5 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. BH-21 Malkovsky: Martin Čížek· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2. Avia BH-21 3 vues: Serge Desmet· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 3. Avia BH-21 left side photo NACA Aircraft Circular No.22: NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS· Public domain
- 4. Avia BH-21 right front photo NACA Aircraft Circular No.22: NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS· Public domain
- 5. Avia BH-21J s motorem Jupiter IV: neznámý (unknown)· Public domain
what is it?
The Avia BH-21 was a fighter biplane designed and produced by the Czechoslovak aircraft manufacturer Avia. First flown in January 1925, it served an important role in securing Czechoslovak national security during the Interwar period. It originated as the Avia BH-17 during the early 1920s, which was redesigned in response to feedback from an official evaluation of the aircraft as a fighter.
How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · biplane · 8.9 m wingspan
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 101 years ago, in 1925.
- Top speed is 1.9× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1925-01
- number built
- 166
- role
- fighter
- origin
- 🇨🇿 Czechoslovakia
- makers
- Avia
- engines
- 1× Hispano-Suiza 8Fb / Avia 8Fb
- length
- 6.9 m
- wingspan
- 8.9 m
- height
- 2.7 m
- max take-off weight
- 1,075 kg
- top speed
- 245 km/h
- range
- 600 km
- ceiling
- 8,500 m
- wings
- biplane
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q790747, Wikipedia: Avia BH-21 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.