Letov Š-20
| Š-20 and Š-21 | |
|---|---|
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| Š-20 | |
| Role | FighterTemplate:Short description |
| National origin | Czechoslovakia |
| Manufacturer | Letov |
| First flight | 1925 |
| Number built | c. Template:TrimScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
The Letov Š-20 was a fighter aircraft produced in Czechoslovakia during the 1920s.
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Design and development
The Letov Š-20 was a conventional, single-bay biplane with unstaggered wings, braced by N-struts. In overall appearance, it greatly resembled contemporary SPAD fighters. The fuselage and empennage were of welded steel tube construction and covered in fabric. The wings had a tubular metal spar but were otherwise wooden, and also fabric-covered.[1]
The Czechoslovak Air Force bought 105 machines, and ten examples were produced for Lithuania under the designation Š-20L. These remained in service until 1936 and 1935 respectively.
Operational history
An Š-20 placed second in the single-engine category of the national President of the Republic air race in 1925, but fared better the following year. In the 1926 race, an Š-20 not only won this category, but also set a new national airspeed record of 234 km/h (146 mph). This record was short-lived, however, since the prize for the fastest circuit was also won in an Š-20, and this raised the record to 245 km/h (153 mph).[2]
A single prototype of an unarmed advanced trainer version was built as the Š-21, but this did not sell.
Variants
- Š-20 – initial production version
- Š-20M – revised version with slimmed down rear fuselage (main production version for Czechoslovakia)
- Š-20L – export version for Lithuania (eight built)
- Š-20R – version with further revisions to fuselage (one built)
- Š-20J – version with Walter-built Bristol Jupiter engine
- Š-21 – trainer version with Hispano-Suiza 8Aa engine (one built)
Specifications (Š-20)
See also
Related lists
References
Template:Sister project Notes
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Further reading
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