Aero A.11

Aero A. 11 Stories

The Aero A. 11 was a successful multi-role aircraft of the Czech Army Air Force during the interwar period. Appreciated for its adaptability and equivalent capabilities, the A.11 was designed from the outset as a multi-role aircraft to replace the aging series of aircraft still in service at the time.

Ultimately, the Aero A.11 will see no less than 20 different variant types, thanks in large part to the inherently adaptable design that was envisioned when the aircraft first flew in 1925.

The A.11 is a conventional biplane configuration with an upper and lower main wing element. It retains combat features from the First World War, such as an open-air cockpit and fixed undercarriage. The crew is two people, the pilot and his observer/gunner sit side by side in the board-side fuselage.

The upper wing element is mounted directly in front of and around the pilot, with a single liquid-cooled engine mounted in front (driving the twin-blade propeller unit).

A 7.7mm Vickers machine gun mounted on a fixed forward mount for attack and controlled by the pilot. The rear gunner can use 2 x 7.7mm Lewis machine guns paired on a flexible mount. Can also carry a modest bomb load of 441 pounds for attack missions.

The engine of choice became the 240 hp Walter W IV series engine. Performance includes a top speed of 150 mph, a service ceiling of 25,000 feet and a range of up to 470 miles. The climb rate is 751 feet per minute.

The Aero A. 11 is seen in its typical two-seat reconnaissance platform, but is equally adept at day (as Ab. 11) or night (as A. 11N) bombing missions. Another notable variant is the A. 11HS, an export version shipped to Finland - the only other operator of the series.

The Finns used eight until World War II in 1939. By the 1940s, the line was all but abandoned.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes