Ae 45
Let Aero Ae 145
Role	Utility aircraft
Manufacturer	Aero Vodochody, Let Kunovice
First flight	21 July 1947
Primary users	Czechoslovakia China, East Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, USSR and Switzerland[1]
Produced	1947–1961
Number built	590[2]

The Aero 45 was a twin-piston engined civil utility aircraft produced in Czechoslovakia after World War II. Aero Vodochody produced the aircraft in 1947–1951, after which the Let Kunovice rolled out these planes till 1961. Aero Ae-45S was the first Czechoslovak plane, which in 1958 surpassed the Atlantic Ocean.^[3] It was the first product of the nation's postwar aviation industry and proved a great success, with many of the 590 produced being exported.

Design and development[edit]

Preserved Aero 45 in Prague Airport, Terminal 1

The development began 1946 and was accomplished by the technical designers Jiři Bouzek, Ondřej Němec and František Vik. The design bears a superficial resemblance, viewed nose-on, to the German Siebel Si-204 which, among other German aircraft like the Bf 109, were produced in Czechoslovakia while under German occupation. The prototype (registered OK-BCA) flew for the first time on 21 July 1947, the second, registered OK-CDA, one year later. Flight testing ran without incidents and the type was released for series production in 1948. The model number of "45" was not a continuation of Aero's pre-war numeration scheme, but a reference to the 4/5 seats in the aircraft.

Operational history[edit]

Ae-45 prototypes were widely advertised abroad. In August 1949 Jan Anderle won the Norton Griffiths Race in Great Britain (Ae-45 registration OK-DCL). They also set several international records. As a result, apart from Eastern Bloc countries, the plane was also bought by Italy and Switzerland. On 10–11 August 1958 Dr. Pier Paolo Brielli flew an Italian Ae-45 3000 kilometers from South America to Dakar across the southern Atlantic (as the first Czechoslovak-built aircraft). In 1981 Jon Svensen flew Ae-45S from Europe to the USA.^[2]

This type was used in Czechoslovakia and was exported to the People's Republic of China, East Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Soviet Union and Switzerland. Hungary was a major customer, where the aircraft was known as the Kócsag (Hungarian: "Egret").

Variants[edit]

1957-built Aero 45S series II registered in Malaya

Let Aero Ae 145

Aero 45

First production version built in Aero factory, 200 built between 1948 and 1951.

Aero 45S "Super Aero"

Improved variant produced by Let in Kunovice factory, among others with better navigational equipment. 228 aircraft built between 1954 and 1959.

Aero 145

Version with engines changed to supercharged Motorlet (Walter) M332, produced later as Avia M332s. This version was developed and built by Let, 162 aircraft built between 1959 and 1961.

Aero 245

Experimental version, not produced.

Aero 345

Experimental version, not produced.

Sungari-1

Chinese unlicensed copy of the Aero Ae 45S, produced from 1958.^[2]

Operators[edit]

Aero Ae 145 used in Poland as an air ambulance in Polish Aviation Museum

1948 Lufthansa LET Aero 45

Civil operators[edit]

 Czechoslovakia

 East Germany

• 
  Interflug^[4]

 Hungary

• Hungarian Police


• Hungarian Air Ambulance Service

 Italy

 Malaya

 Poland

• 
  LOT Polish Airlines operated three Ae-45 in 1952–1957^[5]


• 
  Polish Air Ambulance Service operated Ae-45 and Ae-145

 Romania

• Aviasan

 Soviet Union

• Aeroflot

  Switzerland

 Slovenia

• Aeroclub Ajdovščina

 Vietnam

• Vietnam Civil Aviation Department – later as Vietnam Civil Aviation (now Vietnam Airlines) ^[6]

Military operators[edit]

 People's Republic of China

• 
  People's Liberation Army Air Force operated license-built Suingari-1 variant.

 Czechoslovakia

• 
  Czechoslovak Air Force operated aircraft under designation K-75, for liaison purpose.


• Czechoslovakian National Security Guard

 East Germany

• East German Air Force

 Hungary

• Hungarian Air Force

 India

• 
  Indian Air Force operated a single aircraft gifted by the Czech government

 Romania

• Romanian Air Force

 Vietnam

• 
  Vietnam People's Air Force – three Ae-45 from 1956 (acquired from China)

Specifications (Aero 145)[edit]

Description[edit]

The Aero 45 had a sleek, teardrop-shaped fuselage, with a rounded, extensively-glazed nose affording excellent visibility. It had a low wing on which the engine nacelles were mounted, and a conventional tail. The main undercarriage was retractable but the tailwheel was fixed.

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62^[7]

General characteristics

• 
  Crew: one, pilot


• 
  Capacity: three-four passengers


• 
  Length: 7.77 m (25 ft 6 in)


• 
  Wingspan: 12.25 m (46 ft 2​¹⁄₂ in)


• 
  Height: 2.30 m (7 ft 6 in)


• 
  Wing area: 17.1 m² (184 ft²)


• 
  Airfoil: Aero No. 58-64


• 
  Empty weight: 960 kg (2,116 lb)


• 
  Loaded weight: 1,500 kg (3,306 lb)


• 
  Max. takeoff weight: 1,600 kg (3,527 lb)


• 
  Powerplant: 2 × Walter M 332-III air-cooled 4-cylinder inline engine, 104 kW (140 hp) each

Performance

• 
  Maximum speed: 282 km/h (152 knots, 175 mph)


• 
  Cruise speed: 250 km/h (135 knots, 155 mph)


• 
  Range: 1,700 km (918 nm, 1,055 miles)


• 
  Service ceiling: 5,900 m (19,360 ft)


• 
  Rate of climb: 5.0 m/s (985 ft/min)


• 
  Wing loading: 88 kg/m² (18 lb/ft²)


• 
  Power/mass: 0.08 kW/kg (0.05 hp/lb)

See also[edit]

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Beechcraft Twin Bonanza


• Miles Gemini

References[edit]

Notes

Bibliography

• 
  Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1961.


• Nemecek, Vaclav. Atlas letadel. Dvoumotorova obchodni letadla, Praha 1987

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aero Ae-145.

• Pictures of various Ae 45s at airliners.net