Letov Š-331

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Š.331
Type fighter
Manufacturer Letov
Maiden flight early 1930s
Status prototype
Primary users Czech Air Force Flight School, Brno
Spanish Republicans
Number built 1

[edit] History

This aircraft is another in the line of machines manufactured by the Letov Company of Prague during the 1930s. The first member of family was the Letov Š.31, followed by the Š.131, Š.231, Š.331, and Š.431. All of the aircraft had metal tubular framing and fabric covering with a metal engine cowling. The Š.331 was a single prototype. While the Š.31, Š.131, Š.231, and Š.431 had engines of 480 to 680 hp, the Š.331 had a Walter K14 engine with 900 hp. This powerful engine gave it extremely high speed and outstanding performance for an aircraft of the early 1930s. In May 1935, the aircraft established a new Czechoslovak altitude record of 34,941 feet (10,650 m). The sole Š.331 and almost all of the Š.231s were sold to representatives of the Spanish Republican government. The Š.231s fared poorly in the Spanish Civil War. The operational performance and ultimate fate of the Š.331 is unrecorded.

[edit] Specifications

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 6.8 m (22 feet 5 inches)
  • Wingspan: 8.7 m (28 feet 8 inches)
  • Height: 2.6 m (8 feet 6 inches)
  • Empty weight: 1,450 kg (3,190 pounds)
  • Loaded weight: 1,950 kg (4,290 pounds)
  • Powerplant: 1× Walter Mistral 14K, 9-cylinder, air-cooled radial piston engine, 671 kW (900 hp)

Performance

Armament none