Praga E.114

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The Praga E.114 was a single-engine sport airplane, designed and manufactured by the Czechoslovakian company ČKD-Praga. Due to its light weight it was also called Air Baby.

It was designed by Jaroslav Šlechta as a high-wing monoplane. The prototype flew for the first time in 1934 and the aircraft was introduced to the public at the Paris aero salon at the same year.

Series production started in 1935 with an aircraft equipped with a 29 kW Praga B engine. One year later appeared the higher performing versino E.115, which was equipped with 44 kW Praga D engine. Many national records were broken with this aircraft.

Two E.114s participated in the Sternflug to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. The two E.114 pilots, Fuksa and Polma, took the first two places, winning over competitors, equipped with aircraft with stronger engines.

The British enterprise Hills & Sons acquired the manufacturing license and built the E.114 as the Praga baby. An aircraft of this type excited attention with a flight from London to Capetown. It flew 14,722 km in 14 days.

One version, the E.117, equipped with a nose wheel, did not enter production.

After World War II manufacture of the E.114D (equipped with a Praga D engine) and E.114M (with a Walter Micron III) was taken up, 100 aircraft were built in 1946 by Praha and 26 aircraft by Letov.

[edit] Specifications (E.114)

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 6.58 m ()
• Wingspan: 10.90 m ()
• Height: 1.65 m ()
• Wing area: 15,20 m² ()
• Empty weight: 265 kg ()
• Max takeoff weight: 465 kg ()
• Powerplant: 1× Praga B Boxer engine, 29 kW (40 PS)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 175 km/h
• Cruise speed: 147 km/h
• Range: 510 km ()
• Service ceiling 3,300 m ()
• Rate of climb: 3,000 m in 43,7 min ()