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Letov Š-20

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Š-20 and Š-21
Š-20
Role FighterType of aircraft
National origin Czechoslovakia
Manufacturer Letov
First flight 1925
Number built ca 118

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

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.

The Czechoslovakian 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).

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)
A side view of the Š-21 prototype
    • 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)

Letov S-20 3-view drawing from Les Ailes January 13, 1927

Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1928

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 7.44 m (24 ft 5 in)
  • Wingspan: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
  • Height: 2.56 m (8 ft 5 in)
  • Wing area: 18.4 m (198 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 740 kg (1,631 lb)
  • Gross weight: 1,050 kg (2,315 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Škoda-built Hispano-Suiza 8Fb V-8 water-cooled piston engine, 221 kW (296 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed wooden fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 257.5 km/h (160.0 mph, 139.0 kn)
  • Range: 528 km (328 mi, 285 nmi)
  • Endurance: 2 hours 10 minutes
  • Service ceiling: 7,250 m (23,790 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 6 m/s (1,200 ft/min)
  • Time to altitude: 5,000 m (16,000 ft) in 13 minutes 40 seconds
  • Wing loading: 57 kg/m (12 lb/sq ft)
  • Power/mass: 0.2163 kW/kg (0.1316 hp/lb)

Armament

  • Guns: 2x fixed, forward-firing, synchronised 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Vickers machine-guns (ZB vz.09) in the forward fuselage upper decking

See also

Related lists

References

Notes

  1. Taylor 1989, p. 573.
  2. Taylor 1969, p. 63.
  3. Grey, C.G., ed. (1928). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1928. London: Sampson Low, Marston & company, ltd. p. 79c.

Further reading

  • Němeček, Václav (1968). Československá letadla (in Czech). Prague: Naše Vojsko.
  • Taylor, John W. R.; Alexander, Jean; et al. (1969). Combat aircraft of the world. London: Ebury P.; Michael Joseph. p. 65. ISBN 0-71810-564-8.
  • Taylor, Michael J.H.; Gunston, Bill; et al. (1989). Jane's encyclopedia of aviation. New York: Portland House. ISBN 0-517-69186-8.
Letov Kbely aircraft
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