The Aero Ae 50 was a prototype propeller-driven military

reconnaissance aircraft A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as ...

built in

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

. Designed with the

artillery spotting An artillery observer, artillery spotter or forward observer (FO) is responsible for directing artillery and mortar fire onto a target. It may be a ''forward air controller'' (FAC) for close air support (CAS) and spotter for naval gunfire sup ...

role in mind, the Ae 50 was a high-wing monoplane of unusual design, with a fuselage that terminated abruptly immediately aft of the crew cabin, leaving the tailplane to be mounted on a single boom attached to the wing. The tailwheel was mounted at the rear of the fuselage. This arrangement had been intended to maximise the observer's field of view. Another unusual feature was that it incorporated a towing point to allow it to be towed by another, longer-range aircraft to enable it to be transported to a combat zone outside of its own range without having to stop and refuel. First flown on 14 April 1949, it was evaluated against the Praga E-55 for a defence ministry contract. The Ae 50 was found to have a range of flaws, including directional stability and the operation of the leading-edge slots. These problems were overcome, but the problem of the aircraft being somewhat overweight proved insoluble, and

Aero Aero is a Greek prefix relating to flight and air. In British English, it is used as an adjective related to flight (e.g., as a shortened substitute for aeroplane). Aero, Ærø, or Aeros may refer to: Aeronautics Airlines and companies * Aero (P ...

abandoned development of the aircraft.

Specifications (Ae 50)

References

{{Aero Vodochody aircraft 1940s Czechoslovakian military reconnaissance aircraft High-wing aircraft Aero Vodochody aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1949

Specifications (Ae 50)

See also

References