| Bulgarian evaluation pilots had flown the B 35.2 in
November 1939, and, in June 1940, flew the B 35.3 alias
Av 135.1. With the agreement of the RLM in Berlin, the
development programme of the Avia fighter was permitted
to continue in what by now was the so-called
"Protectorate" of Bohemia-Moravia specifically for the
Bulgarian Ministry of War. A contract was placed with
Avia for 12 Av 135 fighters for final assembly at Lovech, in Central Bulgaria, where a further 50 were to be
licence-built for the Royal Bulgarian Air Force as the
DAR-11 Ljastuvka (Swallow). The dozen Avia-built
Av 135 fighters were delivered in the summer of 1942,
but only 35 of the 62 HS 12Ycrs engines intended for the
licence-built aircraft reached Bulgaria and the licence
construction programme was cancelled. The Av 135s
were consigned to a Fighter Pilot School, but did see
some operational use in 1944. The Av 135 was of similar
construction to the B 35, was powered by an Avia-built
Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs engine rated at 860hp at 4000m and 800hp at sea level, and carried an armament
of one 20mm and two 7.92mm guns. It differed
from the B 35.3 essentially in having shorter-span
ailerons and enlarged flaps.
MODEL | Av-135 |
CREW | 1 |
ENGINE | 1 x 850hp Avia (Hispano-Suiza) HS 12 Ydra |
WEIGHTS |
Take-off weight | 2422 kg | 5340 lb |
Empty weight | 1906 kg | 4202 lb |
DIMENSIONS |
Wingspan | 10.85 m | 36 ft 7 in |
Length | 8.58 m | 28 ft 2 in |
Height | 2.59 m | 9 ft 6 in |
Wing area | 17.00 m2 | 182.99 sq ft |
PERFORMANCE |
Max. speed | 534 km/h | 332 mph |
Cruise speed | 462 km/h | 287 mph |
Ceiling | 9500 m | 31150 ft |
Rate of climb | 804 m/min | 2650 ft/min |
Range | 550 km | 342 miles |
ARMAMENT | 1 x 20mm, 2 x 7.92mm |
lxbfYeaa, e-mail, 14.03.2024 05:44 20 reply | Anonymous, 11.03.2021 19:11 Excellent fighter contemporary with, comparable to, the British Hawker Hurricane. Unfortunately, it appeared too late to do Czechoslovakia any good. reply | Psellos, e-mail, 25.10.2010 01:34 Reportedly one american B-24 shot down by Bulgarian B 135 in 1944. Piloted by lt. Jordan Ferdinandov. reply |
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