Praga BH-111
The Praga BH-111 was a sportsplane of Czechoslovakia, designed and built specifically to compete in Challenge 1932, the European touring plane championships. It was a two-seater low-wing monoplane.
Design and development
The plane was designed by Pavel Beneš and Miroslav Hajn, hence BH letters, the name also referred to a successful plane Avia BH-11. Only three aircraft were built, they carried registrations OK-BAH, OK-BEH and OK-BIH.
Operational history
All three aircraft took part in the Challenge 1932. They took average places, the 16th (Josef Kalla) and 21st (František Klepš) for 43 aircraft. The third pilot Karel Mareš has not finished. In a technical evaluation, BH-111s scored the 4th result from 17 aircraft types taking part in the Challenge.
After the Challenge, they were used as touring aircraft in aero clubs. In 1935 they took part in a rally in Italy, taking the 5th and 27th place for 77 crews.
Specifications (BH-111)
Description
Mixed construction low-wing monoplane, wing braced with short struts and wire. Fuselage of a steel frame, covered with canvas. Rectangular wings with rounded ends, of wooden construction, canvas covered, fitted with automatic slats and flaps. Wings were folding rearwards. Cab had two seats in tandem, with twin controls, under a common multi-part canopy. Fixed landing gear with a rear skid, main gear with aerodynamic covers. Inline engine in a fuselage nose, two-blade propeller.
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 1 passenger / 2nd pilot
- Length: 7.40 m (24 ft 3¼in)
- Wingspan: 10.50 m (34 ft 5¼in)
- Height: 2.9 m (9 ft 6⅛in)
- Wing area: 15.1 m² (162 ft²)
- Empty weight: 470 kg (1,034 lb)
- Loaded weight: 770 kg (1,694 lb)
- Useful load: 300 kg (660 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × de Havilland Gipsy III aircooled 4-cylinder straight engine, 89.7 kW (122 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 230 km/h (124 knots, 143 mph)
- Cruise speed: 200 km/h (108 knots, 124 mph)
- Stall speed: <75 km/h (41 knots, 47 mph)
- Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,800 ft)
- Wing loading: 51 kg/m² (10.5 lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: 0.12 kW/kg (0.072 hp/lb)
References
- Marian Krzyżan: "Międzynarodowe turnieje lotnicze 1929-1934", Warsaw 1988, ISBN 83-206-0637-3 (Polish language)
See also
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- Breda Ba-33
- Heinkel He 64
- PZL.19
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