Avia Bk-534

Description of this plane you may read at Avia B-534's page.

Avia Bk-534 (black 15) used by Luftwaffe for training purposes. (P. Petrick via J. Zazvonil)

Avia Bk-534 (white outlined 44) used by Luftwaffe for training purposes. Unit unknown.
Note the shape of headrest and the windshield vents. (P. Petrick's collection via J. Zazvonil)

Aircraft Carrier Trials

Three machines Avia Bk-534 were modified for service on the German aircraft carrier "Graf Zeppelin", a vessel, which ultimately was never completed. The aircraft were given spools for catapult launching, a folding hook for arrested and thus equipped they were tested in 1940 to 1941 period. The airframe structure was not designed to withstand the concentrated loads of arrestal landings, the A-frame hook got pulled out from the fuselage on several occasions and the carrier-borne
career of the Bk-534 fighter ended even before the German aircraft carrier project was abandoned.

This one Bk-534 was used for carrier-capability tests. The shot depicts the actual snatching
of the arrester hook in the wires. Note civil registration D-IUIG. (J. Janecka's collection)

Details of the arrester hook on Bk-534.

Page prepared by Peter 'Mikolaj' Mikolajski. All photos were scanned from book "Avia B-534" published by MBI Publishing House. All rights reserved. Some photos were partially retouched in less important areas by author of this page. None of planes were retouched.