A wealthy businessman, G. Koutarellis bought two B.534 Series II aircraft (534.1001 and 534.1002) directly from Avia and donated them to the Hellenic Airforce in a consecration ceremony on 18 August 1936. The two aircraft are often listed simply as Avias, together with the four older Avia BH-33s that were supplied from Yugoslavia a year earlier. They received the serials ΔΚ1 and ΔΚ2 (in Greek: "Donation of Koutarellis").Operational History
18 Aug. 1936 - Offered to the Hellenic Airforce by G. Koutarellis.
1937-1940 - Used for operational training.
9 Dec. 1940 - Enter operational service with 24 Mira.
24 Jan. 1941 - ΔΚ1 suffers severe damages after a forced landing and is transfered to KEA for repairs. It is not mentioned again in official records.
19 Apr. 1941 - ΔΚ2 is destroyed together with other aircraft of 24 Mira by Messerschmitt BF109Es strafing Amfikleia airfield.
Specifications
Length: 8.10 m
Height: 3.15 m
Wingspan: 9.40 m
Wing Area: 23.56 sq. m
Weight: (max) 1,913 kg, (empty) 1,385 kg
Engine: 1x Hispano Suiza 12Y-21 860 hp
Service Ceiling: 10,600 m
Range: 580 km
Speed: 394 km/h
Armament: 4x 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG, 6x 20 kg bombs
Crew: 1
For Gamers and Game designers
The B.534 was one of the fastest and most capable biplanes. Its only important weakness in comparison to the final generation of biplanes was that its undercarriage is not retractable. However, at the beginning ofWorld War II, most airforces were already using much more modern monoplanes, and these aircraft would be used by the Greeks probably only in auxiliary roles, such as army liaison.
For Modellers
As far as I am aware, there are no surviving photographs of the Greek Avia B.534 aircraft. Existing profiles are based on textual rather than photographic evidence.
Profiles showing the aircraft in pre-war colours, by Vincent Bourguignon from ww2drawings.jexiste.fr
Profile from unknown source, presumably showing the B534 in 1940-41. However, I do not believe that this profile is anything more than speculation. Probably unreliable.
"Its only important weakness...." at that era the unretractable undercarriages still didn't seem to be an aerodynamic "important" "weakness"
ReplyDelete"....in comparison to the final generation of biplanes...." to be equal don't compare it with the final generation of biplanes but compare it with similar biplanes of its era
"....most airforces were already using much more modern monoplanes,...." the "much" "more" "modern" monoplanes were also been used by some airforces at the start of world war one too
"Profiles by unknown artist from ww2drawings.jexiste.fr" he is not unknown, his name is Vincent Bourguignon and he is from Belgium
"However, I do not believe that this profile is anything more than speculation. Probably unreliable." "speculation"?, "unreliable"?, why this?, because it has a camouflage paint?
that is your opinion after all
by the way some Greek airplanes had camouflage paints too
Thanks for your comments and for identifying the artist of the firsr profile. Very useful. I will add his name.
ReplyDeleteI compared the 534 to the final generation of biplanes because that's chronologically when the Greek airforce used it (after 1937). The camo profile is mere speculation, as there is no evidence (photographic or otherwise) of it ever receiving camo paint like other Greek aircraft.
Regarding the much more modern comment, I don't think there is a doubt that the 1930s monoplanes were much more successful in the war than the 1930s biplanes