tugs according to one source.
Slovakia - Slovenské vzdušné zbrane – The Slovak Air Force operated several B-534s from Czechoslovakia.
Slovak Insurgent Air Force
Soviet Union - A number (eight is given in some sources) of B-534s were allegedly used by the Soviets in a secret NKVD squadron to shadow flights of German aircraft.
Specifications (B-534 IV)