Aero Ae 50

The Aero Ae 50 was a prototype propeller-driven military reconnaissance aircraft built in Czechoslovakia.

Designed with the artillery spotting role in mind, the Ae 50 was a high-wing monoplane of unusual design, with a fuselage that terminated abruptly immediately aft of the crew cabin, leaving the tailplane to be mounted on a single boom attached to the wing. The tailwheel was mounted at the rear of the fuselage. This arrangement had been intended to maximise the observer's field of view. Another unusual feature was that it incorporated a towing point to allow it to be towed by another, longer-range aircraft to enable it to be transported to a combat zone outside of its own range without having to stop and refuel.

First flown on April 14 1949, it was evaluated against the Praga E-55 for a defence ministry contract. The Ae 50 was found to have a range of flaws, including directional stability and the operation of the leading-edge slots. These problems were overcome, but the problem of the aircraft being somewhat overweight proved insoluble, and development was abandoned.

pecifications (Ae 50)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew=two, pilot and observer
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 7.10 m
length alt= 23 ft 3 in
span main= 10.50 m
span alt= 34 ft 5 in
height main= 2.46 m
height alt= 8 ft 1 in
area main= 15.1 m²
area alt= 162 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 460 kg
empty weight alt= 1,012 lb
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 730 kg
max takeoff weight alt= 1,606 lb
more general=
engine (prop)= Walter Minor 4-III
type of prop=
number of props=1
power main= 78 kW
power alt= 105 hp
power original=
max speed main=171 km/h
max speed alt= 107 mph
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main= 4,370 m
ceiling alt= 14,333 ft
climb rate main= 140 m/min
climb rate alt= 459 ft/min
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=
Auster B.4

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