Praga BH-111

The Praga BH‑111 was a Czechoslovak single‑engine, low‑wing monoplane produced by the Praga factory in the early 1930s. Designed by Pavel Beneš and Miroslav Hajn, the aircraft first flew in 1931 as an evolution of the earlier BH‑50 sports type, aiming to combine competitive performance with reliability for touring and light‑sport use. Powered by a 105 hp Walter Vega radial engine, the BH‑111 featured an all‑metal fuselage with wooden wings covered in fabric, a fixed tailwheel undercarriage, and side‑by‑side seating for two pilots. Its sleek aerodynamic lines, fairly low wing loading and a relatively high top speed of about 210 km/h made it popular in national air races and record‑attempt flights, where several pilots set distance and speed marks in the mid‑1930s. Although only a small batch of around 15 units was built before production ceased in 1935, the BH‑111 demonstrated the technical proficiency of the Praga works and contributed to the development of Czechoslovak civil aviation. The aircraft is remembered today as a symbol of interwar innovation, illustrating how a modest industrial firm could produce a competitive, well‑crafted sport plane that influenced later designs such as the Praga E‑114.