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.
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.
X-PLANE
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.
18.4 ft (5.60 meters) Length
25.3 ft (7.70 meters) Width/Span
8.9 ft (2.70 meters) Height
1,477 lb (670 kilograms) Empty Weight
1,984 lb (900 kilograms) Maximum Take-Off Weight
+507 lb (+230 kg) Weight Difference
1 x BMW IIIa 6-cylinder water-cooled inline piston engine developing 185 horsepower and driving a two-bladed propeller at the nose. Propulsion
The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.
