The ANBO IV was a reconnaissance aircraft used by the Lithuanian Air Force in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, designed by Lithuanian aircraft designer

Antanas Gustaitis Antanas Gustaitis (March 26, 1898 – October 16, 1941) was an officer in the Lithuanian Armed Forces who modernized the Lithuanian Air Force, which at that time was part of the Lithuanian Army. He was the architect or aeronautical engineer who ...

. The Lithuanian ANBO 41 was far ahead of the most modern foreign reconnaissance aircraft of that time in structural features, and most importantly in speed and in rise time. All ANBO 41 aircraft were likely destroyed during World War II.

Development

The ANBO IV was developed from the

ANBO III The ANBO III was a parasol-wing monoplane training and utility aircraft designed for the Lithuanian Army in 1929. It became the first aircraft of Lithuanian design to be built in series, with two batches of four aircraft produced in 1930 and 193 ...

trainer. The design was supervised by Colonel

. The first flight took place on 14 July 1932, the prototype being powered by a Wasp engine. After successful trials, series production began. Thirteen series-built aircraft were powered by British Bristol Pegasus engines and were manufactured by Lithuanian Aircraft State Factory. It could be armed with two pairs of light machine guns and could carry 200 kg of bombs.

Operational history

ANBO IVs were introduced into Lithuanian Air Force in 1934 and shortly before that a few aircraft made demonstration flights in a few European countries:

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Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

and most

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. Between 25 June and 29 July 1934, three aircraft commanded by colonel Gustaitis flew route. ANBO IV and ANBO 41 aircraft equipped one and two reconnaissance squadrons respectively in Lithuanian Air Force, at the time of the

Soviet occupation of the Baltic states The Soviet occupation of the Baltic states covers the period from the Soviet–Baltic mutual assistance pacts in 1939, to their invasion and annexation in 1940, to the mass deportations of 1941. In September and October 1939 the Soviet governme ...

in the summer of 1940.
photo exists
showing that at least one Anbo IV or Anbo 41 survived this period and was operated by the

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

during the

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occupation.

Variants

;ANBO IV :Designation of prototype and 13 serial-built aircraft used for night and day reconnaissance. ;ANBO 41 :Second production version with more powerful engine and three-blade wooden propeller. It was then the only aircraft in Europe to employ a wooden three-blade propeller. Anbo41.jpg, ANBO-41 No.671 of the first serial production in Kaunas (1937) Anbo4.jpg, ANBO-IVM of the second series (1935) Anbo4-2.jpg, ANVO IV in an aerodrome Romuladas Marcinkus reporting.jpg, Three ANBO-41s Anbo_41-I.jpg, ANBO 41 replica as found at Kaunas Aerodrome

Operators

; * Lithuanian Air Force ; *

Soviet Air Force The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...

incorporated Lithuanian units with equipment and personnel. ; *

used at least one Anbo 41 captured from the

for training and liaison purposes in 1941–1942.

Specifications (ANBO 41)

References

*
Lithuanian Aviation Museum

External links

{{ANBO aircraft 1930s Lithuanian military reconnaissance aircraft 4 Parasol-wing aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1932