Flight, December 1926

The Paris Aero Show 1926

AERO TOVARNA LETADEL

   IT is regretted that, owing to the late arrival of the necessary material, it has not been found possible to include, in its proper alphabetical position in the pages dealing with the Paris Aero Show, the account of the two machines which will be exhibited by the Czechoslovak firm Aero Tovarna Letadel of Prague. The data, specifications, and photographs did not arrive at our offices until the day before we went to press with this week's issue of FLIGHT, but, in order that our readers should have as complete an account as possible of the machines to be exhibited, we have included the products of this well-known Czechoslovak firm here, at the end of the Paris Show article.
   The two machines exhibited by this firm will be a type Aero A.11 two-seater reconnaissance machine, and an Aero A.30 long-distance reconnaissance biplane.
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   The Aero Tovarna A.30 is a long-distance reconnaissance biplane fitted with 450 h.p. Lorraine-Dietrich engine. Other power plants of approximately the same weight and power can, however, be supplied. Particular care has been taken in the arrangement of the pilot's instrument-board in this machine, so that such instruments as have to be constantly watched are so placed as to be easily seen without the pilot having to turn his head to any great extent. The fuselage is of steel-tube construction, but welding is not employed in parts that have to resist any se\'ere stress. The engine mounting, also of steel-tube construction, is easily detachable.
   The wing construction is the usual, with spars and ribs of wood, and internal drag struts of steel tube, the drag bracing being by wire.
   The armament of the A.30 is the usual, i.e., a fixed Vickers gun firing through the propeller, and two Lewis guns on a rotating gun ring for the observer. A form of compensator is employed in order to relieve the air pressure on the aft guns when flying at high speed. A wireless outfit is carried in the observer's cockpit. Parachutes, fire extinguishers and oxygen apparatus are also carried.
   No performance data are available.