Beneš-Mráz Be-51 Beta-Minor

The Beneš‑Mráz Be‑51 Beta‑Minor is a small Czechoslovak monoplane designed in the late 1930s by aircraft builder Pavel Beneš and his partner František Mráz. Intended as a low‑cost sport and primary‑training aircraft, the Beta‑Minor first flew in 1937 and quickly entered the fleets of civilian flying clubs across the country. Its simple, all‑wooden airframe featured a cantilever low‑wing, fixed tailskid landing gear and an enclosed cockpit that could accommodate two seats in tandem. Power was supplied by a modest 80 hp Walter Minor four‑cylinder engine, which gave the plane a cruising speed of about 150 km/h and excellent low‑speed handling—attributes that made it popular with novice pilots. Only a few dozen were built before the outbreak of World II halted production, and most were seized or destroyed during the German occupation. Despite its brief production run, the Be‑51 demonstrated the practicality of inexpensive, easy‑to‑maintain trainers and influenced post‑war Czechoslovak designs such as the Zlín series. Today the Beta‑Minor remains a symbol of pre‑war Czechoslovak ingenuity and the early efforts to democratize flying for a broader public. A handful of restored airframes survive in Czech aviation museums, where they are displayed as examples of interwar craftsmanship and continue to inspire enthusiasts.

Pavel Beneš

Beneš-Mráz Be-51 Beta-Minor

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