List of former Bulgarian military aircraft
Appearance
This is a list of aircraft formerly used by the Bulgarian Air Force and Bulgarian Navy. For aircraft currently in service, see List of active Bulgarian military aircraft.
Aircraft
Aircraft | Local name | Origin | Type | TOS | WFU | # |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aero A.304 | - | Czechoslovakia | Bomber | 1939 | 1943 | 1 |
Aero L-29 | - | Czechoslovakia | Trainer | 1965 | 2002 | 150 |
Aero MB.200[note 1] | Buhal (Owl) | France/Czechoslovakia | Bomber | 1939 | 1941 | 6 |
Albatros B.I | - | Germany | Reconnaissance | 1914 | 1916 | 2 |
Albatros C.III[note 2] | - | Germany | Reconnaissance | 1916 | 1934+ | 38+ |
Albatros D.III | - | Germany | Fighter | 1918 | 1918 | few |
Albatros F.2 | - | Germany | Utility | 1912 | 1914 | 3 |
Albatros L 73 | - | Germany | Transport | 1929 | ? | 2 |
Antonov An-2 | - | USSR | Transport | 1956 | 2001 | 87 |
Antonov An-14 | - | USSR | Transport | 1966 | 1993 | 8 |
Antonov An-24 | - | USSR | Transport | 1967 | 2001 | 12+ |
Arado Ar 65 | Orel (Eagle) | Germany | Fighter | 1937 | 1940 | 12 |
Arado Ar 96 | Soyka (Jay) | Germany | Trainer | 1940 | 1953 | 34 |
Arado Ar 196 | Akula (Shark) | Germany | Recon floatplane | 1943 | 1945 | 12 |
Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3 | - | United Kingdom | Reconnaissance | 1917 | ? | 1[note 3] |
Avia B-71[note 4] | Jerav (Crane) | USSR/Czechoslovakia | Bomber | 1939 | 1945 | 42 |
Avia B-122 | Osa (Wasp) | Czechoslovakia | Trainer | 1939 | 1951 | 28 |
Avia B-135 | Lyastovitsa (Swallow) | Czechoslovakia | Fighter | 1943 | 1944 | 12 |
Avia B.534-IV | Dogan (Hunting Hawk) | Czechoslovakia | Fighter | 1939 | 1945 | 78 |
Bleriot XI, XIbis and XI-2 | - | France | Trainer/reconnaissance | 1912 | 1916 | 16 |
Blériot XXI | - | France | Reconnaissance | 1912 | 1913 | 1 |
Bristol Boxkite | - | United Kingdom | Trainer | 1912 | 1912 | 1 |
Bristol Prier monoplane | - | United Kingdom | Trainer | 1912 | 1913 | 6 |
Bristol Primary Trainer/Lucifer | - | United Kingdom | Trainer | 1926 | ? | 1 |
Bristol Type 88 Tourer | - | United Kingdom | Utility | 1924 | 1926 | 5 |
Bücker Bü 131 | Ljastovica (Swallow) | Germany | Trainer | 1938 | 1949+ | 12-15 |
Bücker Bü 181 | - | Germany | Trainer | 1943 | 1944 | 15-24 |
Caudron C.59 | - | France | Trainer | 1924 | ? | 3 |
Caudron C.440 Goéland | - | France | Transport | 1936 | 1936 | 1 |
DAR 1 & 1A | Peperuda (Butterfly) | Bulgaria | Trainer | 1926 | 1940+ | 20 |
DAR 3/Lazarov Laz-3 | Garvan (Raven) | Bulgaria | Reconnaissance | 1929 | 1940 | 31 |
DAR 5 | Brambar (Beetle) | Bulgaria | Bomber | 1930 | ? | 1 |
DAR 6 | - | Bulgaria | Trainer | 1932 | ? | 3 |
DAR 7 | - | Bulgaria | ? | 1935 | ? | 1 |
DAR 8 | Slavei (Nightingale) | Bulgaria | Trainer | 1940 | 1941 | 12 |
DAR 10 | Bekas (Snipe) | Bulgaria | Reconnaissance | 1941 | 1949 | 2 |
Dewoitine D.520 | - | France | Fighter | 1943 | 1947 | 120 |
DFW C.Va[note 5] | - | Germany | Reconnaissance | 1917 | ? | 19 |
Dornier Do 11D | Prilep (Bat) | Germany | Bomber | 1937 | 1941 | 12 |
Dornier Do 17 | Uragan (Hurricane) | Germany | Bomber | 1940 | 1945 | 44-51[note 6] |
Farman VII (via Russia) | - | France | Utility | 1912 | 1915 | 5 |
Fieseler Fi 156C-3 | Drozd (Thrush) | Germany | Reconnaissance/Liaison | 1940 | 1953 | 19 |
Focke-Wulf A 20 | - | Germany | Transport | 1930 | 1934+ | 1 |
Focke-Wulf Fw 43 | - | Germany | Trainer | 1939 | ? | 1 |
Focke-Wulf Fw 44[note 7] | Sinijert/Vrabche (Chickadee/Sparrow) |
Germany | Trainer | 1936 | 1957 | 109 |
Focke-Wulf Fw 56 | Komar (Mosquito) | Germany | Trainer | 1936 | 1940 | 6 |
Focke-Wulf Fw 58 | Gulub (Dove) | Germany | Trainer/transport | 1937 | 1950 c. | 34 |
Focke-Wulf Fw 189A | Nebesno Oko (Eye of Heaven) | Germany | Reconnaissance | 1943 | 1950 c. | 19 |
Fokker D.VII | - | Germany | Fighter | 1918 | 1927+ | 8 |
Fokker E.III | - | Germany | Fighter | 1915 | 1916 | 3 |
Friedrichshafen FF.33L | - | Germany | Recon floatplane | 1916 | 1917 | 8 |
Grigorov-1 | - | Bulgaria | Recon floatplane | ? | ? | 1 |
Hanriot HD-14 | - | France | Trainer | 1924 | ? | 1+ |
Heinkel He 42 | Patica (Duck) | Germany | Recon floatplane | 1942 | ? | 2 |
Heinkel He 45B | Starkel (Stark?) | Germany | Bomber | 1936 | 1942 | 12 |
Heinkel He 51B | Sokol (Falcon) | Germany | Fighter | 1936 | 1940 | 12 |
Heinkel He 60 | Tulen (Seal) | Germany | Reconnaissance | 1942 | 1944 | 5 |
Heinkel He 72 | Kanarche (Canary) | Germany | Trainer | 1936 | 1940 | 6 |
Heinkel He 111H-16 | - | Germany | Transport/Bomber | 1943 | 1944 | 1 |
Ilyushin Il-2 | - | USSR | Attack | 1945 | 1958 | 130 |
Ilyushin Il-10/Avia B.33 | - | USSR | Attack | 1951 | 1958 | 100 c. |
Ilyushin Il-14 | - | USSR | Transport | 1958 | 1982 | 20+ |
Ilyushin Il-28 | - | USSR | Bomber/reconnaissance | 1955 | 1974 | 15 |
Jordanov-1 | - | Bulgaria | Reconnaissance | 1915 | ? | 1 |
Junkers A 20 | - | Germany | Bomber | 1932 | ? | 1 |
Junkers F 13 | - | Germany | Transport | 1927 | 1928 | 2 |
Junkers W 34 | - | Germany | Transport | 1944 | 1949 c. | 1 |
Junkers Ju 52/3m | Sowa (Owl) | Germany | Transport | 1938 | 1960 | 12 |
Junkers Ju 87 | Sztuka (Stuka) | Germany | Bomber | 1943 | 1945 | 52 |
Kamov Ka-25Tz | - | USSR | Anti-Submarine Helicopter | 1984 | 1991 | 1 |
Kaproni-Bulgarski KB-1[note 8] | Peperuda (Butterfly) | Italy | Trainer | 1932 | ? | 7 |
Kaproni-Bulgarski KB-2, 3, 4 & 5[note 9] | Chuchuliga (Lark) | Italy | Trainer | 1933 | 1949 | 107 |
Kaproni-Bulgarski KB-6/KB-309[note 10] | Papagol (Parrot) | Italy/Bulgaria | Bomber | 1940 | 1946 | 12 |
Kaproni Bulgarski KB-11 | Fazan (Pheasant) | Bulgaria | Liaison | 1940 | 1947 | 50 |
Lazarov Laz-7 | - | Bulgaria | Trainer | 1948 | 1967? | 313 |
Lazarov Laz-8 | - | Bulgaria | Transport | 1949 | 1958 | 1 |
Let L-200 | - | Czechoslovakia | Transport | 1960 | 1964 | 4 |
Letov Š-18 | - | Czechoslovakia | Trainer | 1925 | 1926 | 10 |
Letov Š-328 | Vrana (Crow or Raven) | Czechoslovakia | Reconnaissance | 1939 | 1946 | 62 |
Lisunov Li-2 | - | USSR | Transport | 1946? | 1979 | 12 |
LVG B.II[note 11] | - | Germany | Reconnaissance | 1915 | 1917? | 12 |
Messerschmitt Bf 108B | Lebed (Swan) | Germany | Liaison | 1940 | 1944 | 6 |
Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Strela (Arrow) | Germany | Fighter | 1939 | 1947 | 168 |
MiG-15 | - | USSR | fighter | 1951 | 1981 | 272 c. |
MiG-17 | - | USSR | Fighter | 1955 | 1990 | 94+ |
MiG-19 | - | USSR | Fighter | 1958 | 1986 | 70+ |
MiG-21 | - | USSR | Fighter/Attack/Reconnaissance | 1963 | 2015 | 226 |
MiG-23 | - | USSR | Fighter/Attack | 1973 | 2004? | 180 |
MiG-25[note 12] | - | USSR | Reconnaissance | 1982 | 1991 | 4 |
Mil Mi-1 | - | USSR | Utility helicopter | 1957 | 1993 | 4 |
Mil Mi-2 | - | USSR | Transport helicopter | 1957 | ? | 42+ |
Mil Mi-4 | - | USSR | Transport Helicopter | 1957 | 1991 | 60 |
Mil Mi-6 | - | USSR | Heavy Transport Helicopter | 1972 | 1989 | 6 |
Mil Mi-8 | - | USSR | Transport Helicopter | 1970 | ? | 36 |
Nieuport IV | - | France | Utility | 1912 | 1913 | 2 |
Nieuport 24 | - | France | Fighter | 1917 | 1918 | 2[note 3] |
Otto C.I | - | Germany | Reconnaissance | 1915 | 1917 | 13 |
Petlyakov Pe-2 | - | USSR | Bomber | 1945 | 1958 | 98 |
Polikarpov Po-2 | - | USSR | Utility | 1946 | 1969 | 1+ |
Potez VIII | - | France | Trainer | ? | ? | 2 |
Potez XVII | - | France | Reconnaissance | 1925 | ? | 30 |
PZL P.24 | Yastreb (Hawk) | Poland | Fighter | 1937 | 1942 | 82 |
PZL.43 | Chaika (Gull) | Poland | Bomber | 1937 | 1944 | 47 |
PWS-26 | Yunak (Hero) | Poland | Trainer | ? | ? | 1 |
Roland D.II | - | Germany | Fighter | 1917 | 1918 | 6 |
Roland D.III | - | Germany | Fighter | 1918 | 1920 | 6 |
Sukhoi Su-25[note 13][1] | - | USSR | Attack | 1986 | 2012 | 42 |
Tupolev Tu-2 | - | USSR | Bomber | 1946 | 1954 | 36 |
Tupolev Tu-154M | - | USSR | Transport | 1991 | 1999 | 1 |
Yakovlev Yak-9 | - | USSR | Fighter/Trainer | 1944 | 1955 | 180+ |
Yakovlev Yak-11 | - | USSR | Trainer | 1948 | 1991 | 50 |
Yakovlev Yak-12 | - | USSR | Transport | 1947 | 1948 | 2 |
Yakovlev Yak-18 | - | USSR | Trainer | 1958 | 1996 | 16+ |
Yakovlev Yak-23 | - | USSR | Fighter | 1949 | 1958 c. | 24 |
Yakovlev Yak-40 | - | USSR | Transport | 1975 | 2001 | 1 |
Zlín Z 142 | - | Czechoslovakia | Trainer | 1995 | 1996 | 4 |
References
Citations
Notes
- ^ Bloch MB.200 built under licence in Czechoslovakia by Aero and Avia
- ^ Also built in Bulgaria as DAR-2
- ^ a b Captured
- ^ Tupolev SB built under licence in Czechoslovakia by Avia
- ^ Also built in Bulgaria as DAR U-1
- ^ Some captured from Yugoslavia
- ^ Also built in Bulgaria as DAR-6 and DAR-9
- ^ Caproni Ca.100 built under licence by Bulgarian subsidiary of Caproni.
- ^ Caproni Ca.113 built under licence by Bulgarian subsidiary of Caproni.
- ^ Caproni Ca.309 built under licence by Bulgarian subsidiary of Caproni.
- ^ Misidentified in some sources as an LVG C.II as they were later armed.
- ^ Traded for MiG-23s
- ^ Grounded 2012. 10 to Georgia 2013.
Bibliography
- Bulgaria Air Force Aircraft Types Accessdate:August 2014
- Bulgaria Air Force Aircraft Types NOT Used Accessdate:August 2014
- Nedialkov, Dimitar (2001). Air Power of the Kingdom of Bulgaria Part II. Sofia: Fark Ood/Air Sofia. ASIN B004LCRNEY.
- Nedialkov, Dimitar (2001). Air Power of the Kingdom of Bulgaria Part III. Sofia: Fark Ood/Air Sofia. ASIN B002M3RQS2.
- Nedialkov, Dimitar (2001). Air Power of the Kingdom of Bulgaria Part IV. Sofia: Fark Ood/Air Sofia. ASIN B002M3LX4A.
- Rajlich, Jiri (2004). Slovakian and Bulgarian Aces of World War 2. Aircraft of the Aces 58. Osprey. ISBN 9781841766522.