Spanish Civil War Nationalist & Republican Training Aircrafts
Between the wars 1918-1939Discuss Spanish Civil War Nationalist & Republican Training Aircrafts in the Other Eras forums; Arado Ar-66
The Arado Ar 66 was a German single-engined, two-seat training biplane, developed in 1933. It was also used ...
Spanish Civil War Nationalist & Republican Training Aircrafts
Arado Ar-66
The Arado Ar 66 was a German single-engined, two-seat training biplane, developed in 1933. It was also used for night ground-attack missions on the Eastern Front. It was engineer Walter Rethel's last design in collaboration with Arado.
Arado's chief designer Walter Rethel started design of a new two-seat trainer in 1931, with the design being developed by Walter Blume when Rethel transferred to Messerschmitt, with the first prototype, the Ar 66a flying in 1932 . The Ar 66 had an Argus As 10 air-cooled inverted V8 engine producing about 179 kW (240 hp), which drove a 2.5 m (8.2 ft) two-blade propeller. It carried 205 L (54 US gal) of fuel, and 17 L (4 US gal) of oil.
The fuselage had an oval cross-section and was made of welded steel tubes, covered with fabric. The double wings provided very high lift, even at low speeds. Both wings had the same span and an 8° sweep. Construction consisted of a double pine cross-beam structure, with lime tree ribs, and fabric covering. There were ailerons in both upper and lower wings. The tail had a conventional design, with the horizontal stabilizer mounted on the fuselage upper edge. The rudder was placed behind the elevator. Both the rudder and the elevator were of steel tube covered in fabric, and had a bigger surface than the first version to correct balance problems. The steel tube undercarriage was attached to the fuselage in a "V" shape and used a high-pressure rubber suspension. The crew consisted of two: instructor pilot and trainee, seated in open tandem cockpits equipped with dual controls. The aircraft was equipped with instrument flight systems with photographic cameras were mounted as optional equipment.
Sturdy and agile, the Jungmann was selected as the primary basic trainer for the German Luftwaffe. Production licenses were granted to Switzerland, Spain, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Japan, the last one of which built over 1,200 examples for Army and Navy Air Services (as the Kokusai Ki-86 and Kyūshū K9W respectively). In Spain, production continued at CASA until the early 1960s. The Jungmann was retained as the Spanish Air Force's primary basic trainer until 1968. About 200 Jungmanns survive to this day, many having been fitted with modern engines.
The Avia BH-33 was a biplane fighter aircraft built in Czechoslovakia in 1927. It was based on the BH-21J that demonstrated promising results by marrying the original BH-21 airframe with a licence-built Bristol Jupiter radial engine. Other than the peculiar Avia hallmark of having an upper wing with a shorter span than the lower, it was utterly conventional; even featuring a tail fin for the first time in a Pavel Beneš and Miroslav Hajn design (previous aircraft had a rudder but no fin).
A single example was sent to Spain, but due to its poors characteristics and performances, it was used in trainning duties, being destroyed in a nationalist raid.
The IMAM Ro.41 was an Italian light biplane fighter aircraft, serving in the Regia Aeronautica in the 1930s-1940s, mainly as a trainer. It was a singular aircraft, being obsolescent as a fighter when it first appeared in 1934, but despite this it was used as such until 1940. The Luftwaffe showed an interest in it as a trainer, even though German first line fighters were completely different. The Ro.41 is almost unknown, compared to many other Italian aircraft, despite being one of the most numerous produced, in its 16-year career.
The Ro.41 was also proposed as light fighter. Twenty-eight were sent to Spain where, thanks to their high rate of climb, they acted as point-defence interceptors around Seville, though it appears that they did not score any victories. They were finally destinated to training pourposes. A replica of this tiny and beautiful fighter is being build in Spain. You can see it here:
The Koolhoven F.K.51 was the winning design in a 1935 Dutch government contest for a new trainer. Designed by Frederick Koolhoven the prototype biplane trainer first flew on 25 May 1935. The aircraft was an equal-span biplane designed to use a variety of engines between 250hp (186kW) and 500hp (373kW). It was a two-seater and had a tailwheel undercarriage. The Royal Dutch air force (LVA) ordered 25 aircraft in 1936 and 1937, powered by a 270hp (201kW) Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah V radial engine. A further 29 aircraft were later bought with 350hp (261kW) Armstrong Siddelet Cheetah IX engine. The Dutch Naval Aviation Service ordered 29 aircraft each powered by a 450hp (335kW) Pratt & Whitney radials. The Royal Dutch East Indies Army bought 38 aircraft between 1936 and 1938 each powered by a 420hp (313kW) Wright Whirlwind. The Spanish Republican government ordered 28 F.K.51s, 11 with 400hp (298kW) Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IVa radials and 17 aircraft (designated F.K.51bis) each powered by a 450hp (335kW) Wright Whirlwind R-975E radials. Production totalled at least 142 aircraft.
While the majority of F.K.51s were employed as elementary trainers within the Netherlands or in reconnaissance roles by the Royal Dutch Air Force in the Dutch East Indies, twenty-eight were clandestinely sold to the Republican government during the Spanish Civil War, all despite a Dutch embargo on the sale of arms to either side of that conflict. Some of those arriving in Spain were used as light bombers and night heavy fighters trainers by the Republicans in the Cantabrian region of Spain.
The Letov Š-31 was a fighter aircraft produced in Czechoslovakia in the early 1930s in a number of variants. All of the aircraft had metal tubular framing and fabric covering with a metal engine cowling. The first flight of the definitive Š.231 version was on March 17, 1933. After testing at the Czech flight facility at Prague-Lethany, modifications were undertaken to improve the machine’s performance. It entered production the following year and began equipping Czech fighter units in June 1936. The machines remained in front line fighter status with the Czechoslovak Air Force until the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939. Historical records are very vague, but apparently none of these machines were ever in combat with the far superior German aircraft during the German invasion or with any Allied aircraft during World War II when the Germans occupied Czechoslovakia and controlled of the Czech Air Force. A few of these hopelessly obsolete Letov Š.231s were still serving as trainers and as secondary fighters for the small Czech Air Force during the early months of World War II. The only recorded combat seen by any Letov Š.231 fighter was in the service of the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War.
The first batch of Letov S.231's arrived in Bilbao in December 1936. Four of the seven aircraft refused to leave the ground on their first flight, and were destroyed when they ran into obstacles! One aircraft was captured with its pilot in May 1937, one was destroyed in an air raid on Gijon airfield, and one was captured at Llanes airfield as the Republican north was overrun in 1937. The second batch which was sent to Spain arrived in the second half of 1937, and served in the 2 Esquadrilla of 71 Grupo at Cartagena as trainers.
The MS.230 was designed to meet French Air Ministry requirements. It first flew in February 1929 and proved to be an excellent and stable machine that was very easy to fly. It was placed into service in the military flight schools throughout France and was exported abroad to the air forces of numerous other countries. It also became a popular aircraft for sport aviation. The MS.230 was of metal tubular framing with fabric covering throughout except the forward area of the fuselage, which was metal covered. It had a wide fixed landing gear that made it very stable in takeoff and landing. Unlike other trainers of the time that were largely biplanes, the MS.230 was a high parasol wing monoplane. It did have the usual tandem cockpit arrangement in the fuselage for the instructor and pupil. Six of these planes were send to the FARE, being used as trainers.
PWS-10 entered service in the Polish Air Force starting from 1932. It was used in escadres nos. 122, 131, 132, 141. Their flight characteristics and performance were mediocre. As soon, as in 1933 they were replaced in combat units by PZL P.7 and moved to aviation school in Dęblin. Some were used there by the outbreak of World War II and in summer 1939 all remaining airworthy aircraft were gathered in Ułęż.
In late 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, 20 PWS-10 were sold in secret to Spanish nationalist forces, via Portugal. Aircraft were transported in crates and were assembled by PZL workers. First aircraft was flown in December 1936 in Leon. Being obsolete by then, they were not used as fighters, only fighter pilot training (for 4. Fighter Group) in El Copero near Seville. Later PWS-10s were transferred to Jerez de la Frontera where were operated between April 1937 and end of 1938. Spanish aircraft received name Chiquita, or unofficial Pavipollo and they had numbers from 4-1 to 4-20. Some were lost in crashes or scrapped, the remaining 11 were operated till the end of the 1938 and were retired in 1939.
Hi. I am the builder of the replica of Ro.41 in Spain. Seeing my outdated website mentions a video, take the opportunity to put a link to the website of Mauro Antonellini kindly to put the photos in which the state is that I had a few weeks ago on the 25th anniversary of the Patrulla Aguilal.
Hola. Soy el constructor del la replica del Ro.41 en España. Al ver que se menciona mi anticuada web un video, aprovecho para poner un enlace a la web de Mauro Antonellini que amablemente a puesto las fotos en las que se ve el estado que tenia hace unas semanas en el 25 aniversario de la Patrulla Aguila.
PWS-10 entered service in the Polish Air Force starting from 1932. It was used in escadres nos. 122, 131, 132, 141. Their flight characteristics and performance were mediocre.
PWS 10 aircraft received the serials 5.1 to 5.80. They were allocated to 113th and 114th Eskadras and Training Eskadra of the 1st Air regiment Warsaw, 131st, 132, and 133rd Eskadras of the 3rd Air Regiment Poznan; 141st, 142nd, and 143rd Eskadras of th; 4th Air Regiment Torun; Training Eskadras of the 2nd Air Regiment Cracow and 5th Air Regiment Lida.
In Spain the He 45 was given te name Pavos (turkey hen), the He 46 Pavas (turkey ****), Areo A-101 Ocas (goose). So the PWS 10 was nicknamed Pavipollo (turkey chick). Chiquita (little one) is a name painted on the side of aircraft 4-1 photographed on Leon airfield. Possibly the aircraft of Angel Sala. Nothing else is known about it.
Hi to all,
In AIR WAR OVER SPAIN by Rafael A. Permuy Lopez (Classic Publications, 2009), on page 5, there is a photo showing partly a camouflaged De Havilland DH-9 in Republican service as trainer.
Does anyone know whether there are any other photos of Republican DH-9s, showing markings etc.?
Thanks!
Hi to all,
In AIR WAR OVER SPAIN by Rafael A. Permuy Lopez (Classic Publications, 2009), on page 5, there is a photo showing partly a camouflaged De Havilland DH-9 in Republican service as trainer.
Does anyone know whether there are any other photos of Republican DH-9s, showing markings etc.?
Thanks!
Some of the old DH-9 were still in sevice when the Civil War started, being used as training aircrafts. As far as I remenber, I posted one picture of a DH-9 in nationalist markings in my thread "Spanish Civil War: Nationalist Air Force"
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Originally Posted by gekho 
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