Letov Š-20

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The Letov Š-20 was a fighter aircraft produced in Czechoslovakia during the 1920s. It 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-skinned.

The Czechoslovakian Air Force bought 105 machines, and 10 examples were produced for Lithuania under the designation Š-20L. These remained in service until 1936 and 1935 respectively.

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).

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 (10 built)
** Š-20R - version with further revisions to fuselage (1 built)
** Š-20J - version with Walter-built Bristol Jupiter engine
* Š-21 - trainer version with Hispano-Suiza 8Aa engine (1 built)

pecifications (Š-20)

aerospecs
ref=
met or eng?= met

crew=One
capacity=
length m=7.44
length ft=24
length in=5
span m=9.70
span ft=31
span in=10
swept m=
swept ft=
swept in=
rot number=
rot dia m=
rot dia ft=
rot dia in=
dia m=
dia ft=
dia in=
width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=
height ft=
height in=
wing area sqm=18.4
wing area sqft=198
swept area sqm=
swept area sqft=
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
volume m3=
volume ft3=
aspect ratio=
wing profile=
empty weight kg=728
empty weight lb=1,602
gross weight kg=1,048
gross weight lb=2,306
lift kg=
lift lb=

eng1 number=1
eng1 type=Škoda-built Hispano-Suiza 8Fb
eng1 kw= 190
eng1 hp= 260
eng1 kn=
eng1 lbf=
eng1 kn-ab=
eng1 lbf-ab=
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=
eng2 kn=
eng2 lbf=
eng2 kn-ab=
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max speed kmh=256
max speed mph=160
max speed mach=
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
stall speed kmh=
stall speed mph=
range km=528
range miles=330
endurance h=
endurance min=
ceiling m=7,200
ceiling ft=23,600
g limits=
roll rate=
glide ratio=
climb rate ms=6.0
climb rate ftmin=1,190
sink rate ms=
sink rate ftmin=

armament1=2 × fixed, forward-firing .303 Lewis guns
armament2=
armament3=
armament4=
armament5=
armament6= aircontent
see also=
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References

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