Avia B-46

The Avia B‑46, conceived by Czech designer František Novotný in the early 1940s, was a bold attempt to create a high‑performance twin‑engine transport aircraft for both civil and military use. Development began in 1941 at the Avia works in Prague, leveraging experience gained from earlier biplanes and the successful Avia B‑34 bomber. The prototype, powered by two 1 200 hp Walter Mikron V‑12 engines, first flew on 12 July 1943 and demonstrated a maximum speed of 420 km/h, a service ceiling of 7 500 m, and a payload capacity of 1 800 kg. Its all‑metal stressed‑skin construction, low‑wing monoplane layout, retractable landing gear and fully enclosed cockpit were advanced for its era, while the split‑flap system provided short‑field capability. Although the B‑46 showed excellent handling and reliability, the outbreak of World War II and post‑war Soviet dominance over Czechoslovak industry halted further production. Only two prototypes were completed, but the aircraft influenced later Avia designs such as the B‑71 and contributed valuable data on twin‑engine aerodynamics, establishing Novotný’s reputation as an innovative aeronautical engineer. Today the surviving B‑46 fuselage is displayed at the National Technical Museum in Prague, reminding visitors of a daring Czechoslovak engineering vision that briefly touched the skies.

František Novotný

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Design & Classification