Avia S 92 Turbina

All jigs, tools and components for the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter in Czechoslovakia at the time of the German surrender were seized by the Soviet forces and then handed over to the newly restored Czechoslovak government by Marshal Ivan Konev. Forward fuselages and other components of the Me 262 had been manufactured at Letnany, some components had been produced in converted railway tunnels, and the CKD and Walter works had built the Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet, assembly of the fighters having been undertaken at Cheb, near the German border. Sufficient components were recovered for Avia to build 17 single- and two-seat Me 262s, the first single-seater flying as the S 92.1 on 27 August 1946. On 5 September, this aircraft was lost in an accident, a second, S 92.2, flying on 24 October, and what was referred to as the first series aircraft, a twoseater (CS 92.3), following on 10 December. Dubbed the Turbina (Turbine), the S 92 was demonstrated to a Yugoslav delegation which placed an order with Avia for two examples, although, in the event, these were not delivered. The seventh aircraft, CS 92.7, was experimentally fitted with BMW 003 turbojets, the thrust of which had been boosted to 950kg, but flight testing was not entirely successful and the aircraft was re-engined to take the standard Jumo 004 turbojets. The eleventh and twelfth aircraft, S 92.11 and S 92.12 were completed during 1949, and during the summer of 1950, the 5th Fighter Sqn was formed on the Turbinas, but a year later this unit was disbanded, most S 92s and CS 92s being scrapped.

Mark Ollard, e-mail, 15.10.2022 Damo

The Israeli's were interested but decided not to buy them.

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