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Early years
The history of the Bulgarian Air Force can be traced back to the end of the 19th century, when in 1892 at the Plovdiv International Fair two lieutenants of the Bulgarian Army flew with the ‘La France’ airship of the Frenchman Goddard. Later, being inspired by the flight, they succeeded to convince the General Staff that the Bulgarian Army should build a balloon force. The Imperial Aviation School in St. Petersburg enrolled Lieutenant Vasil Zlatarov as a student, following numerous refusals from military schools around Europe to teach Bulgarian officers to use airships. On 20 April 1906 “Vazduhoplavatelno Otdelenie” (roughly translated as Aviation Department) was created to operate observation balloons for the army. After graduation Lt. Zlatarov was appointed its first commander. The first generation of Bulgarian aviators were trained on a balloon named ‘Sofia-1’, constructed by Zlatarov with materials bought from Russia.
In 1910 a Russian aircraft engineer, Boris Maslennikov, was invited to Bulgaria, where he presented his airplane, a modification of the French Farman III. Following his demonstration assisted by Vasil Zlatarov over the hippodrome in Sofia, the Bulgarian Government decided to acquire airplanes for The Aviation Corps. In early 1912 thirteen army officers were sent abroad for training as pilots and orders were placed for five French, British and German airplanes. In June 1912 Lt. Simeon Petrov, training at the school of Louis Blériot in France, for the first time in the history of aviation succeeded to land an airplane with a stopped engine. The event was praised in the French newspapers and La Poste, and the French mail service acknowledged it by publishing a stamp. The officers sent to France completed their training first and returned to Bulgaria in July 1912. The same year Bulgaria received its first airplane – Bleriot XXI with which on 13 August 1912 Simeon Petrov flew to become the first Bulgarian to pilot an airplane over Bulgaria.
First and Second Balkan Wars
The First Balkan War proved the words of the great French military theorist Ferdinand Foch that aviation is of no military value, to be completely wrong. Following the outbreak of the war, the Bulgarian pilots still abroad hastily procured aircraft to follow them home. Many foreign volunteer pilots, along with military journalist from all over Europe, arrived in Bulgaria. After the front lines had stabilized, an Aeroplane Platoon was established at a new airfield closer to the fighting.
On October 15, 1912 two pilots, Radul Milkov and Prodan Tarakchiev received an order to gather intelligence about the Turkish army strength and dispositions in the Odrin keep. Following the order, on October 16 the two airmen, flying an Albatros biplane flew over the city. During the course of the flight they dropped bombs over the railway station in Kara-Aghatch (considered a military target) – this was the first time in history that an airplane was used for an offensive action (in this case as a bomber). Only after their successful return from the mission did the crew discover that the plane had suffered substantial damage from the anti-airship batteries at Odrin.
Later that month with the expanding of the nascent Bulgarian Aviation Corps to three Aeroplane Platoons. Foreign volunteers began flying operational sorties alongside Bulgarian pilots, and carried out numerous reconnaissance, leaflet-dropping and bombing missions. During the course of the war at least three aircraft were shot down. Considerable help was received from the Russians in terms of aircraft, maintenance and training. Due to low aircraft serviceability and frequent training accidents, the number of missions actually flown was fairly low – however the Bulgarian pilots were able to gather aerial reconnaissance information, highly valued by the army General Staff.
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Air Power of the Kingdom of Bulgaria Vol 1: THE BULGARIAN AIR POTENTIAL AND BALKAN WARS (1892 – 1913)
Operational data on Aircraft flown by Bulgarian Aircrew in the Balkan Wars (Manufacturing nation, number imported, crew numbers, engine type, dimensions, gross weight, ceiling, range, armament, configuration), aircraft types: Bleriot XXI, Bleriot XI, Bleriot XIbis, Bleriot XI – 2, Bleriot XI – 2bis, Voisin, Sommer, Albatros FIII, Bristol, Farman VII, Nieuport IV. 59 unique b&w original photos. The conquest of the Bulgarian skies began with demonstration of spherical balloon flights at the 1892 First International Exhibition in the town of Plovdiv. In 1912 it is also Europe’s first reconnaissance flight in combat conditions, the first deployment of arms from Bulgarian aircraft, and the first joint action by balloons and airplanes to supply ground forces with information. This first book includes information about the Bulgarian military aviation till 1913
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AIR POWER OF THE KINGDOM OF BULGARIA
Dimitar Nedialkov
This is extrimely rare book in the moment. It’s out of print and you can’t get it anywere at even close price to this. I get it from the author directly. This is a a set of 4 separate volumes in a luxury hardback folder. By Dimitar Nedialkov . Sofia, October 2001. 4 Volumes each 60 pages, format: 28 x 21 cm, soft cover, parallel text in English and Bulgarian. I also have the 4 volumes for sale separately in my store.
Part I “THE BULGARIAN AIR POTENTIAL AND BALKAN WARS (1892 – 1913)” Operational data on Aircraft flown by Bulgarian Aircrew in the Balkan Wars (Manufacturing nation, number imported, crew numbers, engine type, dimensions, gross weight, ceiling, range, armament, configuration), aircraft types: Bleriot XXI, Bleriot XI, Bleriot XIbis, Bleriot XI – 2, Bleriot XI – 2bis, Voisin, Sommer, Albatros FIII, Bristol, Farman VII, Nieuport IV. 59 unique b&w original photos. The conquest of the Bulgarian skies began with demonstration of spherical balloon flights at the 1892 First International Exhibition in the town of Plovdiv. In 1912 it is also Europe’s first reconnaissance flight in combat conditions, the first deployment of arms from Bulgarian aircraft, and the first joint action by balloons and airplanes to supply ground forces with information. This first book includes information about the Bulgarian military aviation till 1913.
Part II “THE BULGARIAN AIR POTENTIAL IN THE GREAT WAR (1914 – 1919) ” Operational data on Aircraft flown by Bulgarian Aircrew in the great War (Manufacturing nation, number imported, crew numbers, engine type, dimensions, gross weight, speed, ceiling, range, armament, configuration), aircraft types: Albatros B-I, L.V.G.C-II, Otto C-I, Albatros C-III, D.F.W. C-V, Roland D-II, Roland D-III, Fokker E-III, Friedrichshafen FF.33c, Friedrichshafen FF.33L, Rumpler 6B-I, Fokker D-VII, Armstrong Withworth FK8, Nieuport XXIV. Map of the Bulgarian participation in the Great War. Diagram of the Bulgaria Air Army staff in 1917 and 1918. 81 unique b&w original photos. After the Bulgaria’s defeat in the Second Balkan War was opened the airplane workshop, the first Airplane School. Asen Yordanoff designed the first Bulgarian biplane and flew with it on 7 August 1915.
Part III “THE REVIVAL OF BULGARIAN AIR POWER BETWEEN THE WORLD WARS (1920 – 1939)” Operational data on Aircraft flown by Bulgarian Aircrew between the World Wars (Manufacturing nation, number imported, crew numbers, engine type, dimensions, gross weight, speed, ceiling, range, armament, configuration), aircraft types: Potez VIII, Caudron S-59, Bristol Lucifer, Henriot XIV, Avro – 522, Potez XVII, Bristol 28A, Smolik S-18, Macchi 18/2000, Junkers F-13, Albatros L-73, Fw A-20, Junkers K-23, Heinkel He-42, Junkers W-34, Caudron 440, Heinkel He-45B, Heinkel He-51B, Dornier Do-11, Arado Ar-65, PZL-24B, PZL-43B, Junkers Ju-52/3m, Fw-58B/E, Heinkel He-72, Fw-56, Fw-44, Avia B-534, Letov S-328, Avia B-71, Bloch MB-200, Aviia B-122, Aero A-304, PWS-26, Grigorov-I, Uzunov –I, DAR I, DAR II, DAR-I A, DAR III, IV, V, VI, VI-A, VII, VIII, VIII-A, KB -1, 2 UT, 2A, 3, 4, 5. Map of the disposition of Bulgarian Air forces to the end of 1939. Diagram of the Bulgaria Air Army staff in 1939 – command components and main battle components subsystem. 140 unique b&w original photos.
Part IV “THE BULGARIAN AIR FORCE IN ACTION DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR (1940 – 1946)” Operational data on Aircraft flown by Bulgarian Aircrew between in period between 1940 – 1946 (Manufacturing nation, number imported, crew numbers, engine type, dimensions, gross weight, speed, ceiling, range, armament, configuration), aircraft types: Bu-131, Ar-96B-2, Me-109E-4/7, Do-17 P/m, KB-6, Me –108, Fi-156, Do –17Kb-1, DAR – 9, 10, 10A, KB – 11,
