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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 0028.PDF
FLIGHT JANUARY 7TH, 1943 Modern French Designs Recent Developments in Civil and Military Types : Contra-rotating Airscrews FOR some time since the collapse ofFrance, the aircraft industryeither lay idle or worked for German orders. But while a large sec- tion of the industry engaged on the '' collaboration '' mainly worked on German types or sub-contracts, such developments as have taken place in the field of original French designs and construction of aircraft and engines merit special attention. These developments were made pos- sible by orders placed by the Vichy Government with the consent of the Nazis, and possibly with some co- operation from them. Of the military types ordered by and produced for the Vichy Government, the following deserve special mention : The Dewoitine D-520 single-seater fighter powered with a Hispano 12Y or 12Z engine and produced by the S.N.C.A. du Midi at their works at Toulouse. Several hundred aircraft of this type are reported to have been ordered. The Loire-Nieuport LN 40, the only dive-bomber ever built in France. Details of this type are not available, but 24 machines are reported to have been completed by the S.N.C.A. du Centre at Bourges. for the Naval Air Service. The Bloch 157 all-metal, single- seater fighter, a development of the Bloch 155 and the Bloch 151. This is a low-wing monoplane fitted with a retractable undercarriage and camber- changing flaps, and powered with a Gn6me-Rh6ne 14R 14-cylinder twin- row, air-cooled radial of 1,590 h.p. for take-off, and driving a Ratier three- bladed c.p. airscrew. Wing area 'is Xhe Latecoere-631 is powered with six "Wright Cyclone 14-cyl. engines of 1,300 h.p. and carries 40 passengers and mail. It has a range of 3,77° miles and a maximum speed of 220 m.p.h. 206.7 sq. ft. (187.3 sq. ft. in the Bloch 151); gross weight without armament 6,835 lb. Without armament the wing loading is 32 lb. /sq. ft. and power loading 4.30 lb./h.p. The aircraft is said to have a maximum speed of 435 m.p.h. at 28,000ft. and climbs to 28,000ft. in 11 min. Range at 90 per cent of maximum performance is 620 miles, or three hours at an economical cruising consumption at 254 to 280 m.p.h. Armament is reported to be composed of two 20 mm. cannons and four 0.3 (7.5 mm.) rifle calibre machine-guns. The Latecoere 298, a torpedo- bomber, powered with a Hispano 12Y, 30 of which have been built at the Latecoere-Breguet works at Toulouse ; Control cabin : The two pilots, the navigator and wireless operator at work In thecentre, the bearing compass at the base of which are the ailerons and undercarriage controls. Note the suspended power plant controls, one for each engine, one masterand one lever to each group of three engines. and the Breguet 730-02, a sea-going patrol flying boat, powered with four Gn6me-Rh6ne 14N engines of 1,000 h.p. each and developed from the Breguet 730. Tandem Engines VG 50, a twin-engined all-metal aircraft designed by MM. Vernisse and Galtier and in construction with the Government Arsenal works at Lyons- Villeurbanne. The aircraft features a power-plant arrangement composed of two Hispano Suiza 12Z engines of approximately 1,500 h.p. for take-off, each of which drives contra-rotating airscrews. One engine is mounted in front of the pilot's cockpit, the other in its rear and below it. The extension shaft of the rear engine passes between the legs of the pilot and contains also the pressure oil lines for the operation of the c.p. airscrew. Two prototypes were reported to be in construction, one with a conventional, the other with a tricycle undercarriage. The aircraft has a gross weight of 16,500 lb., wing loading of 41 lb./sq. ft., and a wing area of 365 to 387 sq. ft. The Bloch 162. This four-engined bomber is a direct descendant of a prototype exhibited at the 1938 Paris Aircraft Show. The aircraft is powered with Gnome-Rhone 14N48 or 14N49 engines of 1,000 or 1,100 h.p. at 18,oooft., and has a gross weight of about 44,000 lb. Wing area is 1,267 sq. ft., and wing loading 34.8 lb./sq. ft. While no armament has been installed, two turrets are pro- vided, one in the top, the other in the bottom of the fuselage. Without the armament the Bloch 162 is capable of a maximum speed of 323 m.p.h. and a range, with useful load, of 1,500
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