# Bulgarian Air Force



## gekho (Jan 28, 2011)

November 27, 1919 the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine was signed. In accordance with the treaty the Kingdom of Bulgaria was banned from operating military aircraft under any form for the next 20 years. For that reason all Bulgarian airplanes, balloons, aviation equipment, weaponry and ammunition were to be destroyed under Allied control. Under the terms of the treaty any aircraft, procured for civilian purposes, were to be bought from the countries on the winning side. The combined engine power for any airplane (including multiengined ones) was not to exceed 180 hp. In addition, the Bulgarian airspace was to be controlled by the allies and used according to the victorious countries' interests. In accordance with the treaty during 1920 no less than 70 airplanes, 110 aviation engines, 3 air balloons, 76 aviation machine guns, a number of photographic cameras and as well as other aviation equipment were destroyed at the military airfield of Bozhurishte. The seaplanes of the Bulgarian Navy were delivered by train to the same airfield and scrapped soon after that. On 5 July 1923 Bulgaria ratified the International Civil Aviation Treaty. From that moment on its air vehicles would carry a registration in the form B-Bxxx (the latter three signs being a combination of capital letters). In 1923 the first group of cadets, called "student-flyers" entered the Flying school at Vrazhdebna AF.The following year (1924) the first new airplanes were acquired. Those were machines of the Potez VIII, Caudron C.59, Henriot XD.14, Bristol 29 Tourer types; Avro 522 seaplanes (shown above) were also procured. Also in 1924 the Aeroplane Section was expanded to an Aeroflight Directorate still under the Ministry of Railways, Postal Service and Telegraph.

1925 saw the Potez XVII, Bristol Lucifer and the Macchi 2000/18 flying boats boosting the country's aircraft inventory. The Bulgarian government invited a group of German aircraft engineers, headed by the constructor Herr Hermann Winter to help establish an aviation factory.Named The State's Aeroconstruction Atelliér (more popular as DAR-Bozhurishte) the factory was initially managed by the first Bulgarian pilot to achieve an aerial victory - Mr. Marko Parvanov. The first aircraft types, produced by the plant were the "Uzounov-1" (an indigenous variant of the wartime German DFW C.V) and the DAR-2 (indigenous variant of the German Albatross C.III of the same era). Both types well-known and loved by the personnel of the former Air Troops and with Bulgarian combat service experience. A new type - the DAR-1, was also in a phase of development.

In 1928 the Ministry of War started the ambitious 10-year program for development of the military aviation (still banned by the peace treaty). Bulgaria started acquiring German, Czechoslovak and Polish airplanes.In 1934 the Aviation Regiment was renamed His Majesty's Air Troops, comprising a headquarters, with two army air groups (based at Bozhurishte and Plovdiv airfields), a training group (in Plovdiv), a maritime aquadron (at NAS Chaika, Varna) and additional operational support units. The first combat aircraft entered service in the reestablished air force in 1937 were 12 Arado Ar.65 fighters, 12 Heinkel He.51 fighters, 12 Dornier Do.11 bombers and 12 Heinkel He.45B recon planes. These machines are known as the Royal Gift, donated to the HMAT personally by Tsar (King) Boris III. In 1938 14 newly built Polish PZL.24B fighters (shown above) were acquired along with 12 PZL.43B light bombers. When the Third Reich occupied Czechoslovakia, absorbing her Czech Lands as the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, her air force ceased to exist. Bulgaria used the opportunity to acquire large numbers of relatively modern aircraft at a symbolic price. 78 Avia B.534 biplane fighters, 32 Avia B.71 bombers (a license version of the Soviet SB light bomber, shown above) and 60 Letov Š.328 recon were part of the reinforcements. In less than 3 years the Air Force inventory had grown up to 478 pieces of which 135 of Bulgarian construction.

The Kingdom of Bulgaria entered World War II on the 1 March 1941 as a German ally. Under the signed treaty Bulgaria allowed the use of its territory as a staging point for the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece and some minor logistical support. Despite the impressive inventory, Bulgaria's fighter force at the time consisted of 91 machines, with just 10 of them being of the modern Bf 109E-4 type. Further 11 were of the outdated PZL.24B; the remaining numbers were of the Avia B.534 biplane types. At the end of 1941 the inventory of His Majesty's Air Troops consisted of 609 aircraft of 40 different types.


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## gekho (Jan 28, 2011)

At the beginning of World War II, the combat air fleet comprised 374 machines in various roles. In addition orders were placed for 10 Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 fighters, 11 Dornier Do 17M/P bombers, 6 Messerschmitt Bf 108 light liaison and utility aircraft, 24 Arado Ar 96B-2 and 14 Bücker-Bestmann Bü 131 trainers. The Air Force order of battle comprised the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Army Aviation Orlyaks (Army Air Groups or air regiments), each attached to the correspondingly-numbered field army. Each orlyak had a fighter, a line bomber and two reconnaissance yatos (Squadrons). There was also an Independent Aviation corps, which combined the 5th Bomber and 6th Fighter Regiments. The training units consisted of the "Junker" School Orlyak at Vrazhdebna airfield, the 2nd Training Orlyak at Telish airfield (called the Blind Flying Training School) and the 3rd Training Orlyak at Stara Zagora airfield. In 1940, the Bulgarian aviation industry provided the HMAT with 42 DAR-9, 45 KB-5 aircraft and the serial production of the KB-6 - Bulgaria's first twin-engined aircraft was scheduled to commence. At year's end the Air Force had 595 aircraft (258 combat) and 10 287 personnel.

The Kingdom of Bulgaria entered World War II on the 1 March 1941 as a German ally. Under the signed treaty Bulgaria allowed the use of its territory as a staging point for the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece and some minor logistical support. Despite the impressive inventory, Bulgaria's fighter force at the time consisted of 91 machines, with just 10 of them being of the modern Bf 109E-4 type. Further 11 were of the outdated PZL.24B; the remaining numbers were of the Avia B.534 biplane types. The ground-based air defenses were made up of only 8 88 mm (3.5 in) and 6 20 mm (0.79 in) AA guns. To help its new ally the 12th Army of the Wehrmacht offered support with its air and air defense assets and 8 Freya-type radars dispersed throughout the country. A dispersed observation and reporting system was gradually developed.

The first air strike against Bulgarian targets was carried out by 4 Yugoslav Dornier Do.17Kb-1 on the 6th of April 1941 on the city of Kyustendil and its railway station killing 47 and injuring 95, mostly civilians. The air strikes intensifying following days; British Royal Air Force units based in Greece participated in the attacks as well. At the end of April 2 and 5th Bulgarian armies occupied Greek and Yugoslav territories according to an agreement with the Third Reich. As a part of the joint armed forces' effort on June 26, 1941 6 Avia B.71 and 9 Dornier Do 17M bombers were transferred to the Badem Chiflik airfield near Kavala (in modern Greece). They were tasked with ASW patrols and air support for Italian shipping over the adjacent area of the Aegean Sea. In addition 9 Letov Š.328s based in Badem Chiflik provided the ground troops with air reconnaissance. At the Black Sea shores the "Galata" Fighter Orlyak was established at NAS Chaika, Varna, with the 10 Bf 109E-4s and 6 Avia B.534s. The S.328s were also used for ASW patrols over the Black Sea, flying out of the Sarafovo and Balchik airfields. At the end of 1941 the inventory of His Majesty's Air Troops consisted of 609 aircraft of 40 different types.


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## gekho (Jan 28, 2011)

The all-metal PZL.23 Karaś ("Crucian Carp") light bombers were originally designed by Stanisław Prauss to replace older models employed by the Polish Air Force. The third prototype that flew in 1935, with a raised pilot's seat and lowered engines for better visibility, was accepted and entered production. The first variants, PZL.23A, were fitted with Bristol Pegasus IIM2 radial engines, but these engines soon proved to be unreliable. The production quickly shifted to using Pegasus VIII engines. 40 PZL.23A aircraft were built in 1936 and 210 PZL.23B aircraft were built between late 1936 and Feb 1938. An additional number was produced for export to Bulgaria with Gnome-Rhone 14N-01 engines because the Bristol engines were licensed for use in Poland only; that variant was dubbed PZL.43. Out of the 250 available to the Polish air force by the end of Aug 1939, 23 were lost in accidents and 110 were held in reserve or used by training squadron, making 117 available for combat squadrons when the European War began. The first combat mission for this design was on 2 Sep 1939 when a PZL.23B bomber of the 21st Squadron bombed a factory in Ohlau; it was also the first bombing attack on German territory. On 3 Sep, PZL.23 bombers attacked German columns, briefly disrupting German movement, but ultimately they were intercepted by German fighters and shot down easily due to low speed and lack of armor. At the end of the Polish campaign, 67 were destroyed in combat and about 60 were lost to other reasons. At least 21 PZL.23 bombers were withdrawn to Romania as the Polish retreated through that country; 19 of them were kept by the Romanian air force, and were used against Russia after the launch of Operation Barbarossa.


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## gekho (Jan 28, 2011)

The Ar 196 was designed primarily to replace the He 60 biplane then currently in service on all of Germany's capital ships. One of the few seaplanes to see service in the Atlantic and Mediterrenian, the Ar 196's primary duties consisted of reconnaissance and shadowing of service vessels. While in most respects the Ar 196 is not a formidable aircraft, for a seaplane it's performance exceeded it's Allied counterparts. After Germany's capital ships ceased active participation in the war, most Ar 196's were relegated to sea patrols from shore bases. About 50 planes served with Balkan air forces in the Adriatic and Black Sea.


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## gekho (Jan 28, 2011)

The DAR-10 was designed by Zvetan Lazarov in 1938 in the DAR (Darzhavna Aeroplanna Rabotilnica, meaning literally 'State Airplane Workshop') factory in Bozhurishte, near the capital Sofia. The Dar-10 was a single-engine two-seat (pilot and gunner) low-wing cantilever monoplane aircraft of conventional layout. Its two seats were in tandem under enclosed glazing. Its tailwheel undercarriage was fixed, and the main gears were spatted. the wings had wooden structure, covered with plywood. Flaps were not used. The fuselage was comparatively wide and deep, to accommodate the nose-mounted radial engine. It was constructed of steel-tube framework and wood formers, covered with fabric.

Two prototypes were built, powered by different engines: DAR-10A Bekas (Bulgarian: "snipe"), powered by an Alfa Romeo 128 R.C.21 9-cylinder radial engine rated at 950 hp (709 kW). This was the first DAR-10 to fly, on 2 July 1941. It was designed to carry four machine guns (2 fixed forward-firing and 2 in rear gunner position). It could carry five 100-kg bombs, mounted under the wings. There was also the possibility of a fixed 20 mm forward-firing cannon installation in the forward fuselage. This aircraft crashed in October 1942. In spite of good flight reviews, the type was not chosen for production. The high-wing KB-11 Fazan was selected for production instead.

Dar-10F (the "F" to indicate its Fiat engine), powered by a Fiat A 74 R.C.38 14-cylinder radial engine rated at 870 hp (649 kW). This aircraft first flew in March 1945. It was slightly heavier and longer than the DAR-10A. Its top speed was 454 km/h (282 mph). Thanks to a stronger construction and dive flaps, it could serve also as a dive bomber. It could be equipped with two fixed fuselage-mounted 20 mm cannons firing forward, two fixed wing-mounted machine guns, and two machine guns for the gunner. It could carry one 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb or 1 x 250 kg (551 lb) and 4 x 100 kg (110 lb). The bombs would be mounted under the fuselage and wings. The DAR-10 was not selected for production. Some sources suggest that it was passed over in favor of the German Junkers Ju-87 Stuka dive bomber, while the improved DAR-10F was not selected as World War II had ended and Bulgaria had access to ample supplies of modern Soviet aircraft such as the Ilyushin Il-2 and Il-10.


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## Gnomey (Jan 28, 2011)

Nice shots!


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## vikingBerserker (Jan 28, 2011)

and awesome information, thanks!


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## Jarda Rankl (Jan 29, 2011)

Another bulgarian kites.


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## Jarda Rankl (Jan 29, 2011)

Our czechoslovak planes in the bulgarian service.


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## Jarda Rankl (Jan 29, 2011)

Another czechoslovak and polish planes in the bulgarian service.


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## Jarda Rankl (Jan 29, 2011)

Bulgarian construction planes.


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## gekho (Jan 31, 2011)

The Heinkel He 51 was a German single-seat biplane which was produced in a number of different versions. It was initially developed as a fighter, and a seaplane variant and a ground-attack version were also developed. It was a development of the earlier He 49. At least 12 of these fighters were acquired by Bulgaria.


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## gekho (Jan 31, 2011)

The Focke-Wulf Fw 58 Weihe (Kite) was a twin-engined aircraft that was used as a light transport, air-ambulance and navigational trainer by the Luftwaffe. The Fw 58 was designed to the same specification as the less successful Arado Ar 77. It was powered by two 240hp Argus As 10C eight-cylinder inverted V engines, carried in nacelles mounted below the low-mounted wings. The wings were semi-cantilevered, with most of their support structured carried within the wings, but with struts linking the top of the engine nacelles to the fuselage. The high-mounted tail was braced from below. The aircraft has a welded steel-tube fuselage, with a mix of fabric and metal covering. The wings had a metal frame with fabric covering behind the main spar. The main undercarriage wheels retracted into the nacelles. 

The first prototype, the Fw 58 V1, made its maiden flight in the summer of 1935. It was a six-seat transport aircraft with a smooth streamlined nose. The second prototype, Fw 58 V2, was to have been the precursor to the military A-series. It had two open gun positions, one in the nose and one just behind the cabin, each carrying a single MG 15 7.9mm machine gun. The fourth prototype, Fw 58 V3, was the precursor to the first production series, the Fw 58B. The V3 had a glazed nose capable of carrying an MG 15 machine gun, and retained the open dorsal gun position. The Fw 58 B-1 was the first version to be produced for the Luftwaffe. It could carry the same guns as the V3, as well as a number of bombs on racks under the wings.

The most numerous version of the aircraft was the Fw 58C. This was a six-seat light transport aircraft with a faired-in nose, and no guns. It was based on the eleventh prototype and served in large numbers with the Luftwaffe and small numbers with Lufthansa. Around 1,350 Fw 58s were produced. Some were exported to Argentina, Bulgaria, China, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden and the type was produced under licence in Brazil. In German service the Fw 58 was used as a crew trainer, particularly in navigation, as a communications aircraft, an air-ambulance and as a light transport. It was also used to spray infected areas of the Eastern Front in an attempt to protect the German troops fighting below.


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## Gnomey (Jan 31, 2011)

Nice shots!


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## muggs (Feb 1, 2011)

Thanks gekho !


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## Lucky13 (Feb 1, 2011)

Great stuff!


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## Jarda Rankl (Feb 1, 2011)

German kites in the bulgarian service. Nice shots.


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## gekho (Feb 1, 2011)

DAR Aircraft (DAR Aeroplanes) is a Bulgarian aircraft manufacturer, founded in 1912 in Sofia - Boujuriste. Their first aircraft was the DAR-1 designed by Hermann Winter in 1925. His other models are the DAR-2, DAR-3 and DAR-4, a trimotor aircraft. After leaving DAR, Hermann Winter worked at Fieseler, where he designed the aerodynamic properties of the Fieseler Fi 156 Storch. Prof. Cvetan Lazarov replaced Hermann Winter at DAR. DAR continued production with the DAR-5, DAR-6, DAR-7cc, DAR-8, DAR-9 and DAR-10A until 1944. In 1995, a new company continued the tradition with project series DAR-11/13 and the all metal DAR-21. The DAR-21 was started in 2000, winning a best product award for 2000 in the Republic of Bulgaria. Other models are the DAR-21S, DAR-23 and DAR Speedster. The DAR Aircraft manager is engineer Tony Ilieff. Chief designers are Prof. Atanas Hasamsky and Prof. Georgi Anestev.

Six DAR-3 series 1 aircraft were delivered from manufacturer in winter 1936. It has an open cockpit and Wright Cylone engine in a Townsend ring. Used for reconnaissance in late 1930s, then for liaison and continuation training. Withdrawn from service early 1940s. Six DAR-3 series 2 aircraft were delivered from manufacturerin 1937. It has an open cockpit, wheel spats, Siemens Jupiter VI engine. Later retrofitted with Alfa Romeo 126 RC 34 engine and hooded cockpit. Used for reconnaissance. Date withdrawn from service not known. Twelve DAR-3 series 3 aircraft delivered from manufacturer 1939. Alfa Romeo 126 RC 34 engine in longer cowling, cockpit canopy for pilot but not gunner, lengthened fuselage. Used for reconnaissance and army co-operation. Withdrawn from service in 1945.


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## gekho (Feb 1, 2011)

The Dewoitine D.520 was a French fighter aircraft that entered service in early 1940, shortly after the opening of World War II. Unlike the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406, which was at that time the Armée de l'Air's most numerous fighter, the Dewoitine D.520 came close to being a match for the latest German types, such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109. It was slower than the Bf 109E but superior in manoeuvrability. Because of a delayed production cycle, only a small number were available for combat with the Luftwaffe.

The D.520 was designed in response to a 1936 requirement from the Armée de l'Air for a fast, modern fighter with a good climbing speed and an armament centred around a 20 mm cannon. At the time the most powerful V 12 liquid cooled engine available in France was the Hispano-Suiza 12Y, which was less powerful, but lighter, than contemporary engines such as the Rolls-Royce Merlin and Daimler-Benz DB 601. Other fighters were designed to meet the specifications but none of them entered service, or entered service in small numbers and too late to play a significant role during the Battle of France.

As German forces invaded Vichy's so-called "free zone" in November 1942, they captured 246 D.520s; additionally, a batch of 62 was completed under German occupation. Some were used by the Luftwaffe for training purposes. The Germans also transferred 120 D.520s to Bulgaria.


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## gekho (Feb 1, 2011)

The Bulgarian government had evinced interest in the fighter and development of the aircraft continued, a further prototype, the B.135-l (D-IBPP) being completed, this differing from the B.35-3 only in having the curved wing leading edges supplanted by straight leading edges. The B.135 retained the HS l2Ydrs engine as plans to produce the HS t2Y-37 had been abandoned, and the Bulgarian government placed an order for 12 fighters of this type, simultaneously acquiring a manufacturing licence. The Bulgarian order for 12 B.135s was fulfilled in 1941 but the manufacturing licence was never taken up. The B.135 attained a maximum speed of 535 km/h and a cruising speed of 460 km/h Initial climb rate was 13,5 m/sec and range was 550 km Empty and loaded weights were 1 924 kg and 2 462 kg.


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## Lucky13 (Feb 1, 2011)

Keep it coming!


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## Bernhart (Feb 1, 2011)

love the dewoitine built a kit of that one


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## gekho (Feb 2, 2011)

The Bulgarian Air Force received 11 Do 17 M-1s and P-1s in 1940. After their participation in the Balkans Campaign against Yugoslavia and Greece, the Bulgarians were given 15 captured Yugoslav Do 17Kb-1s. These including spare parts, engines, and landing gear. The Dorniers were assigned to the 1./5. bombardirovicen orlijak (1st Squadron of the 5th Bomber Regiment). In the Bulgarian occupation zones of Yugoslavia, the Do 17s carried out missions against Yugoslav Chetniks and partisans in 1941–44. They also supported Croatian forces in the same role. Another six Do 17Ms were received in 1943. In September 1944, the Bulgarians switched sides and declared war on their former ally, Germany. At this time they had twenty Do 17s of all types assigned to the 1./5. Bomber Group and five Do 17 Ps assigned to 3./1. Reconnaissance Squadron and another four Do 17 Ps assigned to 73. Long-range Reconnaissance Flight. In 71 days of operations against German forces, 32 aircraft (including some Do 17s) in Bulgarian service were lost. In 362 combat sorties, the pilots claimed 173 lorries and motor vehicles, 42 railroad cars, seven armoured vehicles and 10 aircraft destroyed or damaged, but actual German losses were nowhere near this total. The Bulgarians had underestimated the damage done which was "far beyond this [these] figures". With the exception of the Do 17s of 73. Long-range Reconnaissance Flight, the Do 17s didn't fly missions against the Axis after 2 December. As part of their war reparations to Yugoslavia, four Do 17s were delivered by Bulgaria after the war. Their subsequent fate remains unknown.


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## gekho (Feb 2, 2011)

Bulgaria bought 78 B-534s in 1939, well after the partition. The last batch of these aircraft arrived in March 1942. On 1 August 1943, seven of these aircraft were able to make two passes at American B-24 Liberator bombers returning from the raid on Ploieşti. Hits were scored but no B-24s were shot down and some of the B-534s that received damage in the combat, cracked up on landing. After the anti-German coup of 9 September 1944, Bulgaria switched sides overnight and its B-534s were often used in ground attacks against German units. On 10 September 1944, six B-534s were involved in a brief melee with six German Bf 109s at low altitude. One B-534 was lost, but the Germans quickly broke off, wary of the low altitude and the B-534's maneuverability.


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## gekho (Feb 3, 2011)

Twenty-four Avia B-71 (licence-built Tupolev SB-2M-100) twin-engined bombers were delivered from Czechoslovakia via Germany in September 1939, plus eight more in 1940. Total of thirty-two delivered. They were used by 5 Bomber Orliak (later 5th Bomber Polk) for the bomber role. Withdrawn from service in 1945.


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## gekho (Feb 3, 2011)

The PZL P.24 was developed as an export version of the PZL P.11, a gull-wing all-metal fighter designed by Zygmunt Puławski. The P.11 was powered with a license-built Bristol Mercury engine. The license did not permit export sales, so the French Gnome-Rhône company proposed using their engines in the P.11. The first P.24/I prototype, based on the P.11a and powered by a Gnome-Rhône 14Kds 760 hp (570 kW) engine, was flown in May 1933. The second P.24/II prototype, named the "Super P.24", set a world speed record for radial engine-powered fighters (414 km/h). The third P.24/III prototype was the "Super P.24bis" with a more powerful 14Kfs engine. The type was shown at the Paris air show in 1934 attracting great interest from the participants. The aircraft was conventional in layout, with high wings. It was all-metal and metal-covered. The wings had a gull-wing shape, with a thin profile close to the fuselage, to provide a good view for the pilot. This configuration was developed by Zygmunt Pulawski and called "the Polish wing". The canopy was closed (apart from prototypes). An internal 360 liter fuel tank in the fuselage could be dropped in case of fire emergency. It had conventional fixed landing gear, with a rear skid.

The Bulgarian Air Force ordered 14 PZL P.24Bs in 1937–1938. It later ordered 26 PZL P.24Fs, 22 of which were delivered from Poland in July 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II. The remaining four, lacking propellers, were bombed in the Okecie factory in September 1939 by the Germans.


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## Gnomey (Feb 3, 2011)

Good stuff!


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## gekho (Feb 4, 2011)

Once Germany was permitted, after 1922, to resume the manufacture of commercial aircraft, a door opened, through which an army of gifted aircraft designers rushed, creating aircraft that could, almost with the push of a button, convert from civilian/commercial use to military. One of the bright examples of that process was the Messerschmitt Bf 108 design, a record-breaking sports aircraft which would be used as the basis of the premiere German fighter plane of World War II, the Bf 109. Messerschmitt refined its design for the M 35 2-seat aerobatic plane into the M 37 (later re-designated the Bf 108) specifically for competition in the 4th Challenge de Tourisme Internationale of 1934. The M 37 prototype flew first in spring of 1934. Still a two-seat aircraft, it was powered by a 250hp Hirth HM 8U inverted-V piston engine, which drove a 3-blade propeller.

Although it did not win the competition, which favored lighter aircraft, the M 37's performance made it a popular choice for record flights. Soon after the first production aircraft began to roll off the assembly line in Augsburg, several Bf 108s had set new endurance records, one of which led to its "christening." German aviatrix Elly Beinhorn flew a Bf 108A, named "Taifun" (typhoon) from Berlin to Constantinople in one day, an accomplishment that led Messerschmitt to apply the name "Taifun" to all subsequent production models of the Bf 108. The 2-seat aircraft was impressive enough to promote the design's evolution into a four-seat touring aircraft that was also well-suited for military communication, liaison and ambulance roles. Other changes incorporated in the Bf 108B included the replacement of a tailskid with a tailwheel, and a different powerplant, the 240 hp Argus As 8C inverted-V piston engine, which drove a 2-blade propeller. Most of the 885 Bf 108 aircraft manufactured were of this version, which was built first by Messerschmitt and later by Societe Nationale de Constructions Aeronautiques du Nord, in France, during and after the war.

Several countries used the Bf 108. Switzerland and Yugoslavia bought 12 each and Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary each used six. Perhaps the most unusual user was the United States, which bought one for its Military Attache in Germany in spring of 1939, for just over $14,000. When the attache left the country in November of 1940, the Luftwaffe took possession of the plane. Some 885 were built before the war ended.


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## gekho (Feb 4, 2011)

Primary user of Potez 15s was the French Air Force, from late 1923. Main user became the Polish Air Force with 110 aircraft bought and 135 manufactured in Poland. In the Polish Air Force, they were used from late 1924. Their withdrawal from combat units started in 1927, then they were used for training until mid-1930s. 120 aircraft were sold to Romania, 12 to Spain, and eight to Denmark. Six Potez XVIIs were sold to Bulgaria (this version was specially made for Bulgaria).


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## gekho (Feb 4, 2011)

The Luftwaffe's first real warplane and used to form the the first staffel of the first Jagdgeschwader JG 132 (later renamed JG 2). The 65 was of metal, wood and fabric construction, typical of early 30's aircraft. Served as a fighter until replaced with more capable aircraft and finished it's service life as an advanced trainer until 1940. The Ar 65 was a rather mediocre aircraft but filled a void until the German aircraft industry rebuilt itself and newer types were available. Production of the fighter was discontinued in 1936. But the next year, 12 of them were presented to Germany's ally - the Royal Bulgarian Air Force. The final production total was 85 aircraft.


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## gekho (Feb 7, 2011)

In 30-th years Czechoslovak aircraft industry still could not offer modern type of bomber aircraft. That is why the interest focused on a licence production. At first it was Fokker F-IX from the Netherlands but in short time showed the need of more modern all-metal construction. The choise fell to French Marcel Bloch MB-200 which became the sole type of heavy bomber aircraft in Czechoslovak Air Force in the second half of 30-th years. The original prototype MB-200 BN-4 took off in June 1933. But already in this time it was obvious that it was obsolete construction. It was all-metal high-wing with fixed undercarriage, fuselage of rectangle crosscut was largely glazed on the nose. Defensive armament was placed in three gunner's turrets. The Aero factory obtained the licence rights for manufacturing the MB-200 in Czechoslovakia in the end of 1934 year. The first prototype was still ancestoral French, second prototype and first built in Czeschoslovakia took off only in January 1937. The delay was due to several factors - circuitous tests of the first prototype, throwing doubt on competetive Avia factory, changes in drawings from French side etc. There were built totally 73 machines Aero MB-200 in the period between January 1937 and April 1939. They were rather intensive used by Czechoslovak Air Force but it was already obvious that aircraft were fully obsolete. Their sale to a foreign country did not succeed so after March 1939 Luftwaffe captured them. Bulgaria purchased 12 ex-Czech MB.200s from Germany in 1939, using them as trainers


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## gekho (Feb 7, 2011)

The DAR 4 was a conventional biplane design, with unstaggered wings of unequal span braced with Warren trusses. The fuselage offered fully-enclosed accommodation for the two pilots and four passengers. A curious feature of the design was that the top wing was not attached directly to the top of the fuselage as is common in cabin biplanes, but was mounted above it with cabane struts. Power was provided by three radial engines; one in the nose, and one mounted on each lower wing where the struts met. Performance was disappointing, and in particular, the narrow track of the undercarriage created difficulties. After the single prototype, no further examples were built.


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## gekho (Feb 7, 2011)

The Storch was first flown in 1936. Using a fixed slat over the leading edge of the wing and slotted camber-changing flaps along the trailing edge, the Storch achieved incredible short take-off performance. In a light breeze the Storch could take off in just 200 feet (60 meters) and land in about 66 feet (20 meters). It had a crew of three, and with extensive windows surrounding the occupants, made an excellent observation and liaison aircraft. Production for the German armed forces began with the Fi 156A-1. The Fi 156C, which had the rear glazing raised to accommodate a machine gun for defense, soon replaced the A-1. Other variants included a tropical version with dust filters, an ambulance version carrying a single stretcher, and an enlarged version (Fi 256) with seating for five built in limited numbers in France between 1943 and 1944. Fieseler began building the Storch in Germany, but was soon forced to move production to Morane-Saulnier in France (as the M.S.500 Criquet) and Mraz in Czechoslovakia (as the K-65 Cap). This was done to make room for the BF 109 at the Fieseler plant.


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## gekho (Feb 7, 2011)

Focke-Wulf was founded in 1929, producing several commercially-unsuccessful designs and being virtually unknown outside Germany, even there its unpretentious products were frequently confused with those of Fokker. In 1931, the company was forcibly merged with the Albatros Flugzeugwerke and became Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau A. G. The Fw-44 Stieglitz (Goldfinch) was the company’s first commercially-successful design. It has long been inaccurately attributed to Kurt Tank as his first design for Focke-Wulf, but the aircraft was already in development when he joined the company, not to mention he was originally hired as a test pilot, not a design engineer; the actual designer was likely Heinrich Focke. Tank was responsible for all the detail development of the prototype into a production airplane. The Fw-44 was the second most-produced Focke-Wulf design after the Fw-190 series.


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## Lucky13 (Feb 7, 2011)

Keep 'em coming!


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## Gnomey (Feb 7, 2011)

Nice shots!


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## gekho (Feb 8, 2011)

In its nearly 100-year history the Bulgarian military aviation had at its disposal hundreds of. aircraft types. Some of them were single machines, others were supplied from abroad or manufactured in Bulgaria in hundreds of pieces. Some of them have flown only one or two years, but many remained in service for several decades. In the four wars from 1912 to 1945 in which Bulgaria has used its military aviation, more than 23 basic types of fighters, bombers, ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft have taken part in combat missions. But among then there is one aircraft, one fighter, that has unquestionably brought the greatest glory to the Bulgarian military aviation--this is undoubtedly the Messerschmitt Me 109. 

When the agreement of Salonika of 1938 put an end to the limitations on the Bulgarian aviation, imposed after the defeat in WWI by the peace treaty of Neuilly, the Bulgarian government took measures for strengthening the antiaircraft defense of the country. About 140 of the best young pilots of the Royal Military School and the Fighter Pilot School were sent to Germany for advanced training. There they took part in courses for fighter pilots and were trained on the then most modern Messerschmitt Bf 109D and Me 109E German fighters. Most of them returned home in the fall of 1940. 

In the first days of March 1940 a Bulgarian delegation led by Major General Russi Russev discussed with the representative of the Messerschmitt AG, Dr. Roderich Graf Thun, the delivery of ten Me 109E-3 fighters. It should be noted that in the publications in Bulgaria and Germany on the Me 109 it is alledged that these aircraft were of the E-4 version. The reason for this error is the fact, that the canopy of the delivered aircraft was that of the E-4 version. In the contract of April 4, and in the acceptance certificate the designation of the aircraft was simply Bf 109E. They were delivered with only two 7.92-mm MG 17 machine guns for the total price of 2,070,000 Reichsmarks. The two 20-mm MG FF cannons were paid for separately.


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## gekho (Feb 8, 2011)

The ten fighters were loaded onto railway cars in the Wiener Neustadt factory and arrived in Bulgaria in June 1940. They received in the Royal Bulgarian Air Force the code name Strela (Arrow). After their assembly in a hangar near the airfield Bozhuriste near Sofia under the direction of German factory mechanics, they were flight tested by the German test pilot Wacker and sent to the airfield Marno Pole near Karlovo. These airplanes could not be used adequately since they were not equipped with oxygen systems and, therefore, could not fly any higher than 5000 m (16,400 ft). Such systems and spare parts were delivered in the spring of the following year. 

A new contract for the delivery of nine overhauled used Me 109E-3 fighters with the E-4 canopy, for the total price of 1,355,520 Reichsmarks was signed in July 1941. These aircraft were designated in all documents as the Me 109E-3a. They arrived by rail in Karlovo on 23 August and were immediately assembled. After the invasion of German troops in the USSR in October 1941, Me 109s were sent to military airfields.


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## gekho (Feb 8, 2011)

The Heinkel HD 42 50, later designated the Heinkel He 42 was a German two-seat biplane seaplane originally designed for the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule, and later built for the German Luftwaffe. The aircraft was used up until the end of World War II as a trainer for maritime pilots.In 1929, Heinkel developed a biplane, the HD 42, for use with the covert military-training organization Deutsche Verkehrsfliegschule (DVS). Its fuselage was constructed out of a welded steel tube truss and had a rectangular cross-section with a rounded top. The engine covers were made out of light-weight metal, while the rest of the fuselage was covered in fabric. The aircraft was equipped with floats.

The HD 42 model received good feedback from the Swedish Navy, who had purchased the aircraft, as well as from the famous pilot Gunther Plüschow (who was the first airman to fly over the Patagonian mountains of Chile and Argentina at Tierra del Fuego). The prototype was equipped with a BMW Va engine, but the later versions came with a Junkers L5G engine. Ten aircraft had been manufactured by 1932, when a new version, the He 42C was rolled out. Series production began with the He 42D model (14 manufactured) which were intended for the German Air Force, which at the time was illegal. A further 189 He 42Es were built in 1934 and these aircraft were used by various flying schools until the end of World War II


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## gekho (Feb 9, 2011)

Bulgaria received 12 R-series machines in 1942, followed by 32 Ju-87D-5s in 1943. They were used in fighting partisans and may have seen some action against the Germans after the surrender of Bulgaria in September 1944. The Slovak satellite state received a few D-series machines, but it is unclear if they ever saw combat. The Croat satellite state received 15 Ju-87D-5s and some R-series machines, with a few of these aircraft possibly used against the Red Army in the summer of 1944, before most of the Croat forces deserted. A number of Stukas fell into Allied hands, particularly in North Africa, and were evaluated to assess the type's strengths and weaknesses. Combat losses of Stukas to the Soviets were high. For example, of the 21 Doras delivered to 4./StG 77, 15 aircraft and 6 crews were lost between 1 August – 22 October 1943, after which the group was withdrawn from frontline service. While active on the frontline the group flew more than 1,200 sorties, dropped 810,000 kg of bombs, and rear gunners claimed two La-5 and one P-39 shot down.


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## gekho (Feb 9, 2011)

By 1932, the German airline, Lufthansa, had sufficiently recovered from the economic woes of the 1920’s to put in service a three-engine civil transport plane, the Junkers Ju 52/3m. Based on a short-lived single engine model, the Ju 52 first flew in April 1931 and quickly became the workhorse of both the airline and the reviving Luftwaffe, with a standard passenger-carrying load of 17. During the Spanish Civil War, the Ju 52 ferried more than 10,000 Moorish troops from Morocco to Spain, as well as dropping 6000 tons of bombs. With three BMW engines of 725 horsepower each, the Ju 52 had a maximum speed of 171 mph and a range of 800 miles. For air defense and tactical ground support the bomber carried two 7.92 machineguns and could be fitted with a variety of bomb racks as the need arose; the plane's trademark corrugated skin produced a very solid airframe. 

By the beginning of World War Two over 1,000 Ju 52’s were in service; eventually a total of 5,000 planes would fly the Nazi colors performing every imaginable mission from troop transport to mine-laying on all fronts. During the war some thirteen ‘variations on a theme’ saw improved radios, interchangeable float/ski/wheel landing gear (indicating the wide range of Luftwaffe requirements), better armor and engines, and heavier defensive armament.


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## gekho (Feb 9, 2011)

Designed by Carlo Caligaris of Kaproni Bulgarski at Kazanlak, the KB-11 Fazan /Pheasant/ entered production ror the Vozdushni Vojski /Air Forces/ in 1942. Powered by Polish built Bristol Pegasus XX engine acquired from Germany, the KB-11 was servicing with the 1st Razuznavatelen Polk until the end of WWII. As part of the post WWII reparations to Yugoslavia, Bulgaria transferred 15 KB- 11s which were subsequently used for liaison and target-towing tasks until 1958.


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## Crimea_River (Feb 9, 2011)

Great work here. Thanks for posting!


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## Gnomey (Feb 9, 2011)

Good stuff!


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## AARP Hurricane (Feb 18, 2011)

A miscellany of German types in Bulgarian service


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## AARP Hurricane (Feb 18, 2011)

The very beautiful Avia B-35


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## AARP Hurricane (Feb 18, 2011)

A selection of Bf 109Es including Stoyanov the ace


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## AARP Hurricane (Feb 18, 2011)

DB605's for the Bulgars


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## Gnomey (Feb 18, 2011)

Good stuff!


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## Lucky13 (Feb 21, 2011)

Agree!


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## magnu (Feb 21, 2011)

Some interesting looking camouflage paint jobs on the Emils and Gustavs.


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## Theodor (Apr 29, 2011)

Very well presented history! Just please mention the source for a good part of these photos, the lostbulgaria.com website. That site provides great photos, result of old photo searching, image processing, history research work. All available completely for free /for non-profit use, like on this site/, with the single requirement for the source to be mentioned. Saying all this not as a critic, of course.

BTW here you can see the whole picture archive on the Aviation theme /and yes, a large part of these are from my own collection  /

Category Aviation: Ð°Ð²Ð¸Ð°Ñ†Ð¸Ñ | Ð˜Ð·Ð³ÑƒÐ±ÐµÐ½Ð°Ñ‚Ð° Ð‘ÑŠÐ»Ð³Ð°Ñ€Ð¸Ñ


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## gekho (Apr 30, 2011)

Theodor said:


> Very well presented history! Just please mention the source for a good part of these photos, the lostbulgaria.com website. That site provides great photos, result of old photo searching, image processing, history research work. All available completely for free /for non-profit use, like on this site/, with the single requirement for the source to be mentioned. Saying all this not as a critic, of course.



Thank you very much for the pictures. The site is great. Do you mind if I post some of those pictures here, in this thread?

Just one more thing; I am not an expert in WWI and I see your aircrafts are wearing german marking. Is that correct or those are not bulgarian fighters?


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## Theodor (May 13, 2011)

Hi! The pictures from the site are free to be posted in free forums, like that one, just the source must be mentioned. As for the Bulgarian aircraft, in WW1 these used the German markings. probably the aircraft were delivered with those, so sometimes it is confusing who is who.


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## gekho (Jul 17, 2011)

In the mid 1930s, Bulgaria was still groaning under the restrictions of the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine (dealing with Bulgaria for its role as one of the Central Powers in World War I) that was signed on the 27th of November 1919 at Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Among severe border adjustments this treaty had also called for the aviation element of the Bulgarian Army to be disbanded and its equipment destroyed, furthermore Bulgaria was prohibited to possess any military aviation in any form for the next 20 years. In 1934 Czar Boris established a royal dictatorship and was displaying an increasingly belligerent stance. He more or less openly renounced the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Neuilly, and among other countries turned to Germany for assistance in obtaining equipment for the first phase of the expansion of his military air component. The Bulgarians were nothing if not pragmatic; Germany offered the best credit terms and also training facilities for Bulgarian air and ground crews within the fledgling Luftwaffe. And so, during the course of 1936, the Vozdushni Voiski was recipient of a dozen each of the HeinkeI He 45 reconnaissance- bomber and He 51 single-seat fighter. It also received six each of the He 72 Kadett, Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz and Fw 56 Stösser trainers. And in the next year, 12 ex-Luftwaffe Arado Ar 65 fighters and 12 Dornier Do 11D bombers intended primarily for the operational training task were presented to Czar Boris as a gift of the Third Reich. 

The He 45s started their career in the 3rd Razuznavatelen Orliak (Reconnaissance Wing), Razuznavatelen Yato (Reconnaissance Squadron) where they were replaced when, in 1939, sufficient Czech Letov S-328s became available. The remaining 11 He 45s ended their career in the Instruktorskiego Orliak (Training Wing), Troop Yato (Squadron). 

Source: AERONET GCE / IBERONET: La vida útil de los Heinkel He 45s – un resumen pictórico parte 1


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## Wayne Little (Jul 18, 2011)

Nice!


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## vikingBerserker (Jul 18, 2011)

I agree, and I love the roundals.


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## gekho (Nov 12, 2011)

The Arado Ar 96 was the Luftwaffe's standard advanced trainer, and was a two-seat low-wing all-metal monoplane that first flew in 1938. It was designed to fill the gap between the biplanes used for basic training and the advanced monoplane fighters just entering service, in particular the Bf 109. The Ar 96 was designed by Watler Blume and was a clean low-wing monoplane off all-metal construction, using many light alloys. The instructor and pupil sat in tandem seats under a long glazed canopy. On the V1 prototype the wheels retracted outwards, but this meant that the gap between the wheels was quite small, and so on all production aircraft the wheels retracted inwards. The V1 was powered by an Argus As 10C inline engine and had the typical Arado tail, with the horizontal surfaces at the very rear and a tall fin and rudder just in front of them. The V1 prototype underwent some trials at Rechlin during 1937, although it made its maiden flight in 1937. V3 and V4 were also at Rechlin in 1938, while V6 remained there until September 1940. A small batch of A-0 aircraft was produced during 1939, but these were felt to be under-powered. The main production version as the B-series, which used the more powerful Argus As 410A-1 inverted inline engine, and had a longer fuselage which allowed more fuel to be stored. A total of 11,546 aircraft were produced, although very few were built by Arado. Junkers' Ago subsidiary did most of the work until 1941, before being replaced by the Czech firm Avia. The Letov factory in Prague also began production of the Ar 97 in 1944.

The Arado Ar 96B was used by the A/B pilot training schools, and also by thirteen fighter training wings, the fighter replacement units and the officer cadet schools. 110 were used by the Royal Hungarian Air Force and four in Slovakia. The most dramatic moment in the aircraft's service career came on 28 April 1945 when Hanna Reitsch used an Ar 96 to fly Ritter von Greim, the new Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe out of the ruins of Berlin. An improved Ar 296 was planned but abandoned, while the Ar 396, which used fewer strategic materials, didn't arrive in time to serve with the Luftwaffe.

Source: Arado Ar 96


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## gekho (Nov 12, 2011)

By the beginning of the 1930s, Germany was starting to show its discontent with the Treaty of Versailles which did not permit either powered flight or military development. Thousands of pilots had been trained in the Hitler Youth Glider Clubs, those that would become the top scoring pilots of all times, such as the highest scoring fighter pilot in history, Erich ‘Bubi’ Hartman. A powered airplane was needed for them to keep progressing. Here is where the story of the 'Jungmann' began. To avoid an obvious violation of the Treaty, Germany invested in over-seas companies, such as SAAB, a Swedish subsidiary of the Heinkel company, then managed by Carl Clemens Bücker. Once it was obvious this plan wasn´t working out, Germany started acting more openly and moved the manufacture of aircraft back to Germany. Bücker moved back to his native country and brought Anders Andersson, a Swedish engineer at SAAB, with him.

Rather than working again for Heinkel, and foreseeing what was about to take place in Germany, Bücker decided to start his own company, ‘Bücker Flugzeugbau GmbH’ . Within six months of the requirements for a new powered trainer being issued, Anders Andersson had the prototype Bü 131A ‘Jungmann’, registered D-3150 and powered by a 80HP Hirth HM-60R, ready for its test flight. A light aerobatic biplane, with two seats in tandem, its construction incorporated the most innovative techniques. It was April the 27th 1934, and Joachim Von Köpen was at the stick. That requirement came from the Deutscher Luftsport Verband, DLV (German Association for the Aerial Sport), a civilian organization, for which Hermann Göring was ultimately responsible. Certain aspects of the program were delegated to some very capable leaders, such as Erhard Milch (Erhard Milch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), who established the national priorities at a time when the Luftwaffe was still existing as a clandestine organization. That “civilian” DLV was the first school for most of the early German Aces of WWII, and the Bü 131 ‘Jungmann’ was their mount! The requirement was for a cheap to operate trainer airplane, hence the decision to initially install a 80HP engine. Its manufacture had to be easy, simple, cheap; the aircraft fast, light, strong... Bücker´s answer was the Bü 131 'Jungmann'. A really advanced, light and completely new design, docile and easy to fly for the new pilot, the 'Jungmann' was also sturdy to tolerate his mistreatment, relatively simple to mass produce, thanks to details such as interchangeable upper and lower wing with constant chord; yet aerobatic and agile thanks to its four ailerons, with a 12G limit and responding to any request from the pilot smoothly and effortlessly, being able to go through all the aerobatic maneuvers of the time. By the end of the year, the demands of the DLV were so great that Bücker moved his factory to Rangsdorf, on the outskirts of Berlin. Out of its "secret" existence by 1936, the Luftwaffe adopted the airplane officially as its basic primary trainer. The Bü 131B was born with a more powerful engine, the 105 to 110HP Hirth HM-504, a decisive factor that increased its already excellent performances. That was also to be the export version. Appreciating its capabilities, orders were placed by different international governments whose orders were initially filled. Soon the orders began to eclipse the capabilities of the factory, so licenses were granted, first to Switzerland, then Czechoslovakia, Japan, Hungary and Spain.

Source: Bücker Bü 131 'Jungmann' - V Aviation


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## vikingBerserker (Nov 12, 2011)

Excellent


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## nuuumannn (Nov 12, 2011)

gekho said:


> The Heinkel He 51 was a German single-seat biplane which was produced in a number of different versions. It was initially developed as a fighter, and a seaplane variant and a ground-attack version were also developed. It was a development of the earlier He 49. At least 12 of these fighters were acquired by Bulgaria.



Terrific range of different types, gekho and Jarda; the top shot shows an Fw 56 Stoesser (Goshawk) at the front of the row of He 51s.


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## Gnomey (Nov 12, 2011)

Good stuff!


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## Wayne Little (Nov 13, 2011)

keep 'em coming...


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## CATCH 22 (Jan 10, 2014)

Under # 58 - the last 3 photos are of Hungarian Ar-96 - only the first one is Bulgarian.
Under # 46 - the designation of the Bulgarian Avias is B-135. They differ in some details from the standard B-35 (e.g. have retractable landing gear).


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## le_steph40 (Feb 25, 2017)

Hello,
A little question on this thread to know the color of the numbers on the Bulgarian Bf 109G-6.
One of my projects is a Bf 109G-6 very often depicted as "green 1" flown by Stoyan Stoyanov during Spring or Summer 1944.
This one:






But I read somewhere that the the color of the flights were: 1st flight has White serial numbers, 2nd flight - Green, 3rd flight - Red and Staff flight - Yellow.
Stoyan Stoyanov was a member of 3.6 Orlyak, so the number should be "red 1". Like this illustration:





Does anyone can confirm or not the color of the flights in Bulgarian Air Force during WW2 please ? TIA 
Steph


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## CATCH 22 (Mar 19, 2017)

le_steph40 said:


> But I read somewhere that the the color of the flights were: 1st flight has White serial numbers, 2nd flight - Green, 3rd flight - Red and Staff flight - Yellow.
> Stoyan Stoyanov was a member of 3.6 Orlyak, so the number should be "red 1". Like this illustration:
> View attachment 366652
> 
> ...


Hi Steph!
The organization of the Royal Bulgarian Air Force was quite similar to this of the Luftwaffe. The formations were called Yato (Staffel), Orliak (Gruppe) and Polk=Regiment (Geschwader). All fighters belonged to the 6-th Regiment. This is the reason why the orliaks (groups) have numbers 1/6, 2/6 and 3/6. Every Orliak (group) had 3 Yatos (squadrons). The a/c numbers in the 3 squadrons were in different colours: white (1-st), green (2-nd) and red (3-rd). The Staff flight (usually 4 planes) had yellow numbers. And all those were not serial numbers but "in squadron" numbers.
Stoyan Stoyanov was squadron leader of 2-nd yato (squadron) of 3-rd orliak (group). He had a green number.

BTW the photo you posted above shows "green 1" but the pilot is not Stoyanov, but his successor squadron leader Petar Manolev.
Below is the "green 1" of Stoyanov, summer 1944:




As you see the markings are different - Stoyanov's has no fuselage band and the wing tips are yellow (lower surfaces only). Manolev's has white fuselage band and white wing tips, top and bottom. His photo is from September 1944 when Bulgaria already changed sides and fought against Germany. At that time all yellow bands and recognition markings were changed to white.
The painting you posted above hypothetically shows a "red 1" from the 3-rd Yato (squadron) of the 3-rd Orliak (group).

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## Gnomey (Mar 24, 2017)

Nice shots!


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## Old Wizard (Mar 24, 2017)




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