Kaproni Bulgarski KB-11 Fazan
Kaproni Bulgarski · Bulgaria · first flew 1941 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Kaproni Bulgarski KB-11 Fazan, meaning Pheasant, was a Bulgarian army liaison and utility monoplane built by Kaproni Bulgarski, a subsidiary of Caproni.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.2 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing monoplane with fixed conventional landing gear and a tailwheel
- Radial engine in the nose driving a two-bladed wooden propeller
- Machine guns in the nose and at the observer station
It is a high-wing radial-engined two-seater with a tailwheel undercarriage.
Specifications
- The Kaproni Bulgarski KB-11 Fazan has a length of 9.2 m (30 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.8 m (42 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 390 km/h (242 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The prototype flew in 1941 as a shoulder-wing monoplane with an Alfa Romeo radial engine. It was unstable and nose-heavy and earned the nickname Quasimodo. The second prototype was redesigned with a high wing and passed its trials.
Variants
A batch of six KB-11-I aircraft was followed by the KB-11-II, which used a PZL Pegasus XXI engine and was renamed Fazan, with 43 production aircraft.
Where you'll see it
It replaced Letov Š-328s and PZL.43s in four short-range reconnaissance squadrons of the Bulgarian Air Force and was used against Tito's Partisans in Serbia from 1943. In 1947, 30 were transferred to Yugoslavia, where they served as trainers, liaison aircraft and target tugs until 1958.
Related aircraft
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