Aero Ae-45
| Ae 45 | |
|---|---|
 Let Aero Ae 145 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Utility aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Aero Vodochody,Let Kunovice |
| Primary users | Czechoslovakia |
| Number built | 590[2] |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1947–1961 |
| First flight | 21 July 1947 |
TheAero 45was a twin piston-engined civil utilityaircraftproduced inCzechoslovakiaafterWorld War II.Aero Vodochodyproduced the aircraft in 1947–1951, after which theLet Kunovicerolled out these planes until 1961. In 1958 the Ae-45S became the first Czechoslovak plane to cross theAtlantic Ocean.[3]It was the first product of the nation's postwar aviation industry and proved a great success, with many of the 590 produced being exported.
Design and development
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Development began 1946 and was accomplished by the technical designers Jiři Bouzek, Ondřej Němec and František Vik. The design bears a superficial resemblance, when viewed nose-on, to the much larger GermanSiebel Si 204which, among other German aircraft were produced in Czechoslovakia while under German occupation. The prototype (registered OK-BCA) flew for the first time on 21 July 1947 and the second, registered OK-CDA, one year later. Flight testing ran without incidents and the type was released for series production in 1948. The model number of "45" was not a continuation ofAero's pre-war numeration scheme, but a reference to the 4/5 seats in the aircraft.
Description
[edit]The Aero 45 had a sleek, teardrop-shapedfuselage,with a rounded, extensively-glazed nose affording excellent visibility. It had a low wing on which the enginenacelleswere mounted, and aconventional tail.The mainundercarriagewas retractable but the tailwheel was fixed.
Operational history
[edit]Ae-45 prototypes were widely advertised abroad. In August 1949Jan Anderlewon the Norton Griffiths Race in Great Britain (Ae-45 registration OK-DCL). They also set several international records. As a result, apart from Eastern Bloc countries, the plane was also bought by Italy and Switzerland. On 10–11 August 1958 Dr. Pier Paolo Brielli flew an Italian Ae-45 3000 kilometers from South America toDakaracross the southern Atlantic (as the first Czechoslovak-built aircraft). In 1981 Jon Svensen flew Ae-45S from Europe to the USA.[2]
This type was used in Czechoslovakia and was exported to the People's Republic of China, East Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Soviet Union and Switzerland. Hungary was a major customer, where the aircraft was known as theKócsag(Hungarian:"Egret").
Variants
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- Aero 45
- First production version built in Aero factory. Powered byWalter Minor4-III engines. 200 built between 1948 and 1951.[4]
- Aero 45S "Super Aero"
- Improved variant produced byLetinKunovicefactory, among others with better navigational equipment. 228 aircraft built between 1954 and 1959.[4]
- Aero 145 (I)
- Larger five-seat derivative of Ae-45 powered by Walter Minor 6-III engines and tricycle landing gear, not built.
- Aero 145 (II)
- Version with engines changed to supercharged Motorlet (Walter) M332, produced later asAvia M 332s.This version was developed and built byLet,142 aircraft built.[5]
- Aero 245
- Similar to 145, but with a tailwheel, not built.
- Aero 345
- Aero 45 airframe powered by Walter Minor 6-III engines, not built.
- Sungari-1
- Chinese unlicensed copy of the Aero Ae 45S, produced from 1958.[2]
Operators
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Civil operators
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- Hungarian Police
- Hungarian Air Ambulance Service
- LOT Polish Airlinesoperated three Ae-45 in 1952–1957[7]
- Polish Air Ambulance Serviceoperated Ae-45 and Ae-145
- Vietnam Civil Aviation Department – later as Vietnam Civil Aviation (nowVietnam Airlines)[8]
Military operators
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- People's Liberation Army Air Forceoperated license-builtSuingari-1variant.
- Czechoslovak Air Forceoperated aircraft under designation K-75, for liaison purpose.
- Czechoslovak National Security Guard
- Indian Air Forceoperated a single aircraft gifted by the Czech government
- Vietnam People's Air Force– three Ae-45 from 1956 (acquired from China)
Specifications (Aero 145)
[edit]Data fromJane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62[10]
General characteristics
- Crew:1
- Capacity:3-4 passengers
- Length:7.77 m (25 ft 6 in)
- Wingspan:12.25 m (40 ft 2 in)
- Height:2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)
- Wing area:17.1 m2(184 sq ft)
- Airfoil:Aero No.58-64
- Empty weight:960 kg (2,116 lb)
- Gross weight:1,500 kg (3,307 lb)
- Max takeoff weight:1,600 kg (3,527 lb) (full fuel)
- Fuel capacity:324 L (86 US gal; 71 imp gal)
- Powerplant:2 ×Avia M 332-III4-cylinder air-cooled inverted in-line piston engines, 100 kW (140 hp) each
- Propellers:2-bladed Type V410, 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) diameter electrically-operated metal 4-position variable-pitch propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed:282 km/h (175 mph, 152 kn) at 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) AUW
- Cruise speed:250 km/h (160 mph, 130 kn) at 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) AUW
- Range:1,700 km (1,100 mi, 920 nmi)
- Service ceiling:5,900 m (19,400 ft)
- Service ceiling one engine out:2,200 m (7,200 ft)
- Rate of climb:5 m/s (980 ft/min)
- Wing loading:87.8 kg/m2(18.0 lb/sq ft)
- Power/mass:9.5 kg/kW (15.7 lb/hp)
- Take-off run to 15 m (49 ft):460 m (1,510 ft)
See also
[edit]Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
[edit]- ^"Aero Ae-45: První československé aerotaxi".FlyMag.cz.
- ^abcVaclav Nemecek,Atlas letadel. Dvoumotorova obchodni letadla,Praha 1987
- ^"Legendární české aerotaxi vznikalo tajně. Místo letadel měli dělat hrnce".iDNES.cz(in Czech). 16 October 2013.
- ^abSimpson 1995,p. 154.
- ^Simpson 1995,pp. 154, 156.
- ^Hardy, M. J.Air Taxi, Sir?article inAircraft Annual 1964UK Ian Allan 1963 p.61 bw plate
- ^Adam Jońca:Samoloty linii lotniczych 1945–1956,WKiŁ, Warsaw 1985,ISBN83-206-0529-6
- ^Our Background vietnamairlines.com
- ^"World Air Forces — Aircraft — Katanga Aircraft".worldairforces.com.Retrieved17 May2021.
- ^Taylor 1961,pp. 37–38.
- Němeček, Václav (1987).Atlas letadel. Dvoumotorova obchodni letadla(in Czech). Praha.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Simpson, R. W. (1995).Airlife's General Aviation(Second ed.). Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Puublishing Ltd.ISBN1-85310-577-5.
- Taylor, John W. R.,ed. (1961).Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1961–62.London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co.
External links
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