Aero Ae.04

Single-Seat Biplane Fighter Prototype [ 1921 ]

The Aero Ae.04 biplane fighter succeeded the abandoned Ae.02 series though, again, only one flayable prototype was made.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/21/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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Further work by Aero (of Czechoslovakia) on the Ae.02 of 1920 - Czechoslovakia's first indigenous fighter - resulted in the evolved Ae.04 of 1921. This design took all that worked in the Ae.02 and introduced some Czech air service required changes to it to produce the new aircraft. Like the Ae.02 before it, however, the Ae.04 was only produced in one flying prototype and this form was also not accepted into service with any one world power - even Czechoslovakia.

Part of the Czech air service changes included installation of the German BMW IIIa 6-cylinder water-cooled inline piston engine of 185 horsepower (locally-made under license). This was used to drive the two-bladed propeller at the nose. The fuel tank was relocated to the fuselage and an automobile-style radiator was seated behind the propeller unit. The wings (unequal-span, I-frame struts) were retained from the earlier Ae.02 as was the single-seat, open-air cockpit and twin 7.7mm Vickers machine gun arrangement.

A first-flight was had in 1921 and performance included a maximum speed of 140 miles per hour (cruising speed of 115mph), a service ceiling of 20,000 feet and mission endurance window of one hour flight time. 16,000 feet cold be achieved in about fourteen minutes. The prototype claimed a new altitude record of 20,869 feet during its time aloft. Later in its life, the aircraft sported a revised engine cowl and chin-mounted radiator unit which revised the appearance of the nose considerably.

Beyond additional flight testing and an appearance at the 2nd International Aircraft Exhibition in Prague, the Ae.04 followed the Ae-02 into Czech air history by being superseded by another design, this becoming the Aero A.18 of 1923.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1921

Origin

Czechoslovakia

Status

CANCELLED
Development Ended.

Crew

1

Production

1
UNITS

Aero Vodochody (Aero) - Czechoslovakia

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Czechoslovakia (cancelled)

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.

✓ X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.

Length

18.4 ft
(5.60 m)

Width/Span

25.3 ft
(7.70 m)

Height

8.9 ft
(2.70 m)

Empty Wgt

1,477 lb
(670 kg)

MTOW

1,984 lb
(900 kg)

Wgt Diff

+507 lb
(+230 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Aero Ae.04 production variant)

Installed: 1 x BMW IIIa 6-cylinder water-cooled inline piston engine developing 185 horsepower and driving a two-bladed propeller at the nose.

Max Speed

140 mph
(225 kph | 121 kts)

Ceiling

19,685 ft
(6,000 m | 4 mi)

Range

140 mi
(225 km | 417 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

1,140 ft/min
(347 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Aero Ae.04 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

PROPOSED:
2 x 7.7mm Vickers Machine Guns synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 0

Ae.04 - Base Series Designation; single prototype completed.

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