Aero Ae-45

Ae 45
Let Aero Ae 145
Role Utility aircraft
Manufacturer Aero Vodochody, Let
First flight 21 July 1947
Primary users Czechoslovakia
China
Hungary
Soviet Union
Produced 1951-1963
Number built 590[1]


The Aero 45 was a twin piston-engined civil utility aircraft produced in Czechoslovakia after World War II. It was the first product of the nation's post-war aviation industry and proved a great success, with many of the 590 produced being exported.

Design and development

The development began 1946 and was accomplished by the technical designers Jiři Bouzek, Ondřej Němec and František Vik. The design bears a superficial resemblance, viewed nose-on, to the German Siebel Si-204 which, among other German aircraft like the Bf 109, were produced in Czechoslovakia while under German occupation. The prototype (registered OK-BCA) flew for the first time on 21 July 1947, 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 of Aero's pre-war numeration scheme, but a reference to the 4/5 seats in the aircraft.

Operational history

Ae-45 prototypes were widely advertised abroad. In August 1949 Jan Anderle won 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 for 3000 kilometers from South America to Dakar across southern Atlantic (as the first Czechoslovak-built aircraft) in 1981 Jon Svensen flew Ae-45S from Europe to the USA.[1]

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

1957-built Aero 45S series II registered in Malaya
Let Aero Ae 145
Aero 45
First production version built in Aero factory, 200 built between 1948 and 1951.
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.
Aero 145
Version with engines changed to supercharged Motorlet (Walter) M332, produced later as Avia M332s. This version was developed and built by Let, 162 aircraft built between 1959 and 1963.
Aero 245
Experimental version, not produced.
Aero 345
Experimental version, not produced.
Sungari-1
Chinese unlicensed copy of the Aero Ae 45S, produced from 1958.[1]

Operators

Aero Ae 145 used in Poland as an air ambulance in Polish Aviation Museum
1948 Lufthansa LET Aero 45

Civil operators

 Czechoslovakia
 East Germany
 Hungary
 Italy
 Malaya
 Poland
 Romania
 Soviet Union
  Switzerland
 Slovenia
 Vietnam

Military operators

 People's Republic of China
 Czechoslovakia

 East Germany

 Hungary
 India
 Romania
 Vietnam

Specifications (Aero 145)

Description

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.

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62[5]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

Notes
  1. 1 2 3 Vaclav Nemecek, Atlas letadel. Dvoumotorova obchodni letadla, Praha 1987
  2. Hardy, M. J. Air Taxi, Sir? article in Aircraft Annual 1964 UK Ian Allan 1963 p.61 bw plate
  3. Adam Jońca: Samoloty linii lotniczych 1945-1956, WKiŁ, Warsaw 1985, ISBN 83-206-0529-6
  4. Our Background vietnamairlines.com
  5. Taylor 1961, pp. 37–38.
Bibliography

External links

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