Aero Ae-45
Template:Short description Template:Infobox aircraft
The Aero 45 was a twin piston-engined civil utility aircraft produced in Czechoslovakia after World War II. Aero Vodochody produced the aircraft in 1947–1951, after which the Let Kunovice rolled out these planes until 1961. In 1958 the Ae-45S became the first Czechoslovak plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.
The aircraft was developed into other variants, including the "Super Aero" and Ae 145.
Design and development
Following the end of the Second World War, Aero continued production of the German Siebel Si 204 transport and Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann to keep the factory occupied, while the factory's management showed little interest in developing new designs and planned to diversify into production of non-aviation products like toys and kitchen utensils. In 1945, a team of engineers led by Ondřej Němec and František Vik began work on a design of a four-seat twin-engined light aircraft suitable for use as an business aircraft, and as an air taxi, which was hoped would be attractive to both domestic and export customers. Work was done without permission of the company management, with the team working in their own time.Template:Sfn A reorganisation of the company brought a new technical director at the Aero factory, who authorised production of a prototype, although higher management were still not informed. The prototype construction was well under construction when management finally found out about the Aero 45 and launched an investigation of the authorisation of the prototype, and required that the design calculations were rechecked.Template:Sfn The prototype (registered OK-BCA) flew for the first time on 21 July 1947,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn with the second, registered OK-CCA, flying on 12 March 1948.Template:Sfn After a successful programme of flight testing and a series of foreign demonstration tours by the two prototypes, the Aero 45 entered production, with the first production aircraft flying on 16 April 1949.Template:Sfn The model number of "45" was not a continuation of Aero's pre-war numeration scheme, but a reference to the 4/5 seats in the aircraft.
Description
The design bears a superficial resemblance, when viewed nose-on, to the much larger German Siebel Si 204 which, among other German aircraft were produced in Czechoslovakia while under German occupation. The Aero 45 had a sleek, teardrop-shaped fuselage, with a rounded, extensively-glazed nose affording excellent visibility. It had a low wing on which the engine nacelles were mounted, and a conventional tail. The main undercarriage was retractable but the tailwheel was fixed.
Operational history
Ae-45 prototypes were widely advertised abroad. In August 1949 Jan Anderle won 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 to Dakar across the southern Atlantic (as the first Czechoslovak-built aircraft). In 1981 Jon Svensen flew Ae-45S from Europe to the USA.<ref name=nemecek/>
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 the Kócsag (Hungarian: "Egret").
Variants
- Aero 45
- First production version built in Aero factory. Powered by Walter Minor 4-III engines. 200 built between 1948 and 1951.Template:Sfn
- Aero 45S "Super Aero"
- Improved variant produced by Let in Kunovice factory, among others with better navigational equipment. 228 aircraft built between 1954 and 1959.Template:Sfn
- 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 as Avia M 332s. This version was developed and built by Let, 142 aircraft built.Template:Sfn
- 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.<ref name=nemecek/>
Operators
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Civil operators
- Interflug<ref>Hardy, M. J. Air Taxi, Sir? article in Aircraft Annual 1964 UK Ian Allan 1963 p.61 bw plate</ref>
- Hungarian Police
- Hungarian Air Ambulance Service
- LOT Polish Airlines operated three Ae-45 in 1952–1957<ref>Adam Jońca: Samoloty linii lotniczych 1945–1956, WKiŁ, Warsaw 1985, Template:ISBN</ref>
- Polish Air Ambulance Service operated Ae-45 and Ae-145
- Vietnam Civil Aviation Department – later as Vietnam Civil Aviation (now Vietnam Airlines) <ref>Our Background vietnamairlines.com</ref>
Military operators
- People's Liberation Army Air Force operated license-built Suingari-1 variant.
- Czechoslovak Air Force operated aircraft under designation K-75, for liaison purpose.
- Czechoslovak National Security Guard
- {{#invoke
- flag||India}}
- Indian Air Force operated a single aircraft gifted by the Czech government
- Katangese Air Force<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Vietnam People's Air Force – three Ae-45 from 1956 (acquired from China)
Specifications (Aero 145)
See also
References
External links
Template:Aero Vodochody aircraft Template:Czech liaison aircraft