Flight, December 1926

The Paris Aero Show 1926

VOJENSKA TOVARNA NA LETADLA

   THE Military Aircraft Factory of Prague, whose chief designer is M. Smolik, will be represented by no less than three complete aeroplanes - the S.16, the S.18, and the S.20.
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   The Vojenska S.18 is a school machine fitted with 60 h.p. Walter radial air-cooled engine. It is, as distinct from the S.16, of wood construction. The biplane wings are of normal form and construction, and the fuselage is of the plywood-covered box type. The wing bracing is a little unorthodox in that on each side a pair of Vee struts run from the bottom front spar root to points on both top spars. Thus the usual rear inner interplane strut is missing. The top plane, incidentally, is in one piece and has no dihedral. The petrol tank, with sufficient petrol for 2 1/2 hours, is housed in the top plane, giving direct gravity feed. It is understood that although this is a school machine, it has been built with sufficiently high factors of safety to permit of its being stunted in every way.
   Characteristics of the S.18.- Wing span, 10 m.; length overall, 6-682 m.; wing area, 17 sq. m.; weight, empty, 254 kg.; fuel, 40 kg.; crew, 160 kg.; total loaded weight, 554 kg. Speed at ground level, 140 km./h.; landing speed, 68 km./h.; climb to 1,000 m. in 6 mins.; Service ceiling, 3,500 m.
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   THE Military Aircraft Factory of Prague was reported in our issue of December 2 to exhibit three machines. Actually, however, but two were shown, the "absentee" being the type S.20 single-seater fighter with Skoda-built Hispano-Suiza. Presumably there was room for no more machines on the Czechoslovak stand, which already contained one Aero and two Avia machines.
   Of the two machines shown by the Military Factory one was a little school machine with 60 h.p. Walter engine. This did not present any unusual features except in the arrangement of the wing bracing. Two of the accompanying photographs show the S.18, and from these it will be seen that the top plane is braced, in addition to the cabane struts, by a pair of Vee struts running to the point where the lower front spar meets the fuselage, whereas there is no attachment to the lower rear spar at this point.
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Flight, November 1928

BERLIN AERO SHOW 1928

The Czech Light 'Planes

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   "Letov" CS. Tovarna na Letadla. - The "Letov" type S.218 school machine exhibited was a plain straightforward two-seater of wood construction. Like the Avia B.H.29 it was very robustly built, evidently with hard work rather than refinement in view, and using forms of construction both in fuselage and wings which made repairs easy. The engine fitted was a Walter 120 h.p. 9-cylindered radial air cooled, and with this power plant a top speed of 100 m.p.h. is attained.
   The "Letov" S.218 has the following dimensions: Length overall, 6-97 m. (22-85 ft.); wing span 10 m. (32-8 ft.); wing area, 20-6 sq. m. (222 sq. ft.). The tare weight is 470 kg. (1,034 lbs.), and the load carried is 226 kg. (497 lbs), giving a total loaded weight of 696 kg. (1,531 lbs.). The top speed is 160 km. h. (100 m.p.h.) and the landing speed 60 km./h. (37 m.p.h.). The climb to 1,000 m. (3,280 ft.) occupies 5 to 7 minutes, and the ceiling is approximately 4,000 m. (13,000 ft.). Fuel is carried sufficient for 2 hours' flying.