Letov Š-5

The Letov Š‑5 was a Czechoslovakian single‑engine biplane developed in the early 1920s by the aircraft factory Letov Kbely. Designed as an evolution of the earlier Š‑4 trainer, the Š‑5 incorporated a more powerful 120 hp Walter NZ‑120 radial engine, a reinforced wooden wing structure and improved control surfaces that gave it a higher top speed of about 170 km/h (106 mph). Its two‑seat, open‑cabin layout was intended for advanced pilot instruction and light reconnaissance duties, and the aircraft featured a staggered wing arrangement with N‑type interplane struts, a fixed tailskid undercarriage, and a simple fuel system that allowed a range of roughly 500 km.

Only a small series—approximately twelve airframes—were built before the type was superseded by more modern monoplanes such as the Letov Š‑20. Nevertheless, the Š‑5 played a pivotal role in the post‑World‑War I rebuilding of the Czechoslovak Air Force, providing a reliable platform for training the generation of pilots who later flew in the defensive campaigns of the 1930s. Its modest innovations in engine power and structural durability contributed to the rapid maturation of interwar Czech aircraft design. Today few examples survive, but the Š‑5 remains a representative example of early interwar Czech engineering and training philosophy.

Letov Kbely

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