Avia BH-21
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| BH-21 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Avia |
| Designed by | Pavel Beneš and Miroslav Hajn |
| Maiden flight | January 1925 |
| Number built | 126 + 50 licence-built in Belgium |
The Avia BH-21, first built in 1925, was a robust biplane that served an important role in securing Czechoslovak national security during the period between the Great War and the Second World War. As well as being a competent fighter, it was also an accomplished racer, winning several air races of its time.
[edit] History
A conventional biplane, the predecessor of the BH-21, the BH-17, was designed by Pavel Beneš and Miroslav Hajn in 1922 as a response to a Czechoslovak Defense Department requirement for a new fighter aircraft. The BH-17 was actually only part of five Avia designs submitted to the Defense Department along with competing designs from the Letov Kbely and Aero companies. After extensive review, the BH-17, one of Avia's three biplane designs, was chosen and limited production initiated for evaluative purposes. Testing revealed some deficiencies in the BH-17 and a subsequent redesign in 1924 morphed the BH-17 into its final form as the BH-21 which included straightened interplane bracing and allowed for better field of view for the pilot. A special training version, designated the BH-22, was also created. Both versions utilized 180 hp Hispano-Suiza 8fb engines built under license by Škoda. The BH-21 was put into production in 1925 and had a one-year production run which yielded 170 aircraft with 126 being produced by Avia for the Czechoslovak Air Force while another 50 were produced under license by the Belgian company, Société Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques "SABCA" for the Belgian Air Force. While in service the BH-21 saw no combat as it was retired before the outbreak of World War II. In spite of this it served as an important stepping stone to the more advanced BH-33 and BH-53 types. The BH-21's most lasting achievement came when a racing version, the BH-21R, won several national air-race competitions in 1925 sporting an upgraded HS 8Fb engine producing over 400 hp.
[edit] Variants
- BH-21 : Single-seat fighter aircraft.
- BH-21J : One BH-21 fitted with a Bristol Jupiter radial piston engine. Led to the development of the Avia BH-19.
- Bh-21R : Single-seat clipped-wing racing aircraft.
[edit] Operators
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[edit] Specifications (BH-21)
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Crew: one, pilot
- Length: 22 ft 6½ in (6.87 m)
- Wingspan: 29 ft 2⅜ in (8.90 m)
- Height: 8 ft 11⅞ in (2.74 m)
- Wing area: 236⅜ sq.ft. (21.96 sq.metres)
- Empty weight: 1,587 lb (720 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 2,392 lb (1,085 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Hispano-Suiza 8Fb V8 engine, 305¾ hp @ 1850 rpm (228 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 132 kt at 9,800 ft (3,000 m) (152 mph / 245 km/h)
- Service ceiling 18,050 ft (5,500 m)
- Rate of climb: 16 minutes to 16,400 ft (16 minutes to 5000 m)
- Endurance: 2 h 0 min
Armament
- 2 × .303 in Vickers machine guns in the upper front fuselage
[edit] See also
Related development BH-17 - BH-22 - BH-23 - BH-33
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