The Aero Ae.04 is an early aircraft design attributed to the Czechoslovak firm Aero, which is known today as AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s. Based on historical records, the Ae.04 was a biplane configuration that appears in chronological catalogues of the company's early aircraft. However, the aircraft is not recognized as a modern product of the current aerospace firm, and there is no authoritative evidence linking it to the ICAO type code AE04, which likely serves as a software-internal identifier rather than a historical registry code.
Regarding its production history, there is no evidence that the Ae.04 ever entered series production or that a completed airframe was ever constructed. While the aircraft is listed in early design catalogues, it is widely regarded as a design study or a prototype that never flew. Had any construction taken place, it would have occurred at Aero's early facilities in Prague, where the company began its operations in 1919 as Aero – první česká letecká továrna (Aero – First Czech Aircraft Works).
Technical details for the Ae.04 are virtually non-existent in the historical record. No specific designer or engineering team has been identified, and there are no recorded first flight dates or performance specifications. While piston engines from manufacturers such as BMW or Hispano-Suiza were common for Aero aircraft in the 1920s, no specific powerplant was ever documented for the Ae.04. Consequently, the aircraft had no operational military or civil service history, and no variants or registered operators exist.
The legacy of the Ae.04 is limited to its appearance in early design lists. Its existence illustrates that Aero's early numbering system included many conceptual projects that did not reach fruition, contrasting with the company's later success in producing thousands of jet trainers, such as the L-29 Delfín and L-39 Albatros. There are no surviving examples of the Ae.04 in any museum or private collection, including the Kbely Aviation Museum.