Fake Old Czech Jet Airplane Projects ?

[hesham]

From L+K 24/1984,

here is a big mystery to me,I don't all of those Czech jet airplane Projects were a fake,or some of
them were real,I used the google translate,but I can't judge ?,please help.

 

[Aubi]

As mentioned under the pictures, those are Václav Němeček's "sins of youth". Letov L-115 Delfín postal airplane and Avia Av-52 Nikola Šuhaj jet fighter were invented by Němeček and Dušan Simandl for the April's Fools edition of Rozlet magazine in 1947. Descriptions and pictures were then in good faith used by many local and foreign newspapers, including Polish and French (Aviation francaise 01/1948). In 1959, for the New Year's number of Křídla vlasti, Němeček did something similar and invented XL-440 Jet Sokol, or jet-powered development of Meta Sokol trainer. This time, not so many people were fooled.
I do not own any of the mentioned magazines, but I have Křídla vlasti 07/1964 where the whole thing was described, including pictures of ome of the foreign articles. I scanned it for you.

 

[Jemiba]

See here
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...aircraft-projects-blacklist.26358/post-149527
and here
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...aircraft-projects-blacklist.26358/post-149528

 

[hesham]

Thank you my dears Aubi and Jemiba,

and of course I know that,but when I found Jet Sokol here,that make me confuse,and by the way,in
postwar Avia series,the designation Av.52 was a real Project,but was unknown concept;

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/czech-aero-aircraft-and-projects.2844/

 

[Aubi]

That was actually L 52, a fighter project of Letecké závody, n.p., závod Letňany, formerly Letov. Jet plane using wings and tail derived from Me 262 with Rolls-Royce Nene. Highest "Av" designation I found was Av 45, later redesigned as LE-10.

 

[hesham]

That was actually L 52, a fighter project of Letecké závody, n.p., závod Letňany, formerly Letov. Jet plane using wings and tail derived from Me 262 with Rolls-Royce Nene. Highest "Av" designation I found was Av 45, later redesigned as LE-10.

No my dear Aubi,that's not right,

in Czech National Technical Museum,and after WWII,they reach to Av.55,please see;

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/czech-national-technical-museum.28052/

 

[Aubi]

That should be Av 45 aka XLE 10, given that Letov L-154 aka XLA 54 is there. In 1947 construction bureaus were reorganised so Av 45 and L-154 were renamed and all following projects were designated LA or LE. Before 1947, I know of Av 40 and Av 43 (Av 42 is probably Němeček's mistake). Němeček nor any other author known to me doesn't mention Av 55 or Av 52.
Link to ntm archive is dead so I can't check for myself.

 

[hesham]

My dear Aubi,

the Němeček's book is not measure,and maybe Av.55 was from pre-war period,but you must to know that,
both "LE P" and "Av" series were used up to 1950,and by 1949 they created Av.50,also I heard that,the LE P3
or LE P.4 were named Av.52,but no confirm about this.

Also what was Av.43 ?,are you sure about this ?.

 

[Aubi]

I also consulted Martin Dubánek's Od bodáku po tryskáče - nedokončené československé zbrojní projekty 19445-1955. Dubánek works for the Military Historical Archive, so he used its collections for his book.
Av 43 was one of two projects of stopgap fighter machines, together with Letov L 501. Both were projected to utilise as much of reusable German parts as possible. Av 43 was projected in four variants, One-seaters A1 with Jumo 211S and B1 with Jumo 211J, and two-seaters A2 and B2. There was also Av 40 fighter trainer, basicaly two-seater Av 135 with Avia HS12Y engine. Němeček also talked about Av 42A, but that is more likely misrepresented Av 43A1.
LE-P3 was advanced trainer jet project of 1949, similar to de Havilland Vampire. I found no mention of Av designation for it. LE P4 was advanced trainer with two piston engines, also no mention of different designations. While LE design group was based on old Avia design bureau, that was disbanded two years before in 1947.

 

[hesham]

LE-P3 was advanced trainer jet project of 1949, similar to de Havilland Vampire. I found no mention of Av designation for it. LE P4 was advanced trainer with two piston engines, also no mention of different designations. While LE design group was based on old Avia design bureau, that was disbanded two years before in 1947.

Good Info my dear Aubi,

but how come,the LE P8 was appeared in 1950 ?,please see.

 

[Aubi]

Němeček more or less counted the LE group as continuation of Avia design group. In 1947/1948, Prague-based aviation factories were merged (into "Aviation Factories" and in the case of Avia "Automotive Factories"; this grouping changed several times during the next few years) and their design bureaus more or less too. Similar to soviet OKBs, new design groups were independent on factories and were mostly centered in the VLÚ (Aviation Research Institute) and Ústřední letecká kancelář (Central Aviation Bureau). From the former Aero company emerged groups designated LB (František Vlk and Ondřej Němec), LC (helicopters, Jaroslav Šlechta) and LD (Pavel Beneš). Letov people were mostly centered to LA group led by Bohumil Matzner and later Záhora, and Avia into LE led by Karel Tomáš. There was some fluctuation hovewer. In the mid-50s these groups were again dissolved and new factory-based bureaus were created - the new Aero of L-29/L-39 fame, new Avia (altough now only overseeing the licence manufacturing of Il-14 airliners) and so on.
Moravian aviation factories were in 1947 also merged, but their design groups didn't move to Prague.

 

[hesham]

OK my dear Aubi,

and I want a big favour from you and your friend,you know we have many gaps in Czech aircraft
and Projects after WWII,and for example in Aero list,we have those holes in the series;
Ae 46,47,52,54,55,56 & 57,also in LB P sequence,but please if you get any Infos,send it
to this topic,and thanks;

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/czech-aero-aircraft-designations.17999/

 

[Aubi]

There wouldn't be much, but I'll look into it.