Avia BH-9
# Avia BH-9

The Avia BH-9 was a twin-seat sports plane built in Czechoslovakia in 1923, based on the BH-5. As with other developments in the BH-1 lineage, the BH-9 was a low-wing braced monoplane that accommodated the pilot and passenger in tandem, open cockpits. The BH-9's structure was strengthened to allow the use of a higher-power engine than in its predecessors, and for the first time, this was a domestically-produced powerplant. Although built as a twin-seat aircraft at least one (registration L-BONF - see picture) was converted to a single-seater.

The Czechoslovakian Army showed interest in it as a trainer and liaison aircraft, and ordered ten examples under the designation B.9.

A B.9 won the 1925 Coppa d'Italia air race, and the following year, one was flown on a 1,800 km (1,100 mi) circuit Prague-Paris-Prague with an average speed of 131.2 km/h (82 mph).

## Specifications

General characteristics

* Crew: one pilot
* Capacity: one passenger
* Length: 6.64 m (21 ft 10 in)
* Wingspan: 9.72 m (31 ft 11 in)
* Height: 2.53 m (8 ft 3 in)
* Wing area: 13.6 $m^2$ (146 sq ft)
* Empty weight: 345 kg (761 lb)
* Gross weight: 550 kg (1,213 lb)
* Powerplant: 1 × Walter NZ 60 radial , 45 kW (60 hp)

Performance

* Maximum speed: 158 km/h (98 mph, 85 kn)
* Range: 470 km (290 mi, 250 nmi)
* Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,800 ft)
