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-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
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 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.
The original article can be found at List of former Bulgarian military aircraft and the edit history here.