Letov Š-13

The Letov Š‑13 was a Czechoslovak single‑engine fighter developed in the late 1920s by the aircraft company Letov Kbely. Designed by Alois Šmolik as a successor to the earlier Š‑12, the Š‑13 first flew in spring 1928 and entered limited evaluation by the Czechoslovak Air Force the following year. The aircraft featured a low‑wing monoplane layout with an all‑metal fuselage covered by fabric, and was powered by a 450 hp Walter Vega radial engine that gave it a top speed of about 290 km/h (180 mph). Its armament consisted of two synchronized 7.92 mm vz. 12 machine guns mounted in the forward fuselage. Although its handling was praised for agility and stability, the Š‑13 suffered from inadequate climb performance and production difficulties, leading the military to favor the more powerful Avia B‑34. Only a handful of prototypes were built. Despite its limited service, the Letov Š‑13 contributed valuable aerodynamic and structural data that informed later Letov designs such as the Š‑20 and Š‑30, marking an important step in the evolution of Czechoslovak fighter development during the interwar period. Today, the Š‑13 is remembered by historians as an illustrative example of Czechoslovakia’s ambition to achieve indigenous high‑performance aircraft in an era dominated by foreign designs.

Letov Kbely

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Design & Classification