06/30/2014. Remarks by
Johan Visschedijk: "In an attempt to compete with the
Avia B 534, Pavel Beneš and Miroslav Hajn undertook to redraw the
BH-44 with reduced overall dimensions, a redesigned tail-section and a slimmer and aerodynamic cleaned fuselage. The redesign was completed by Jaroslav Šlechta, who also replaced the preferred Hispano-Suiza 12Y drs by a 710 hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI engine. The E.45 was an equi-span single-bay staggered biplane with an armament of two 0.312 in (7.92 mm) Mk 30 machine guns.
The E.45 was first flown by company test pilot Smetana on October 8, 1934 ande proved extremely maneuverable and an excellent gun platform, but the more powerful Avia B 534 offered superior performance and was selected for series production, development of the E.45 being discontinued. The prototype was purchased by the Ministry of Public Works in April 1938 and was registered OK-ERR on May 13, 1938. Its fate is unknown."
