Praga E-45
title: "Praga E-45" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["praga-aircraft", "1930s-czechoslovak-fighter-aircraft", "single-engined-tractor-aircraft", "biplanes", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1934"] topic_path: "arts/film" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praga_E-45" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | E-45 |
| image | Praga E-45-1.jpg |
| caption | Praga E-45 |
| aircraft_type | Single-seat biplane fighter |
| national_origin | Czechoslovakia |
| manufacturer | ČKD-Praga |
| designer | Jaroslav Šlechta |
| number_built | 1 |
| first_flight | 8 October 1934 |
| :: |
| name = E-45 | logo = | logo_size = | image = Praga E-45-1.jpg | alt = | caption = Praga E-45 | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Single-seat biplane fighter | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = Czechoslovakia | manufacturer = ČKD-Praga | design_group = | designer = Jaroslav Šlechta | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 1 | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = 8 October 1934 | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = The Praga E-45 was a single-engined, single-seat biplane fighter built in Czechoslovakia in the mid-1930s. It appeared a little too late to compete with the similar Avia B-534 and failed to get a production order.
Design and development
The Praga E-45 single-seat fighter was designed to compete with the Avia B-534, but flew some 17 months later. Since the two aircraft had very similar performance and the Avia was more heavily armed, it is not surprising that the Avia won a contract for over 400 aircraft and only one E-45 was built.
The E-45 was an equal span, single bay biplane with wings of slight stagger and no sweep. They were largely of constant chord, but had marked elliptical tips. The wings were wooden with plywood covering and a final sheath of fabric, the upper wings a single piece, connected to and held above the upper fuselage by a pair of outward sloping N form struts. The lower wings were attached to stubs integral with the lower fuselage. N-form interplane struts joined the wings, which were wire braced. Aerodynamically balanced ailerons covered almost all the trailing edge of the lower wing.
The fuselage was built around a rectangular steel tube structure. This was aluminium skinned around the engine, upper decking and extreme tail, and fabric covered over plywood elsewhere. The single cockpit was well aft of the wings and could be open or enclosed. The tailplane was wooden and plywood plus fabric covered, but the fin and control surfaces were fabric covered steel frames. The control surfaces were horn balanced, and the tail plane incidence could be trimmed in flight. The fin, too, was directionally adjustable, but only on the ground. The undercarriage was fixed, with semi-cantilever faired legs from the leading edge stubs braced high up the legs and inwards to the fuselage bottom with faired struts. The optionally spatted wheels were oleo damped and had differential brakes. There was a sprung tailskid.
The E-45 was powered by a 670 hp (500 kW) Rolls-Royce Kestrel XVI liquid-cooled V-12 engine, far less powerful than the Avia's Hispano-Suiza with 850 hp (625 kW). It drove a two-bladed propeller which had a large chin radiator immediately behind it. There was neither external exhaust piping nor stubs, just six small open ports per side. Two fixed 7.92 mm (0.312 in) calibre Type 30 machine guns were mounted in the upper cowling, firing through the propeller.
The E-45 first flew on 8 October 1934, with Smetena at the controls. By then a large order for the competing Avia 534 had been placed (August 1934) and the E-45 could only act as a reserve in case of production or other problems with the Avia, even though it seems to have flown quite well. No more were built and the sole example of the Praga E-45 eventually received a civil registration, OK-ERR in April 1938, after which nothing was heard of it.
Specifications (wheel fairings, enclosed cockpit, metal airscrew)
|ref= |prime units?=met General characteristics
|genhide=
|crew=1 |capacity= |length m=7.45 |length ft= |length in= |length note= |span m=8.50 |span ft= |span in= |span note= |upper span m= |upper span ft= |upper span in= |upper span note= |mid-span m= |mid-span ft= |mid-span in= |mid-span note= |lower span m= |lower span ft= |lower span in= |lower span note= |swept m= |swept ft= |swept in= |swept note= |dia m= |dia ft= |dia in= |dia note= |width m= |width ft= |width in= |width note= |height m=3.0 |height ft= |height in= |height note= |wing area sqm=20.25 |wing area sqft= |wing area note= |swept area sqm= |swept area sqft= |swept area note= |volume m3= |volume ft3= |volume note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg=1265 |empty weight lb= |empty weight note= |gross weight kg=1710 |gross weight lb= |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |lift kg= |lift lb= |lift note= |more general= Powerplant
|eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Rolls-Royce Kestrel XVI |eng1 type=Liquid-cooled V-12 |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp=670 |eng1 kn= |eng1 lbf= |eng1 note= |power original= |thrust original= |eng1 kn-ab= |eng1 lbf-ab=
|eng2 number= |eng2 name= |eng2 type= |eng2 kw= |eng2 hp= |eng2 kn= |eng2 lbf= |eng2 note= |eng2 kn-ab= |eng2 lbf-ab=
|eng3 number= |eng3 name= |eng3 type= |eng3 kw= |eng3 hp= |eng3 kn= |eng3 lbf= |eng3 note= |eng3 kn-ab= |eng3 lbf-ab= |more power=
|prop blade number= |prop name= |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop note=
|rot number= |rot dia m= |rot dia ft= |rot dia in= |rot area sqm= |rot area sqft= |rot area note= Performance
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=410 |max speed mph= |max speed kts= |max speed note=at 4,420 m (14,500 ft) |max speed mach= |cruise speed kmh=350 |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed kts= |cruise speed note=at 4,420 m (14,500 ft) |stall speed kmh= |stall speed mph= |stall speed kts= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed kmh= |minimum control speed mph= |minimum control speed kts= |minimum control speed note= |range km=650 |range miles= |range nmi= |range note=at cruising speed |combat range km= |combat range miles= |combat range nmi= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range miles= |ferry range nmi= |ferry range note= |endurance= |ceiling m=10000 |ceiling ft= |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |glide ratio= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude=3 min to 3,000 m (9,840 ft) |sink rate ms= |sink rate ftmin= |sink rate note= |lift to drag= |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |disk loading kg/m2= |disk loading lb/sqft= |disk loading note=
|power/mass= |thrust/weight=
|more performance= Armament
|guns= 2×7.92 mm (0.312 in) Type 30 machine guns in upper cowling |bombs= |rockets= |missiles= |hardpoints= |hardpoint capacity= |hardpoint rockets= |hardpoint missiles= |hardpoint bombs= |hardpoint other=
|avionics=
|see also= |related= |similar aircraft= |lists=
Citations
Cited sources
References
- {{Harvnb. Grey. 1972
- {{Harvnb. Grey. 1972
- "Praga E-45".
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