The Aero Ae.50, an experimental military reconnaissance aircraft built in Czechoslovakia, was designed for artillery spotting.
It featured a unique high wing monoplane design with a fuselage that abruptly ended behind the crew cabin, resulting in the tailplane being attached to a single boom connected to the wing.
The tailwheel was positioned at the back of the fuselage to optimise the observer’s visual range.
Additionally, it had a towing point that allowed it to be towed by another aircraft with a longer range, enabling transportation to combat areas beyond its operational range without refuelling stops.
Despite its maiden flight on April 14, 1949, and evaluation for a defence ministry contract against the Praga E-55, the Ae.50 faced challenges such as directional stability and issues with the leading-edge slots.
Efforts to address these problems were unsuccessful, and the aircraft’s excessive weight ultimately led Aero to halt its development.
Specifications
Crew
2
Length
7.1 m (23 ft 4 in)
Wingspan
10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
Height
2.46 m (8 ft 1 in)
Wing area
15.1 m2 (163 sq ft)
Empty weight
460 kg (1,014 lb)
Gross weight
730 kg (1,609 lb)
Powerplant
1 × Walter Minor 4-III,
Inverted 4-cyl air cooled inline piston engine,
78 kW (105 hp)
Performance
Maximum speed
171 km/h (106 mph, 92 kn)
Service ceiling
4,370 m (14,340 ft)
Rate of climb
2.333 m/s (459.3 ft/min).
Sources
Czechoslovakian Air Force, 1918-1970, Aircam Aviation Special 05-Richard Ward, Zdenek Titz & Gordon C. Davies.
Ceskoslovenské Letectvo, 1918-1924-Jiří Rajlich & Jiří Sehnal.
