Aero C 104

In 1935, company Tatra purchased a licence for the production of Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann aircraft, and managed to produce 35 of them, including licensed Hirth engines, before the German occupation of Czechoslovakia. The Germans decided to stop production at Tatra and continue it at the Aero factory for the Luftwaffe. After the end of the war, production continued there for the Czechoslovak Air Force. In 1946, a Czechoslovakian Walter Minor 4-III engine of 77 kW (105 hp) was installed in the C-4 airframe. This version was designated the Aero C-104. 260 of these machines were produced. Both types, the C 4 and especially the C 104, were first used by the Czechoslovak military air force for basic and continuing pilot training and were gradually transferred to Aero clubs.

The C 104, serial number 237, was manufactured in 1947 at the Aero factory in Prague Vysočany. It was subsequently taken over by the Ministry of Defence. After the end of service within the Czechoslovak Military Air Force, it was handed over in 1954 for further use to the Aeroclub Ústí nad Labem, where it flew with the matriculation OK – AXT, here it flew until 6.8.1965 when it was handed over to the Aeroclub Raná from where it was handed over on 29.4.1968 to the emerging collections of the Aviation Museum Kbely. It was not displayed in the exhibition but ended up in the depository. From there it was loaned to the Czechoslovak national aerobatics team in Moravská Třebová on 16.1.1985 where it was put back into flying condition. It was re-flown on 25.5.1986 with OK – RXE matriculation. The last flight with the aircraft in the 1986 livery was made on April 1, 2021 by the crew of Michal Bajzík and Milan Mikulecký. The aircraft ended up with a total flight time of 630 hours and 56 minutes. With a total of 1473 take-offs.

The owner of the aircraft is still the Military Historical Institute Prague and the new operator under contract is the family foundation TMFC. The latter also paid for, and secured, a complete overhaul of the aircraft. During the work, all canvas coverings were removed, wooden parts were repaired, metal parts were defectoscopically checked and all paint was removed. In memory of one of the academicians, later Major Jan Srb, we chose as a model for the new colouring of the aircraft an aircraft that was operated at the Air Military Academy in Hradec Kralove for training new pilots – officers.

It was according to the preserved scrap of canvas from Aero C 104, serial number 24, that we determined the colour of the aircraft as RLM 02 (wartime stocks of German colours were used by the Aero factory until 1948) and the Czechoslovak colours Avion 1810, 2323 and 4550 for the insignia and tactical markings, according to the contemporary colour chart produced by TEBAS.

After the completion of all the work and a successful flight on 18.5.2023 by Přemysl Vávra. The aircraft is now based at the Prague Točná airport, where other historical TMFC aircraft fly from.

Technical data

Engine: Walter Minor 4-III
Power: 77 kW (105 HP)
Wingspan: 7,4 m
Length: 6,76 m
Empty weight: 390 kg
Take-off weight: 680 kg
Maximum speed: 185 kph
Service ceiling: 4300 m
Range: 650 km

You can follow the progress of work on our Aero C 104 here.