Avia BH-7

The Avia BH-7 was a prototype fighter aircraft built in Czechoslovakia in 1923.

It was a parasol wing monoplane developed in tandem with, and as an alternative to the BH-6, which shared its fuselage and tail design.

Like the BH-6, the BH-7 was involved in a number of serious crashes during its test programme, which led to its abandonment as a fighter.

Undaunted, however, Avia used the design as the basis for a racing aircraft, shortening the wingspan by 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in), fairing the wing directly onto the top of the fuselage and dispensing with the cabane struts.

This revised version was designated BH-7B and the fighter as the BH-7A.

Specifications 

Crew

One pilot

Length

6.84 m (22 ft 5 in)

Wingspan

10.40 m (34 ft 1 in)

Height

2.83 m (9 ft 3 in)

Wing area

18.2 m2 (195 sq ft)

Empty weight

855 kg (1,885 lb)

Gross weight

1,150 kg (2,537 lb)

Powerplant

1 × Skoda licence-built Hispano-Suiza 8Fb, V-8,

310 kW (231 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed

240 km/h (149 mph, 129 kn)

Range

480 km (300 mi, 260 nmi)

Service ceiling

8,000 m (26,200 ft)

Rate of climb

6.7 m/s (1,312 ft/min)

Armament

2 × fixed forward firing .303 Vickers machine guns.