Avia 534 in Czech Service
Developed from the Avia B-34, the Avia B-534 was a single-seat biplane fighter designed for the Czechoslovak Air Force. First flying o 25 May 1933, it entered service in 1935 with production continuing until 1939. A total of 538 were built serving several air forces during the Second World War.
On 14 March 1939, Germany forced the partition of Czechoslovakia, with Slovakia being declared as the nominally independent Slovak Republic with Germany annexing the remaining “Czech” part of Czechoslovakia as the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia the next day. . At tis time, 328 B-534s and Bk-534s equipped 21 fighter squadrons of the Czechoslovak Air Force. The abrupt nature of the partitioning meant that no B-534s took part in combat with Czechoslovakia.
Most of the Czech Avia B-534s were pressed into service with Germany, mainly as fighter-trainers.
B-534/1: First prototype.
B-534/2: Second prototype.
B-534-I: First production version. (cn’s 2 – 101)
B-534-II: (cn’s 102 – 147)
B-534-III: (cn’s 148 – 173)
B-534-IV: Closed canopy (cn’s 174 – 445)
Bk-534: Cannon version (cn’s 501 – 620)
Detailed Photos
Ski Trials
