052: Avia B.534.81, I. series
HM0052

Avia B.534 is probably the most iconic Czechoslovak prewar fighter. It represented the culmination of the biplane fighter design in Czechoslovakia, designed and built by the premier fighter aircraft supplier to its air force, the Avia company. Entering service in 1935, it was hopelessly outclassed by the start of WWII. B.534 is credited with the last confirmed biplane kill, when a Slovak insurgent machine shot down a Hungarian Ju 52.

During its production run, the B.534 was supplied is four variants: these were later classified as I, II, III, and IV series. Subject of this project is the I. series aircraft. Initially, B.534 were supplied with four 7.92mm machine guns: two mounted in the fuselage, and two in pods on top of the lower wing. The guns mounted in the wing quickly proved problematic, and were soon removed from all front-line machines. I chose to represent the machine serving in 1936 with the 1st Air Regiment, 44th Squadron (pilot captain J. Pernikar), serial number 81.