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Aero A.304

1937 WORLD WAR 2

History of Aero A. 304

The Aero A. 304 was originally an Aero A. 204 passenger aircraft built by Aero Vodochody in Czechoslovakia. A prototype passenger model first flew in 1936, targeting Czech Airlines (CSA). The design is a traditional low-set monoplane with a streamlined fuselage and a large tail. However, when the airliner opted for the rival British Airspeed Envoy, the Aero was left with a competent design and no buyer.

To make up for what seemed like a failure, Aero changed its design for the military market into a dedicated twin-engine light bomber. Given that Europe was on the brink of a full-scale world war, this proved to be a rather prudent move. The revised design subsequently became the Aero A. 304.

The first prototype flew in 1937, and an order for the model was received from the interested Czechoslovak Air Force.

The A.304 mimics most of the design of the A.204, including the low-set wing configuration, robust, rounded fuselage and tail assembly. The nose is enamelled for a Bombardier view. The cockpit is tiered, providing limited forward, side and above the aircraft visibility. A dorsal turret position was built amidships to ensure defense against enemy fighter jets. A row of windows runs along each side of the hull.

The engines are placed in a streamlined nacelle along the leading edge of each wing. The wingtips are as rounded and elegant as the rear wing. The landing gear was in a "trail" arrangement, with two single-wheel main landing gear legs and a small tail-wheel arrangement under each engine nacelle.

Power for the A.304 comes from 2 x Walter Super Castor I MR 9-cylinder, air-cooled radial piston engines, each rated at 460 hp. The Walter Super Castor is a Czech native 9-cylinder aircraft engine based on the original Walter Castor 7-cylinder engine from the 1920s. Top speed listed is 200 mph and cruising speed is around 180 mph.

Range is limited to 745 miles, with service reportedly capped at 19,000 feet. The climb rate is 1,330 feet per minute.

A standard working group consists of four people. These included two pilots, a navigator who also served as a bombardier, and a dedicated machine gunner.

As a dedicated bomber, the Aero A. 304 fended off enemy fighter jets with machine guns. These include a fixed front-firing 7.92mm ZB-30 series machine gun and a 7.92mm vz. 30 machine gun in the back turret. The turret is operated manually without external power assistance. Additional 7.92mm vz.

Thirty machine guns were deployed in trainable rear-firing personnel positions to engage aircraft below the arc of fire from the back turrets. A typical 660-pound bomb load can be used for offensive work, and these are attached to the outside by three anchor points - under the fuselage and under each wing.

After the fall of Czechoslovakia to the German army, the Aero A. 304 was restricted from use by the Luftwaffe. Over time, the country of Czechoslovakia did not technically exist because the country was divided into the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and the Slovak Republic. In any case, the government-in-exile continued abroad, with its authorities now based in London during the war. Prior to the German invasion, Aero was also working on an improved and improved version of the A.304, known as the "A.300", which first flew in 1938, powered by a pair of Bristol Mercury IX 9-cylinder radial piston engines (818 per horsepower). furniture. However, the German invasion interrupted all future work, and the bomber went down in history.

Bulgaria became the only other foreign operator of the A. 304, sometimes maintaining only one flight group. These planes are called "Pelikans".

Aero produced only 19 A. 304 bombers in total. A. The 304 was used from 1937 to 1945.