Romanian Letov S-328

[tetonb]

Hi all,

I´am looking for pictures and informations about Letov S-328 in Romanian service.I only read that one plane was interned in Romania on 15 or 16 March 1939,it was the last flight of Czechoslovakian Air Force before WWII.It flew from Uzgorod or Mukachevo and has landed on some Romanian Army Training field.So if there are some photos or informations about its service in Romanian Air Force,I´ll be very pleased

Thanks Tom

[George]

Hi!
This is what I have:
In March 1939,Lt.Vaclav Polka landed at Sighet city with an S-328.The aircraft was put in service in school units till end 1942 when it was terminated,may be due to lack of spare parts.It received inmatriculation No.1.About the pilot,nothing,may be he left Romania for another country.

[Dénes]

The two crewmembers were: Npor. let. (1st Lt.) Václav Pálka and Des. asp. (Cadet Serg.) Jirí Mikulecky.

They were en-route from Spisská Nová Ves (in Hungarian Igló, in German Zipser Neudorf), to Slatinské Doly (Alsószalatna), in the Subcarpathian Region, when they got lost and landed in Rumanian territory.

The Slovak Government asked the airplane to be returned, but apparently it never happened.
It's interesting that the dossier relating to this case was closed by the Slovak Air Force HQ in March 1940, with the note: "case solved"... :?:

[Bernard Miclescu]

Interesting subject, please where can I found some pictures of the Letov airplane? I don't know how it look like.

many thanks.
BM

[The_Burning_Zero]

Hi, I once buult a model of the letov s328, I converted it to a float plane. The model won me a couple of golds. It is hard to describe how it looked, so I recomend you go to google.com, or yahoo.com, and check the image search they have. I can give you some stats for the aircraft if you want them.

[Bernard Miclescu]

Hi "The burning zero",

Thanks for the information. I understood that you are a modelist? If so, i am amased that you could transform a kit from its original design to a flotor one. Please tell me more about it.

Yours,
BM

[tetonb]

Hi,

thanks for sharing infaormations,there are some news for me (lenght of service in Romania and the name of observer)

Some additional informations:

1. The pilot was čet. (sgt) Jiří Mikulecký,not npor. (1st/Lt )Václav Pálka (he was observer).The crew returned during March 1939 to Protectorate.After it Sgt Mikulecký escaped to Poland served during Polish campaign in Polish airforce and after fall of Poland he was captured by Red Army and interned in USSR.1942 or 1943 he was send to Great Britain where he joined RAF and served by Czech fighter squadrons.About his observer I have no informations,but I think that he was reserve officer and so he spent all the war in Protectorate,for example like teacher or clerk.
2. They wasn´t en-route from Spišská Nová Ves to Slatinské Doly,but they were allocated to 12th Infantry Division of Czechoslovak Army on Slatinské Doly airfield (you are right,Denes,with this airfield 8) ).And on 16th March 1939 they covered evacuation of this division to Romania.I think that all equipment of this division stayed in Romania (minimaly Tatra OA 30 armoured cars).

Cheers Tom

[The_Burning_Zero]

THe Letov is a little known plane with a large past. In the Spanish Civil war it was probably the best heavy fighter, or light bomber out there. It was a very versitial and robust aircraft. It was powered I think 580hp walter pegusus engine, it had a max speed of some 200m/ph. Nut we are more concerned with the role it played in wwii. A total of 400 Letov aircraft served in the war. When the Germans invaded Cechezlavakia, they liked the aircraft for advanced trainer and graond attack roles. THe Russians also managed to get a hold of these planes, and used them for simaler purposes. The float plane vresion entered service in 1936. It had one problem though, because of the floats bombs could not be fitted to the plane. The Letov float plane was put in a body of watter near a citty, it was probebly used as something to hold of the enimy long enough to get some better fighters out there. In simpler terms they were a distraction. It is said that some pilots managed to score victories.

Enough about the past, I built the floats my self. I then covered the floats in tin foil. This makes them look more metalic and realistic. I then made the struts to attach the floated to the plane. When that was complete I painted detailed and weathered the plane.

[tetonb]

Hi "The burning zero",

your informations are "little bit" out of true.

1. S-328 NEVER served in Spanish Civil War.The only Czech planes that took part in this conflict were Aero A-101, Letov S-231, Letov S-331, Avia BH-33 and maybe Avia Av-51.
2. they served only in Czechoslovakia, Slovakia, Germany, Romania and Bulgaria.
3. in USSR they never been used.The only S-328 that soviets had were ex-slovakian ones,which were overflown by Slovaks to USSR before Slovakian National Uprising in summer 1944 (they flew with Letov S-328, Avia B-534, Fw-189, Fw-58, Junkers W.34, etc).The Soviets had large numbers of their own U-2/Po-2,so there was no reason to use S-328.Somewhere I saw photo with damaged ex-slovak planes on some soviet airfield,it was made during winter (probably 1944/1945) and there is clearly shown that ther never flew in Soviet service.
4. in combat there were used in Czechoslovakia -in skirmishes with German and Hungarian troops in 1938,two of them were shoot down (first by ground fire near Vejprty in SW Bohemia (I´am living nearby) and second was destroyed on 25th October 1938 by hungarian CR.32 flown by Lászlo Pongrácz),in Slovakia there were used on attack against Poland and Soviet Union and during Slovakian National Uprising when there supported ground troops and make recconaissance flights,from this time is known the only victory made on this plane-observer Npor. (1st/Lt) M. Bezňák shoot down Focke-Wulf Fw 189,in Germany they were used in training role and from spring 1943 they were used in "Storkampfstaffeln"-where they played the same role like U-2/Po-2 on the soviet side and the last combat user was Bulgaria where they served in anti-submarine patrols over Black Sea.In Romania the only one plane served in training role.
5. the float version entered service in 1935,there were no ploblems with this version,it was UNARMED so there couldn´t be problem with bomb racks(this problems had Letov S-16 J,designed for Yugoslavia in 20´s),and it was made like target towing aircraft,because Czechoslovakia in 20´s and 30´s had Flak training ground in Boka Kotorska (Yugoslavia) and this plane was made only for towing tugs (same like Aero A-29).Totally 4 planes were equipped with floats.Float planes were used only in Czechoslovakian service, funny was that during spring and summer this planes served in Yugoslavia with floats (towing target tugs) and during autumn and winter they served in Czechoslovakia with wheel undercarriage like training aircrafts.

Cheers Tom

[The_Burning_Zero]

Sorry. My bad

[Dénes]

QUOTE

1. The pilot was čet. (sgt) Jiří Mikulecký,not npor. (1st/Lt )Václav Pálka (he was observer).

I did not mention who was the pilot and who was the observer. I wrote that both of them were crewmembers.

QUOTE

2. They wasn´t en-route from Spišská Nová Ves to Slatinské Doly

I quoted an original Slovak document, which mentioned the circumstances exactly as I wrote.

QUOTE

S-328 NEVER served in Spanish Civil War.The only Czech planes that took part in this conflict were Aero A-101, Letov S-231, Letov S-331, Avia BH-33 and maybe Avia Av-51.

The Avia B-534 biplane fighter was also present in Spain.

[tetonb]

Hi Denes,

my informations about čet. Mikulecký last flight are based on materials published in Czech publications,I think that there is also interview with Mikulecký and he is speaking about it like I wrote.There is also possibility that yours documnet is more accurate.

About Avia B-534:all informations about B-534 service in Spain are mystifications.Only 2 planes were exported(to Greece) from Czechoslovakia before 15th March 1939.

Cheers Tom

[Dénes]

QUOTE

all informations about B-534 service in Spain are mystifications.

I am aware that all sources say so far that the Avia B-534 was never in Spain, but I have proof of at least one such biplane being painted in Spanish Republican colours.

[tetonb]

Hi Denes,

Avia B-534 really never served in Spain and never been painted in Spanish colours.The plane on your photo can be Hawker "Spanish Fury",they were very similar.Avia chief designer Novotný spent some time in Hawker factory when Fury was designed and he was inspired by Fury.B-534 with open cockpit is very similar to Fury.Look at some pictures.

Cheers Tom

[Dénes]

QUOTE

Avia B-534 really never served in Spain and never been painted in Spanish colours.The plane on your photo can be Hawker \"Spanish Fury\",they were very similar.

Believe me, Tomás, I know what I am talking about.
It's an Avia B-534, without any doubts. Moreover, the factory logo is visible on the fin.