Single engine - single seat fighter

 

In 1929 the Belgian Aéronautique Militaire organized the first of a series of fly-offs against established specifications for a new fighter aircraft to replace the obsolete Nieuport-Delage NiD29 and the Avia BH.21. For this purpose, two Avia BH-33-1 fighters were acquired (together with a small number of NiD.72's). As this competition didn't result in a clear winner a new contest was organized in January 1930 between the Renard Epervier, MS-222, Dewoitine D.27, Bristol Bulldog and the "metallic" version of the Avia concept, the BH-33E. These three Avia fighters acquired by the Belgian government were integrated in two regular squadrons these being 3/II/2 Aé (red Cocotte) and the 4/II/2 Aé (White Cocotte). As the outsider Fairey Firefly was preferred as the new fighter for the Air Force, the three Avia-BH-33 only soldiered on until 1932, but were scrapped later on.