| A.300 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Aero A.300 in 1938 | |
| Role | Bomber |
| Manufacturer | Aero Vodochody |
| First flight | 1938 |
| Primary user | Czechoslovak Air Force |
| Developed from | Aero A.304 |
The Aero A.300 was a Czechoslovak bomber aircraft that first flew in 1938 as a much refined development of the A.304 (despite what the numbering would suggest).
Designed by Aero as a replacement for the obsolete, locally-built Bloch MB.200 bombers Czechoslovak Air Force, the Aero A-304 transport/bomber formed the basis for its design. The new aircraft mounted Bristol Mercury IX radial engines rated at 610 kW/820 hp and carried three machine guns for defense. The A-300 was faster than any other Czechoslovak aircraft in the inventory except for the Avia B-35 fighter. Despite showing much promise, development and production of the aircraft was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II.
Operators
Specifications (A.300)
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Length: 13.5 m (44 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 19.2 m (63 ft 0 in)
- Height: 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 45.4 m2 (489 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 3,955 kg (8,719 lb)
- Gross weight: 4,347 kg (9,583 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 6,040 kg (13,316 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Bristol Mercury IX 9-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engines, 610 kW (820 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 456 km/h (283 mph, 246 kn)
- Range: 2,200 km (1,400 mi, 1,200 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 9,400 m (30,800 ft)
Armament
- Guns:
- 1 × fixed forward-firing 7.92 mm vz.30 (Česká zbrojovka Strakonice) machine gun
- 1 × 7.92 mm vz.30 machine gun in dorsal turret
- 1 × 7.92 mm vz.30 machine gun in rearward-firing ventral position
- Bombs: Up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of bombs
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era