Aero A.11

The Aero A.11 was a biplane light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft built in Czechoslovakia between the First and Second World Wars.

It formed the basis for many other Czechoslovakian military aircraft of the inter-war period.

Around 250 were built, with some remaining in service at the outbreak of World War II.

Designed by Antonin Husnik, it was a development of the Aero A.12.

A Hispano-Suiza 8Fb-powered version, the A.11H-s was built for the Finnish Air Force, the only foreign operator of the type.

The Finnish had eight aircraft of this type and used them between 1927-1939.

Variants

A.11

Two-seat light bomber, reconnaissance biplane.

A.11HS

Export version for Finland.

A.11N

Night bomber version.

Ab.11

Light bomber version.

Specifications

Ab.11

Crew

2

Length

8.2 m (26 ft 11 in)

Wingspan

12.8 m (42 ft 0 in)

Height

3.1 m (10 ft 2 in)

Wing area

36.5 m2 (393 sq ft)

Empty weight

1,080 kg (2,381 lb)

Gross weight

1,588 kg (3,501 lb)

Powerplant

1 × Breitfield-Danek Perun II, 6 cylinder water cooled inline piston engine,

180 kW (240 hp)

Or

 (A.11)

Walter W.IV

176 kW (236 hp)

Propellers

2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

Maximum speed

216 km/h (134 mph, 117 kn) Ab.11

240 km/h (150 mph; 130 kn) A.11

Cruise speed

190 km/h (120 mph, 100 kn)

Range

750 km (470 mi, 400 nmi)

Service ceiling

7,000 m (23,000 ft) Ab.11

7,600 m (24,934 ft) A.11

Rate of climb

3.82 m/s (752 ft/min)

Time to altitude

5,000 m (16,404 ft) in 19 minutes 30 seconds

Wing loading

43.7 kg/m2 (9.0 lb/sq ft) Ab.11

42 kg/m2 (8.6 lb/sq ft) A.11

Power/mass

0.120 kW/kg (0.073 hp/lb)

Armament

Guns

1× forward firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun

2× .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis machine gun in flexible mount for observer

Bombs

200 kg (441 lb)