French Bombers and Transport Aircraft (1 Viewer)

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

The first production LeO 451 was built in 1938. The decision to abandon Hispano-Suiza engines and a shortage of propellers resulted in production delays. The latter also caused most aircraft to be fitted with slower Ratier propellers which reduced the top speed from 500 to 480 km/h. As the result, although 749 LeO 451 had been ordered, only 22 were delivered by the start of World War II. Of these, only 10 were formally accepted by the Air Force. They were issued to a frontline unit tasked with experimenting the new type in the field, and flew a few reconnaissance flights over Germany, which resulted in the type's first combat loss.

At the start of the Battle of France on 10 May 1940, only 54 of the 222 LeO 451 that had been delivered were considered ready for combat, the remainder being used for training, spares, undergoing modifications and repairs or having been lost. The first combat sortie of the campaign was flown by 10 aircraft from GB I/12 and GB II/12 on 11 May. Flying at low altitude, the bombers suffered from heavy ground fire with one aircraft shot down and 8 heavily damaged. Within the next 8 days many of them were shot down, like the one piloted by sergent-chef Hervé Bougault near Floyon during a bombing mission over German troops. By the Armistice of 25 June 1940, LeO 451 of the Groupement 6 had flown approximately 400 combat missions, dropping 320 tons of bombs at the expense of 31 aircraft shot down by enemy fire, 40 written off due to damage, and 5 lost in accidents. A total of 452 aircraft had then been built, 373 accepted into service (including 13 for the Aéronautique navale), and around 130 lost in action in Europe.

Following the Armistice, LeO 451s continued to fly, now under the Vichy government. The aircraft were fitted with larger rudders and, later, two additional 7.5 mm machine guns in the rear turret. These extra weapons were added because of the limited capacity of the cannon magazines, and the fact that changing them in flight was extremely difficult. Aircraft production had totally stopped with the German occupation, but a 1941 agreement authorized Vichy authorities to have a limited number of military aircraft built. As a result, 109 additional LeOs were manufactured in 1942. The most notable of these was LeO 451-359 which was fitted with an experimental degaussing coil for remotely detonating naval mines (some British Vickers Wellingtons and German Junkers Ju 52s also carried a similar device). Two bomber units equipped with LeO 451s, GB I/12 and GB I/31 were based in Syria when Allied forces invaded on 8 June 1941, at the start of the Syria-Lebanon Campaign. These were supplemented by GB I/25, which was dispatched from Tunisia. During this campaign, the LeO 451s flew a total of 855 sorties, losing 29 LeO 451s in the process.

After Operation Torch which began on 8 November 1942, surviving French LeO 451 in North Africa were used primarily for freight duties, although they flew a few bombing missions against Axis forces during the Tunisia Campaign. They were ultimately replaced in active service by Handley-Page Halifax and B-26 Marauder bombers. Aircraft captured by Germans in occupied France were also used as transports after being specifically modified for this role. A small number was reportedly used by the Italian Regia Aeronautica. Following the war, the 67 surviving aircraft were mostly used as trainers and transports. The LeO 451 was finally retired in September 1957, making it the last pre-war French design to leave active duty.
 

Attachments

  • Liore et Olivier LeO-451 001.jpg
    Liore et Olivier LeO-451 001.jpg
    170.8 KB · Views: 520
  • Liore et Olivier LeO-451 002.jpg
    Liore et Olivier LeO-451 002.jpg
    106.6 KB · Views: 484
  • Liore et Olivier LeO-451 003.jpg
    Liore et Olivier LeO-451 003.jpg
    110.4 KB · Views: 520
  • Liore et Olivier LeO-451 004.jpg
    Liore et Olivier LeO-451 004.jpg
    83.4 KB · Views: 704
  • Liore et Olivier LeO-451 004.jpg
    Liore et Olivier LeO-451 004.jpg
    120.4 KB · Views: 577
Last edited:
The Farman F.220 and its derivatives were thick-sectioned, high-winged, monoplanes from Farman Aviation Works. Based on the configuration proven by the F.211, design started in August 1935 and the first flight of the prototype was on May 26, 1932. The definitive F.222 variant was the biggest bomber to serve in France between the world wars. One variant was designed as an airliner.

After testing the sole F.220 prototype, Farman made a number of changes to the design, including a new tail fin, fully enclosing the nose and ventral gunners' positions, and changing from V-engines to radials. The first example of this version, dubbed the F.221 flew in May 1933, and was followed by ten production examples delivered to the Armee de l'Air from June 1936. These machines featured hand-operated turrets for the three gunners' stations. Meanwhile, the prototype F.220 was sold to Air France, where christened Le Centaur, it flew as a mail plane on the South Atlantic route. This led to a batch of four similar aircraft being built for the airline. The F.222 variant began to enter service with Armee de l'Air in the spring of 1937. Unlike its predecessor, this plane featured a retractable undercarriage. Twenty-four aircraft were produced with redesigned front fuselages and dihedral added to the outer wing. During World War II these planes were used in leaflet raids over Germany and then night bombing raids during May and June 1940. These resulted in three losses.

The Farman F.222 was involved in a notable operation carried out by French fighter pilot James Denis. On June 20, 1940, realising that the Battle of France was lost, Denis borrowed a Farman F.222 from an airbase near Saint-Jean-d'Angély. He flew to Britain with twenty of his friends, and joined the Free French Air Force, in which service he subsequently became an ace, shooting down nine German aircraft. The F.223 (redesignated NC.223 when Farman was absorbed into SNCAC) incorporated significant changes, including a twin tail and a considerably refined fuselage. The first prototype was ordered as a long range mail plane and in October 1937 established a record by flying 621 miles with a 22,046 lb payload. The Ministere d l'Air ordered a production run of 8 of the NC223.3 variation which was commenced in 1939. A variant NC 223.4 Jules Verne was the first Allied bomber to raid Berlin, on the night of 7 June 1940.

The first NC 223.3 bombers were delivered on May 1940 and participated in night bombing attacks on Germany before being transferred to North Africa in June 1940. The bombers were subsequently relegated to transport roles, seeing service with both the Vichy regime and the Free French. The F.224 was a dedicated civil variant able to seat 40 passengers. Six machines were produced for Air France, but were ultimately rejected by the airline. The aircraft went on to serve in the Armée de l'Air instead.
 

Attachments

  • Farman F.222 002.jpg
    Farman F.222 002.jpg
    69.5 KB · Views: 588
  • Farman F.222 001.jpg
    Farman F.222 001.jpg
    54.7 KB · Views: 902
  • Farman F.220 001.jpg
    Farman F.220 001.jpg
    168.1 KB · Views: 486
Now I should post the pictures of the american bombers provided to France by the United States after the liberation, but I have decided to continue the history of these french bombers in a new thread, so if you want more information check out

ARMEE DE´L AIR: COLONIAL CONFLICTS

(Post-war section)
 
The Amiot 350 series originated in the same 1934 requirement as a rival to the Lioré et Olivier LeO 451. Derived from the Amiot 341 mail plane, the Amiot 340 prototype was involved in a propaganda misinformation flight to Berlin in August of 1938 to convince the Germans that the French employed modern bombers. Though 130 machines were ordered by the French government that year, production delays and ordered modifications ensured that September 1939 saw no delivered aircraft. Eventually, the ordered number of this very modern aircraft reached 830, though ultimately only 80 machines were received by the Air Ministry. The main variant was the twin-tailed 351; however, due to various delays, the single-tailed 354 was accepted into service as an interim type. The Amiot 351 was planned to mount one 7.5 mm (.295 in) MAC 1934 machine gun in nose and ventral positions and one 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon in the dorsal position. Due to various technical issues with the armament installation, many aircraft went to operational units with only a single light machine gun in the dorsal position.

In May 1940, the Amiot 351/354 was in the process of equipping just two bomber groupes: GB 1/21 and GB II/21 based at Avignon. Though 200 were in the final stages of construction, only 35 were ready for flight. This situation was exacerbated by the fact that the Amiot 351/354 was constructed in three separate factories, two of which were later bombed by the Germans. On 16 May 1940, the several Amiot 351/354 carried out armed reconnaissance missions over Maastricht in the Netherlands - the first combat mission conducted by planes of this type. By June, the Amiot 351/354 was also delivered for GB I/34 and GB II/34, neither ever flying them in combat. At that time, all Amiot 351/354s were based on the northern front. Three had been lost in combat, 10 in training accidents. All aircraft were ordered to evacuate to Africa on 17 June, 37 surviving the trip. As their numbers were too few to effectively engage the Italians, they planes were sent back to Metropolitan France and their groupes disbanded in August 1940.

Five Amiot 351/354s continued to be used as a mail plane after the Battle of France. Four Amiot 351/354 were commandeered by the Luftwaffe as transports, two found service in the 1./KG200 special service geschwader. Engines taken from these aircraft were later used on Messerschmitt Me 323 cargo transports.

The bottom photograph is unique. It shows the version of the Amiot with the Rolls Royce Merlin. The Merlins were to be built by Ford in France but with the Armistice the Germans captured the lot including the drawings. Seemingly the aircrafts performance with Merlins was astonishing. But like everything at the time it was too little too late. We had to wait another four years to give the Nazi's a good thumping
 
The Latécoère 570 was the French company's response to the specification of a four seat bomber (B4) in the programme A-21 of November 1934. This called for an aircraft that could deliver, for example, a 1000 kg (2,200 lb) bomb load over a range of 1,500 km (940 mi), have a maximum speed of 400 km/h (250 mph) at about 4,000 m (1,200 ft) and to be able to reach this altitude in 15 minutes. The latest devices were specified, such as variable pitch propellers, retractable undercarriage and retractable dorsal and ventral gun turrets. Nine manufacturers responded but only Latécoère and three others produced prototypes. These were the Amiot 341, the Lioré et Olivier LeO 45 and the Romano 120.

The Latécoère 570 was an aerodynamically clean, all metal low cantilever wing monoplane with two radial engines and a twin tail. The wings were broad at the root and had straight edges, but narrowed continuously outwards to small chord elliptical tips, mostly through the strong forward sweep of the trailing edge. This latter carried ailerons with flaps inboard. The two 1,125 hp (840 kW) [Hispano-Suiza 14Aa engines were conventionally mounted on the forward wing spar with long-chord cowlings, driving variable pitch propellers of opposite handedness. The engine fairings extended further rearwards below the wing than above to house the retracted undercarriage legs with their single wheels. The tailplane and elevator narrowed only slightly, ending with vertical surfaces that extended only upwards, unlike the typical endplate fins of the period which also reached below the tailplane. Both rudders and elevators had trim tabs.
 

Attachments

  • Latecoere 570 001.jpg
    Latecoere 570 001.jpg
    46.8 KB · Views: 330
  • Latecoere 570 002.jpg
    Latecoere 570 002.jpg
    61.7 KB · Views: 356
  • Latecoere 570 003.jpg
    Latecoere 570 003.jpg
    54.9 KB · Views: 329
  • Latecoere 570 004.jpg
    Latecoere 570 004.jpg
    69.7 KB · Views: 358
  • Latecoere 570 005.jpg
    Latecoere 570 005.jpg
    47.4 KB · Views: 356
The fuselage was a monocoque structure of roughly elliptical cross section with a flattened bottom.There was extensive glazing in the nose for the navigator/bomb aimer with the radio operator behind. The pilot's enclosed cockpit was slightly behind the leading edge of the wing and a long way behind the nose, restricting his view at take-off. Immediately behind him on the port side of the fuselage at mid-chord was a vertical bomb stack, filling the whole height of the fuselage. There was an access corridor down the starboard side, but another bomb could be mounted below its floor. There were also internal bomb mountings in the wing roots at this position. Behind this bomb bay and near the wing trailing edge was the upper (dorsal) SAM AB5 retractable turret with an Hispano 20 mm cannon; slightly further aft and at the trailing edge was a matching but inverted AB6 retractable ventral turret, similarly armed. The upper turret was manned by the fourth crew member and the lower one by the radio operator. A single jack extended and retracted these turrets together; the upper one was glazed to enable its gunner to keep watch even when it was retracted.

The Latécoère 570 prototype took a long time to get into the air compared with its competitors. Construction began at Latécoère's Toulouse works from about April 1937, but during that year the Toulouse-Montaudran region was seriously disrupted by industrial action and it was decided to complete the aircraft at the Bayonne factory. It finally flew in until August 1939, piloted by Yves Lascombe. The 570 went for trials at CEMA d'Orleans-Bricy early in 1940, though by then the Amiot 351 and Lioré et Olivier LeO 45 were already in service. It was found to have good flying characteristics, though its performance vis-à-vis the other B4 machines was somewhat disappointing. The 14Aa engines were by this time performing reliably, despite an unhappy beginning in the other B4 prototypes. By June 1940 the sole 570 was in German hands at Bricy, but not judged worth flying.
 

Attachments

  • Latecoere 570 006.jpg
    Latecoere 570 006.jpg
    73.5 KB · Views: 455
  • Latecoere 570 007.jpg
    Latecoere 570 007.jpg
    125.7 KB · Views: 390
Designed originally as the Bloch MB.161 a development of the earlier 12-passenger Bloch MB.160 the prototype first flew on 15 December 1939. It had a slow development and the test flying was not completed until January 1942. The French Vichy government ordered the aircraft into production in December 1941. With the German invasion of southern France in 1942 the production of 20 aircraft for Air France and Lufthansa was slowed down. After the liberation of France the provisional government authorised production to be resumed with the first series production aircraft, now designated the SE.161, first flying on 25 August 1945. Some of the delay is attributed to the workforces reluctant to complete the aircraft ordered by Germany in 1942.

The Languedoc was an all-metal four-engined lowing cantilever monoplane airliner with a twin-fin and rudder assembly. It had a crew of 5 and a standard cabin accommodation for 33 passengers, although this could be reduced to 24 and later increased to 44-seats in 1951. It had a retractable tailwheel landing gear and was powered by four 1150hp (858kW) Gnome-Rhône 14N 44/45 or 54/55 radial engines in wing-leading edge nacelles. A total of 100 aircraft were built for Air France and for the French Air Force and Navy. The only export customer was the Polish airline LOT which bought five.

The SE.161 was named the Languedoc before it entered service with Air France on the Paris to Algiers route from 28 May 1946. By October they were withdrawn from service, not only with landing gear and engine problems but considered unable to operate in winter conditions. They re-entered service in 1947 re-engined with Pratt Whitney R-1830 engines, de-icing equipment and cabin heating, the designation changing to SE.161.P7. The aircraft were soon familiar on Air France's European network and continued to operated scheduled services to London Heathrow and elsewhere until summer 1952, when they were replaced by Douglas DC-4s.

Despite the costly experience of introducing the aircraft to service they were never as reliable as the Douglas DC-4 or Vickers Viscount and Air France arranged to sell off the aircraft to the French military. Ten aircraft were converted with a large ventral gondola, observation windows and a ventral search radar for Search and Rescue operations which served for five years. SE.161 Languedoc No. 92 of GT II/61 French Air Force in 1955The Air Force also had newly built aircraft from the end of the production line. Designated SE.161R, they had Gnome-Rhône 14R engines with distinctive four-bladed propellers. They were used as transport aircraft from 1951 to 1955.

The largest military operator was the French Navy, which operated 25 different aircraft over the years. The first aircraft were delivered in 1949 and used as long-range transports; later aircraft would be used as flying classrooms for navigator and rear-crew training. The flying classrooms were modified with both a nose-mounted radar and a ventral dustbin radar. The aircraft was withdrawn from Naval service in 1959. A small number of aircraft were used as flying testbeds including use as live airborne television relay for Charles de Gaulles Algerian visit in 1958. Four aircraft were used as motherships for René Leduc's experimental ram-jet aircraft. The last Languedoc was withdrawn from service in 1964, unable to compete with American and British built airliners.
 

Attachments

  • sud-est languedoc.jpg
    sud-est languedoc.jpg
    75 KB · Views: 872
  • 1660917.jpg
    1660917.jpg
    110.1 KB · Views: 425
  • Bloch MB-161 Languedoc 002.jpg
    Bloch MB-161 Languedoc 002.jpg
    64.7 KB · Views: 204
  • Bloch MB-161 Languedoc 003.jpg
    Bloch MB-161 Languedoc 003.jpg
    47.5 KB · Views: 448
  • Bloch MB-161 Languedoc 004.jpg
    Bloch MB-161 Languedoc 004.jpg
    114.8 KB · Views: 229
  • Bloch MB-161 Languedoc.jpg
    Bloch MB-161 Languedoc.jpg
    146.4 KB · Views: 289
Last edited:
Loire submit after his twin-engine seaplane prototype Loire-Nieuport 10, and was ruled by the French Navy, the fuselage was reused to create the prototype of the Heavy Bomber CAO 700, a four-engined whose first flight was June 24, 1940. The CAO-700 was the response to the request of the ministry B5 a long-range heavy bomber, which was to operate during the day. Other features specify a speed of not less than 450 km / h, 7000 km range, bomb load of 3000 kg of weapons and defensive weapons needed to face modern fighters, who are competing MB.162 Bloch, Amiot 380, Breguet and CAO.700 Br.482 SNCA.

CAO 700 was the normal metal construction with retractable landing gear and four Gnome-Rhône radial engine 14N-49 in the wings. The front of the fuselage, which housed the bomber was a large glass surface and provides the best overview. Then there is the cockpit and navigator, and their dorsal vessel, a gunner with a 20 mm cannon HS-40 and the other with a defense ventral 7.5 mm machine gun wing received a high degree of mechanization with slats and Fowler flaps. The aircraft was sent to the hangar waiting to define its future, destined to Saint-Nazaire, where it will ultimately be destroyed by Allied bombing in 1943.
 

Attachments

  • SNCAO700-bia.jpg
    SNCAO700-bia.jpg
    65.1 KB · Views: 367
  • SNCAO700-04.jpg
    SNCAO700-04.jpg
    51.1 KB · Views: 540
  • SNCAO700-02.jpg
    SNCAO700-02.jpg
    68.4 KB · Views: 474
  • SNCAO700-05.jpg
    SNCAO700-05.jpg
    142.1 KB · Views: 517
  • SNCAO700-03.jpg
    SNCAO700-03.jpg
    47.6 KB · Views: 415
In December 1936 the French Air Ministry issued a specification for a four-seat, twin engined medium bomber, with Breguet's initial design, the Breguet 480 (or Bre. 480) to be powered with the specified 1,225 hp (914 kW) Gnome et Rhône 14L radial engines, which was meant to carry 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of bombs over a 2,500 km (1,600 mi) radius. Gnome et Rhône abandoned the 14L however, so, after considering a version powered by two Hispano-Suiza 12Y V12 engines, Breguet reworked the design as the Breguet 482, with four 1,350 hp (1007 kW) Hispano-Suiza 12Z engines, with an order for two prototypes placed by the French Air Ministry on 12 May 1938.nThe Breguet 482 was a mid-winged monoplane of all-metal construction, with a clean, low-drag, oval section monocoque fuselage, twin tails and a retractable tailwheel undercarriage. The planned defensive armament was a 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon in a power operated dorsal position, with a 7.5mm machine gun in the nose and a further two machine guns in ventral mountings. Up to 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) of bombs could be carried.

Construction of the two prototypes was well progressed when Germany invaded France on 10 May 1940, and in late May it was decided to evacuate the near complete prototypes from Villacoublay near Paris, with the first prototype being sent to Bône in Algeria and the second to the Breguet factory at Anglet, near Bayonne in the far south-west of France. The first prototype was destroyed during a German air-raid following the Allied invasion of French North Africa, but the first prototype remained untouched, despite the fact that Anglet had been occupied by the Germans since 1940.

When the Germans withdrew, Breguet resumed work on the Br 482, proposing to complete it with more powerful Hispano-Suiza 12Z engines and a heavier armament. The French Armée de l'Air had no requirement for a bomber, however, and it was decided to use the aircraft, with the planned modifications, but with armament removed, as a research aircraft. In this form it was finally flown for the first time in November 1947, being used for various experimental purposes, including testing of the 12Z engines.
 

Attachments

  • breguet482-01.jpg
    breguet482-01.jpg
    81.8 KB · Views: 367
  • breguet482-04.jpg
    breguet482-04.jpg
    81.5 KB · Views: 339
  • breguet482-bia.jpg
    breguet482-bia.jpg
    97.5 KB · Views: 488
  • breguet482-02.jpg
    breguet482-02.jpg
    81.9 KB · Views: 353
  • breguet482-03.jpg
    breguet482-03.jpg
    63.1 KB · Views: 416
I have been trying for years to find information on the Monocoupe 90AF designated as L-7s by the U.S. and given to France.

I found this information on another old forum that is apparently no longer running:

"Hello,
Five Monocupe AF90 (or Piper L-7) were used by the Free French Unit from 1943 at Ivato AB (Madagascar, near Antananarivo).
Their serial numbers were 38.911,38.915, 38.921,38.926 and 38.933. On a photography, we find the serial number preceded by letters NC what could correspond to an American civil registration.
Both information which I possess are:
1 - A fund raising would have been made in near Frenchs living in the USA. Planes would thus have been bought with this money and sent towards Madagascar to help Free French.

2 - These serial numbers (or US civil registration) were maybe associated with following RAF number: AF834, AF838, AF844, AF849 and AF856.


It would be possible that this two informations may be connected.

Would anybody have the kindness to say to me if the RAF number above corresponds with L-7 aircraft?

Regards
Franck


This picture is coming from "Le Fana de l'aviation" french magazine."


Any help?

Andy
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back