FLY 72020 AVIA BH-21J/SKI

The Avia BH-21 was a Czechoslovak biplane fighter from the interwar period. The drive was provided by a single engine Hispano-Suiza 8FB with a capacity of 300 HP, licensed at the Skoda plant. The prototype flight took place in 1925. In total, about 190 aircraft of this type were built. The deck armament consisted of two 7.7 mm Vickers machine guns.

The BH-21 fighter was created as a development of another Avia plant design: the BH-17 aircraft. Compared to the original, the new machine had a significantly reinforced structure, had better visibility from the pilot's cabin, and was also much better aerodynamically refined. Serial copies also turned out to be successful aircraft with good performance and good maneuverability. In the course of serial production, in addition to the basic hunting version (BH-21), a training version (BH-22) was also created. There was also an experimental version of the BH-21J powered by a Bristol Jupiter engine, which later became the basis for the development of the Avia BH-33 fighter. BH-21 planes served in the Czechoslovak and Belgian aviation. They were also offered to Poland in 1925, but were not purchased by it.