Avia B.135

The Avia B.135 was a Czechoslovakian fighter aircraft of the Second World War.

History

Precursors of this type was developed by František Novotný Avia B.35, the third prototype was B.35.3 named as B.135.1. Optical change to B.35 were the now all-metal -crafted wings, the front edges were no longer elliptical, but only slightly bent. The fuselage was in contrast to B.35 kept shorter.

The flight test was 1940 ( ie during the period of German occupation ) instead. In November 1939, the Bulgarian test pilots had flown the previous B.35, in June 1940, they tested the B.135.1. With the approval of the German Air Ministry subsequently ordered the Bulgarian Air Force, twelve specimens that were completed by the spring of 1942 and were flown during the period of 7 April 1942 to 6 October 1942 Avia. Until 31 December 1942, had dismantled the machine, packed in wooden crates and prepared for transport to Bulgaria. In February 1943, they arrived by train to Plovdiv and from there to Lovech in central Bulgaria to the DSF work ( Darschawna Samoletna Fabrika ), which was the final assembly of the B.135 to August 1943. A the same time closed contract for the licensed production of another 50 Avia B.135 as DAR -11 ( ДАР -11 лястовица - Schwalbe ) was never realized because the Air Force had all the contracts cancel that had been concluded with foreign business partners to the to use resources of the aircraft plants in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia itself. This applied in this particular case, not only the engines but also cockpit instruments, the weaponry and a whole bunch of spare parts. In return they offered the Bulgarians first delivery of existing Dewoitine D.520 to, later, the Bf 109G, which was then delivered.

Military user

• Bulgarian Air Force

Specifications

Comparable types

• Deutsches Reich Nazi German Reich: Messerschmitt Bf 109
• United Kingdom United Kingdom: Hawker Hurricane
• Italy Italy: Reggiane Re.2001
• Yugoslavia Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1918: Rogožarski IK -3
• Romania Romania: IAR -80
• Soviet Union Soviet Union: Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG -1, Yakovlev Yak -1
• United States United States: Curtiss P-40