Breguet 16

 

The Breguet 16 was a French night bomber biplane directly derived from the Breguet 14. It was conceived as a replacement for both Voisin VIII and Voisin X used by the night bombing squadrons of the Aéronautique Militaire (French Air Arm). 

The Aéronautique Militaire issued a specification in late 1917 calling for a Bn2 medium bomber (Bn2 stands for 'Bombardier Nuit 2' - Night Bomber 2, where the number means that it had to have a crew of two). It should not be confused with the other BN2 designation, intended for a heavy bomber.

The Breguet 16 was basically an enlarged variant of the Breguet 14 with a larger wingspan of 16.96 meters (55.64 ft) versus the 14.36 meters (47.11 ft) of the Breguet 14. This was done in order to carry heavier loads of fuel and bombs for strategic bombardment missions. 

The Breguet 16 was powered by a single Renault 12Fe engine rated at 300 hp and was armed with two 0.303 in Lewis machine guns, mounted on the observer's position. It could carry up to 550 kg (1212.54 lbs) of bombs under the fuselage.

The prototype was flown for the first time in June 1918 with M. de Bailliencourt at the controls, a test pilot working for Breguet. According to his initial evaluation, the rudder bar had to be changed as it was too near the seat. He also recommended to relocate the throttle and, because an inability to see the ground while climbing or diving, some indentations also to be performed in the edges of the lower wings. Further testing was uneventful. 

Anyway, as changes had to be made, the prototype was returned to Breguet's factory to make those suggested changes. Bailliencourt stated that Breguet was furious about the delay that those alterations caused to the Bn2 programme.

Two Breguet 16 were sent to Groupe de Bombardement 1 (GB 1) to be evaluated and soon the type was mass produced. However, it didn't make it in time to see active service as World War 1 ended. After the war, some were assigned to to the 22e Régiment Aérien de Bombardement (N) (Night Bombing Aerial Regiment - N, where the letter N stands for 'nuit', night) and the 21éme RAB (N). These units were assigned to Syria and Morocco, where they saw limited service as the nature of the conflict there wasn't adequate for a bomber of such characteristics. 

One Breguet 16 was tested with an American Liberty engine, but its wing failed during static trials so it didn't fly.

In total 200 Breguet 16 Bn2 were manufactured by Breguet, Ferbois, Lioré-et-Olivier and SECM (Société d'Emboutissage et de Constructions Mécaniques - Stamping and Mechanical Engineering Company, forerunner of Amiot). 

The Breguet 16 saw also service abroad:

• China: In 1923 the Fengtian Clique's warlords purchased 12 Breguet aircraft through Eurasia Aviation Corporation (a Shanghai based Chinese airline). Among those aircraft there were 4 or 5 Br. 16 Bn2 (sources are not clear about the definitive number) powered by the Renault 12Fe engine. They were delivered in November 1928 and there is not info about their operational service in China.
  As we couldn't find graphical evidence of the Br.16 Bn2 serving in China, the colours and registration shown should be considered as speculative.
• Czechoslovakia: The Ceskoslovenské armádní letectvo (Czechoslovak Air Service) bought an unknown number of Br.16 Bn2 bombers. They were assigned to the 1. letecký pluk (1st aerial regiment) based at Prague-Kbely. They were most likely phased-out in the late 1920s.
• Portugal: One Br.16 Bn2 was bought by the Portuguese Arma da Aeronautica Militar (Army's Aeronautical Arm) in 1921 to take advantage of the type's long range to perform a long distance flight from Lisbon to Macao, a Portuguese colony in southern China, close to Hong-Kong. This Br.16 Bn2, named 'Patria' (Homeland), flew a total of 14 stages but it had to perform a forced landing due to engine overheat at Pipar Road, British Raj on 7th May 1924. Fortunately its crew survived the landing and Patria was written off and replaced by an Airco DH.9A conveniently named 'Patria II' (Homeland II). 

Sources:

1st Flying Machines Press - James J. Davilla - French Aircraft of the First World War

2nd en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bréguet_16

3rd http://cwlam2000.epizy.com/caf07.htm (translated)

4th https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/avion-breguet-type-16-bn-2/

Blériot-SPAD S.710

 

The Blériot-SPAD S.710 was a French experimental fighter of the 1930s 

Its inception can be traced back to 1934 when the French Air Ministry issued a requirement for a single-seat fighter (C1). This requirement suffered many changes until 16th November 1935 when it was decided to split it in two categories: light fighters powered by an engine rated between 400 and 500 hp and heavy fighters with engines rated between 800 and 1.000 hp. In this later category, eleven project were presented, with only six of them being ordered as prototypes. André Herbemont, designer of the Blériot-SPAD S.510, presented a biplane, against the Morane-Saulnier Ms.406, Bloch Mb.150, Dewoitine D.513, Loire-Nieuport LN.161 and Loire 250, monoplanes all of them.

The S.710 was an evolution of the S.510, which was itself an evolution of the S.9. The S.710 had a duralumin fuselage with a covered cockpit equipped with a sliding canopy. Wings were covered in fabric and they were different each other. It was powered by a single Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs engine rated at 860 hp and, although the only prototype was never armed, the proposed armament was one engine-mounted 20 mm cannon firing through the propeller hub, four 7,5 mm machine guns mounted on the wings and one 7,5 mm aft-firing machine gun in the rear fuselage. It was also equipped with retractable undercarriage and an V-type or "butterfly" tail configuration. This tail arrangement had already been previously tested on an S.92 with promising results. 

Work on the prototype began in October 1935 and was completed shortly after. It wasn't however, until April 1937 that it was tested. On 8th June it exceeded a speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) in level flight. On 15th June, Louis Massotte, the test pilot, noticed a flutter in the tail surfaces when flying at only 200 m (656 ft) high and tried to perform an emergency landing. Unfortunately the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the ground killing Massotte. The flutter phenomenon was relatively unknown back then and this accident put an end to the project.

Sources:

1. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blériot-SPAD_S.710 (translated)

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blériot-SPAD_S.510

3. http://www.aviastar.org/air/france/bleriot_s-710.php

Morane-Saulnier U

 

The Morane-Saulnier Type U was a proposed development of the Morane-Saulnier Type V (already drawn here ) that was never materialized. The Type U was going to feature a shoulder-mounted wing with aileron control instead of the traditional method of wing warping. The wing was braced by an intricate system of struts and wires underneath it. The spinner, landing wheels and tail were similar to the preceding Type V. 

A rare feature for this aircraft was the presence of a streamlined windshield, remarkably long and narrow. It's unknown if the Type U was ever built as the French Aéronautique Militaire (Military Aeronautics) chose to concentrate on giving priority to the construction of the Nieuport 11 fighter and the British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) planned to withdraw every Morane-Saulnier fighter from squadron service. Anyway, it seems unlikely that neither the Aéronautique Militaire or the RFC would've been interested in a machine that was nothing more than an slightly improved Type V.

The Type U was going to be powered by a 110-hp Le Rhône 9c engine and it's also possible that it would've been armed with a single 0.303 in Vickers machine gun. However, most likely,  of the Type Us would've been used as trainers and, therefore, they would've lacked armament.

Sources:

1. Flying Machines Press - French Aircraft of the First World War

Morane-Saulnier TRK

 

The Morane-Saulnier TRK was a triplane bomber which was completed in 1915 and intended to take part in the 1915 or 1916 contest for a heavy bomber.

It was powered by two Canton-Unné engines rated at 230 hp placed inside the fuselage. The engines drove two two-bladed propellers using a complex transmission system. Each propeller was placed on either side of the fuselage between lower and middle wings. It was equipped with a fixed landing gear consisting on a pair of wheels under each wing plus two other wheels under the nose to prevent nose-over when landing. In fact this landing gear configuration was identical to that already seen in the Type S and Type T.

Both pilot and copilot sat side-by-side in the nose cockpit with an mechanic/gunner located in another cockpit placed behind the wings and intended to attend the engines when flying or operate the defensive machine guns. It was armed with just two 0.303 in Lewis machine guns placed on a ring in the second cockpit, although it's not known if armament was ever installed. Only one prototype was built, which received the official denomination of MoS.9, and it's unknown if it ever flew. Anyway, the TRK did not enter neither the 1915 nor the 1916 heavy bomber contest. It's also unknown its bomb payload amount, however, we estimate it was similar to that of the Type S. Wikipedia claims it was intended to carry bombs internally, however, we highly doubt it. 

Considering its rather feeble defensive armament, its size and, therefore, its more than expected slow speed, the TRK wouldn't have had good performance numbers. Anyway, we decided to draw a hypothetical version. 

Sources:

1. Flying Machines Press - French Aircraft of the First World War

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_TRK

Morane-Saulnier S

 

The Morane-Saulnier S was a French two-engined World War I intended to be a heavy day-bomber. It was built in 1915 and had a crew of three to four, two of which were intended to be gunners, as the aircraft was provided with machine gun posts at the nose and aft pilot's cockpit at mid-fuselage. The fuselage was wide enough to accomodate two pilots side-by-side and was of circular cross-section. Both the fuselage and tail-assembly were similar to those of the Type P reconnaissance plane. There was a rounded fin on each of the elevators. The three-bay wing was of unequal span, with the upper wing being longer than the lower one. Power was provided by two Renault engines which delivered 220 hp of power each. They were mounted in nacelles and suspended between the upper and lower wing and were very close to crew's cockpit. Just like other French large airplanes of the time, it was equipped with twin nose wheels to prevent nosing over when landing.

The prototype received the serial number MS 625 and was designated as MoS.10 by the Aéronautique Militaire (Military Aeronautics - French Army's Air Corps). It entered in the 1916 competition for a heavy bomber with only the SPAD Type E as its rival because no other design did meet the requirements. Eventually it was the Type S the selected one for mass production with an initial production batch requested by Colonel Joseph Barès (one of French main air generals at the time) of 300 machines at the cost of 60 million Francs. The French parliament felt that the cost was excessive and reduced the order to just 90 aircraft. In response, the Aéronautique Militaire cancelled the order as the Caproni Ca.1 and Ca.5 which was being produced in France under license, already met the demands for a day heavy bomber. Oddly enough, a document of the Aéronautique Militaire dated on 1st November 1916 shows that a MoS.10 with two Renault engines up-rated at 220 hp were in service at the frontlines. However, there are no graphical documents to prove that the Type S ever entered service with the Aéronautique Militaire. Therefore the document makes reference to the Type S at the front for operational evaluation or even to the Type T, although it's very unlikely as the Type T was powered by two 110 hp Le-Rhône engines and it wasn't until August 1917 when it was evaluated.

Sources:

1. Flying Machines Press - French Aircraft of the First World War

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_S

Morane-Saulnier Ms.450

 

On 27th February 1937 the French Service Technique Aéronautique, (Aeronautical Technical Service) issued a requirement for a new fighter that could complement the Ms.405 and the more promising Ms.406. 

The Ms.450 employed more updated construction techniques than its predecessors as it had dural monocoque fuselage and plymax-skinned metal wings instead of the tubular metal framework, covered with fabric at the rear and plymax (plywood bonded to aluminum) at the front. It was powered by a single Hispano-Suiza 12Y51 which yielded a total power of 1.085 hp and was armed with a total of four 7.5 mm MAC 1934-39 machine guns at the wings, two on each plus a 20 mm Hispano-Suiza Hs.404 cannon placed inside the engine which fired through the propeller hub. 

A total of three prototypes were made, the first of which flew for the first time on 14th April 1939 and the second one in November that same year at Morane-Saulnier's factory in Puteaux. 

When tested it didn't show bad ratings, however, a month earlier, in March, its most direct competitor, the Dewoitine D.520 had been ordered for mass production as it was considered a better aircraft. After the fall of France in June 1940 work on the Ms.450 was continued in Switzerland, where it was further refined into an almost completely new aircraft, the Doflug D.3802, but that's a subject for another post.

Sources:

1. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_morane_saulnier_MS450.html

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_M.S.406#M.S.450

3. http://www.aviastar.org/air/france/morane_ms-450.php

4. https://www.valka.cz/Morane-Saulnier-MS-450-C-1-t35874

5. https://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=1735&ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=931&ANNEE=0&ID_MISSION=0&MOTCLEF= (translated)

Morane-Saulnier Ms.435

 

The Morane-Saulnier Ms.435 was a twin-seater French advanced trainer, based on the Ms.406, which was ordered into production in 1939 but it couldn't be delivered on time before the fall of France.

The Ms.435 began its life as the Ms.430, in 1937 when, after undergoing some testing and development, it was decided to fit a Gnome-Rhône 7Kfs radial engine in the fuselage, as the Ms.433. This variant was, however, cancelled in favor of the Ms.435, as the fuselage of the Ms.406 was better than the Ms.405's one.

The Ms.435's fuselage differed from the Ms.406's one in having a bigger cross section but it was also a low-wing single-engined monoplane with a crew of two, instructor and trainee sitting in a continuous glazed canopy. It was powered by a single Gnome-Rhône 9Kdrs radial engine which yielded 550 hp of power and it was also equipped with an inward retracting landing gear.

The prototype flew for the first time on 6th December 1939, when it was presented to the public in Armée de l'Air's colours. The French Air Ministry placed an initial order of sixty serial produced aircraft as the Ms.435P.2 (the letter P standing for "Professeur" - teacher and the number 2 meant that it had capacity for two crew members). However, as the Armée de l'Air was in need of fighters, the Ms.435 had a very low production priority and only the prototype remained completed before the fall of France in June 1940.

Sources:

1. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_morane_saulnier_MS435.html

2. https://www.valka.cz/Morane-Saulnier-MS-435-P-2-t167647

3. https://www.aviafrance.com/morane-saulnier-ms-435-aviation-france-864.htm (translated)

4. https://www.aviastar.org/air/france/morane_ms-435.php

Morane-Saulnier Ms.430

 

The Morane-Saulnier Ms.430 was a French two-seat training aircraft loosely based on the Ms.405 fighter.

The Ms.430 resembled the original designs of the Ms.405, as it had similar wings and an inward retracting landing gear, with a different tail. The fuselage was extended to make room for a second pilot, with both, trainee and instructor sitting in tandem. Unlike the Ms.405 which had an inline engine, the Ms.430 was powered by a single Salmson 9Ag which yielded 390 hp of power and was unarmed. 

The Ms.430 flew for the first time on 3rd March 1937 and it underwent two years of testing, where it proved to be underpowered and not improving the performance of the Morane-Saulnier Ms.230, the main trainer of the Armée de l'Air back then, which was designed a decade earlier. 

In order to fix that problem, a new variant was projected, powered by a more powerful Gnome-Rhône 7Kfs engine, named as Ms.433. However, work continued on the Ms.435 a variant with a completely redesigned fuselage. There was also a fighter version projected, which would've been known as the Ms.408.

Sources:

1. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_morane_saulnier_MS430.html

2. https://www.aviafrance.com/morane-saulnier-ms-430-aviation-france-863.htm (translated)

Curtiss SBC Helldiver. Foreign users.

The Curtiss SBC Helldiver was a two-seat scout and dive bomber built by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. It saw service with both France and the United Kingdom.

• France: During 1939 the Aeronavale (French Naval Aviation) ordered ninety Curtiss Model 77 (the export variant of the SBC-4) with some minor modifications such as speedometers set in kilometers per hour instead of miles per hour. The .50 in machine guns they were armed with, were replaced with Darne 7.7 mm machine guns and additional space was provided for the French Type B parachute. Manufacturing of these aircraft advanced very slowly as the Curtiss Hawk 75 and Hawk 81 (Curtiss P-36 and P-40 respectively) fighter had priority at the Curtiss Factory. Near the end of May 1940, when the French situation was precarious, the US Government, on French Government request, authorized the release of fifty SBC-4 from the US Naval Reserve, with the condition that the US Navy would replace them with the ones of the original contract, when they were available. 
  Orders were set in June 1940 to remove the fifty SBC-4 from the various Navy Air Reserve Bases (NARB) around the USA and ferry them to Buffalo, New York, with ten additional spare Wright R-1820-34 engines, propellers and other spare parts. 
  Once at Curtiss' plant, they were all prepared to be shipped to France, after having done all the aforementioned changes. All distinguishing marks that would imply the USA were erased, French camouflage schemes were applied and the rudders were painted with the tri-colored French flag. The Curtiss employees worked long and hard to get the job done as quickly as possible.
  Gradually all fifty of them reached Buffalo and pilots were given instructions on how to proceed. For the ferry flight they would be payed $250.00 ($4.687.72 adjusted for inflation) plus rail ticket back from Canada to Buffalo and would be considered as Curtiss employees. Like the SBC-4 they would have to remove anything from their personal effects that could identify them as US Navy's pilots.
  The aircraft were flown in sections of three, from Buffalo to Halifax, in Nova Scotia, Canada, with various stopovers. However, the plan didn't go quite well, as in the border, they were not allowed to fly over Canadian territory and, instead, they were towed by automobiles and tractors, in order to keep American neutrality, to a nearby field, where they had to take off again and flight to Halifax, where the French aircraft carrier Bearn awaited to transport the aircraft to France. The loading operation was completed on 16th June 1940 and the Bearn set to sea on that same date escorted by the Jeanne D'Arc light cruiser. Both ships were on route to France, but, when they were at sea, France surrendered, so both ships turned to the French West Indies island of Martinique, in the Caribbean, where the aircraft were unloaded.
  The Helldivers remained there, in the open rotting away, due to diplomatic wrangling.
• United Kingdom: Five SBC-4 that couldn't be loaded into the Bearn, were left at Royal Canadian Air Force Base of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where the Royal Air Force acquired them in August 1940. They were designated as "Cleveland Mk.I" and were shipped to England, on board HMS Furious (47). They were assembled at RAF Burtonwood, Lancashire, and delivered to RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire. They were eventually assigned to the No.24 (Communications) Squadron at RAF Hendon, Middlesex, where they evaluated and considered as not fit for operational duty, so they were used ground trainers.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_SBC_Helldiver

2. Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 151 - SBC Helldiver in Action

ANF Les Mureaux 200

 

The ANF Les Mureaux 200 was a French frontline reconnaissance aircraft that never went beyond the prototype stage.

Back in late 1935 with the increasing development of more modern types, it was obvious that the most advanced type of the French firm (the Mureuax 115) needed some modernisation. Its most urgent problem to solve was the open cockpit which limited the maximum altitude the Mureaux 115 had.

The Mureaux 200 was a strut-braced all-metal parasol monoplane with a fixed landing gear. The fuselage and wings were basically identical to those of the Mureaux 115 with the exception of the rear gunner machine gun which was placed closer to the vertical stabiliser due to the configuration of the semi-enclosed glazed cockpit.

It was powered by a single Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs engine which could deliver up to 848 hp of power and drove a three-bladed propeller. The only built prototype was unarmed, which, according to some authors, was the reason why it managed to get better performance when compared to the Mureaux 115. 

Planned armament was the same as the 115 had: a single engine-mounted 7,5 mm MAC 1934 machine gun which fired through the propeller hub or a 20 mm HS-9 cannon replacing it. It could also have a single defensive MAC 1934 machine gun at the open end of the semi-enclosed glazed-cockpit in a defensive configuration shooting to the rear and another one firing downwards through a hatch, with up a total of 200 kg (440 lb) of bombs placed under the fuselage and under the wing.

A third crew-member, a radio operator, was needed as this type was going to be fitted with radio, which eventually, never got. 

Only a single prototype was completed at Ateliers des Mureaux, close to Paris, which flew for the first time on 15th May 1936 though unarmed. It showed good flying characteristics when compared to its immediate predecessor, the Mureaux 115, (possibly because it lacked the extra burden of weaponry) but it didn't attract the interest of the Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) or any other contractor whatsoever, so the type didn't enter mass production.

Following the tradition of this blog, we drawn an hypothetical production series version serving with the Armée de l'Air.

Sources:

1. http://www.airwar.ru/enc/other1/mureaux200.html (translated)

2. https://www.valka.cz/ANF-Les-Mureaux-200-A-3-t43273

Hanriot H.220

At the Paris Aeronautical Saloon held in November 1936 the Hanriot H.220 was presented. It was a striking all-metal three-seater and twin-engined aircraft.
It had an abbreviated oval-section monocoque fuselage, a shoulder-mounted semi-cantilever wing carrying split training-edge flaps over its entire span and was powered by two 450hp Renault 12roi 12-cylinder inline engines, projecting ahead of the fuselage nose.
The H.220 was designed around a C3 requirement issued by the Service Technique de l'Aeronautique (Technical Service of the Air Force) in October 1934. The contenders for that requirement were the Breguet 690 (which won the contract), the Potez 630, the Loire-Nieuport 20 and the Romano 110.
Soon became obvious that the aircraft would've been underpowered, so Hanriot chose to replace the Renault engines with two 680hp Gnome-Rhône 14M 14-cylinder radial engines and, with those engines installed, it made its maiden flight on 21st September 1937 at Avord, in France.
It was intended to be armed with two forward-firing 20mm cannons and two aft-firing 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns on a flexible mount but, no armament was mounted at all. On 17th February 1938 the prototype made a forced landing after losing the starboard propeller, following a failure in the reduction gearbox. The poor stability clearly showed during testing, combined with inadequate internal capacity and the lack of sturdiness forced a major redesign of the aircraft, resulting in the H.220-2 which, after Hanriot was nationalized, it became the SNCAC NC-600.

Sources:
1. http://www.aviastar.org/air/france/hanriot_h-220.php
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNCAC_NC-600
3. https://www.aviafrance.com/hanriot-h-220-aviation-france-50.htm (translated)

Morane-Saulnier MS.325

This is our last post until we come back from our well earned rest, son don't expect us for the next two weeks.
In the year 1930, when the French light weight fighter programme named legier Chase or Plan Caquot was judged a failure, the Service Technique de l'Aeronautique (Technical Aeronautical Service) issued a requirement for a C1 (monoplane de chasse - single-seat fighter) fighter, requirement which was upgraded shortly later on 26th January 1931.
The requirement called for a single-seat fighter powered by a supercharged engine with a cylinder capacity of between 26 and 30 l (1586.62 and 1830.71 cu in). Eventually no more than 10 designs and 12 prototypes were submitted, all of them designed around the 26 l (1586.62 cu in) Hispano-Suiza 12xbrs engine which yielded 650hp of power at 4500m (14800ft) high which had proven to be reliable and offered a relatively small frontal area. The Morane-Saulnier submissions included the Morane-Saulnier M.S. 275 which had the traditional parasol wing that was so typical of the firm. With the M.S. 325, however, a more innovative layout with a low-wing duraluminium-skinned all-metal configuration was chosen.
The M.S. 325 was somewhat modest in its configuration as it still featured an open cockpit with tail surfaces being, at the original sketches, fabric covered. The landing gear was fixed and the main wings were braced by two-spar exterior struts. The wings had two jettisonable internal fuel tanks placed at the root, with a pair of 7.7mm (0.303in) Châtellerault machine guns mounted above each of the widely spaced landing gear legs. One unusual feature was that the starboard wing had greater incidence than that of the port one to counter torque force and the engine was also very slightly canted to port to counter the resultant yaw.
The first prototype was flown for the first time at the hands of the company Chief Test Pilot Michael Détroyat in 1933 from the proving grounds of the factory in Vèlizy-Villacoublay. The first results weren't satisfactory as tail buffering was encountered which required the addition of wing root fairings and lowering the tailplane.
Tests continued and it still suffered from handling problems so, when compared to other competitors, the M.S. 325 was relegated to an "also-ran" status and the Dewoitine D.500 was chosen.
A developed variant with a Hispano-Suiza 12Xers engine and a 20mm (0.787in) firing through the propeller's hub was proposed, but the design was eventually abandoned as the Morane-Saulnier M.S. 405 was already showing good results with only partial performance tests completed.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_M.S.325
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Bloch MB.700

When the political situation in Europe was degradating during mid-1930s, the French Air-Ministry became aware about a possible shortage of steel or light alloys and therefore they considered the non-hazardous materials as the basis for their aircrafts. Therefore the Service Technique de l'Aeronautique (Technical Aeronautical Service) issued an order for a light-fighter on 12th January 1937 called program A23. The requirements were for a fighter made out of wood and powered by engines less powerful than conventional fighters. For the contract Arsenal, Caudron and Bloch submitted their designs.
André Herbemont, who had studied every SPAD fighter since 1918, knew specially well the way of building fighters out of wood, and he couldn't miss the oportunity of working in such project. Blériot Aeronautique, a subsidiary of SPAD, based in the city of Suresnes, had been regrouped in SNCASO with the Société des Avions Marcel Bloch based at Courbevoie and Marcel Bloch, managing director of the national company, had maintaned the independence of the design offices after grouping them under his name. Therefore it was in Suresnes where André Herbemont studied and built the prototype of the Bloch MB.700.
The prototype, which was heavily inspired by the Bloch MB.152, was made out of plywood cladding, except for the rear fuselage which was made out of metal. Double-spar wings were installed and it was there where the fuel tanks were installed (326L - 86.12 US gal) and a retractable landing gear housing inwards. It was powered by a single radial Gnome et Rhône 14M-6 which delivered 700hp of power which drove a three-bladed propeller, but the prototype never had any weapons installed. It was expected to have the same weaponry of the Bloch MB.152 which was either two 20mm HS-404 guns or two 7.5mm MAC 1934 M-39 machine-guns housed in the wings.
The prototype was moved by road to Buc (where the STA performed their tests) and flew for the first time on 19th April 1940 at the hands of Daniel Rastel. It wasn't until 13th May when it flew again, at the hands of Rastel again. During that flight, which lasted for 50 minutes, it achieved a speed of 550 km/h (341.75mph), which was remarkable, considering the power of the engine. Tests continued after the French capitulation of June 1940 and, when the Germans occupied the town of Buc, the prototype had been flown for a total of 10.25 hours of flight. The prototype was destroyed by the Germans who thought the prototype was booby-trapped.
A second prototype which included some improvements, but it was never completed. A strengthned version, named MB.720 was also projected, but it never left the drawing board.

Sources:
1. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloch_MB.700 (translated)
2. https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=1555
3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

SNCAC NC.600

In October 1934 the French Service Technique de l'Aeronautique (Technical Aeronautical Service) which was dependant of the Air Ministry, issued a requirement for a three-seated fighter. The contenders were Hanriot with its H.220 design, Potez with their 630 design, Breguet with their 690 design and Romano with their R-110 design. The H.220 was a twin-engined monoplane made entirely out of metal. The fuselage was a short, oval-section monocoque which accommodated the crew of three in tandem enclosed cockpits. Shoulder mounted wings were braced by a single short strut on each side and was equipped with full span trailing edge flaps and splits ailerons. It was going to be armed with two fixed forward firing 20mm cannons and two defensive machine-guns in the rear cockpit.
The prototype, which never flew, was fitted at first with two 450hp Renault 12Roi air-cooled V12 engines and was exhibited at the 1936 Paris Air Show.
The prototype was re-engined with two 680hp Gnome-Rhône 14M Radial engines just before flying for the first time in Avord, at the Val-de-Loire region, on 21st September 1937. However, tests showed that it was dangerously unstable and many changes were made therefore to the tail surfaces to try and rectify the problems, but the prototype had to made a forced landing and was badly damaged due to an engine failure on 17th February 1938. That landing wrecked the fuselage of the H.220 and SNCAC, which was a merge of both Hanriot and Farman, following a nationalisation of the aeronautical industry in 1937 took the advantage to carry out a major redesign of the aircraft, rebuilding almost totally the prototype.
The rebuilt and redesigned prototype received the designation of H.220-2, had a new fuselage, built out of two half shells joined by a central keel, with a twin-tail replacing the conventional single-fin tail surfaces of the earlier design. The wings were left unchanged and flew on this new form for the first time on 17th March 1939.
While the redesign process was going on, an order for six aircraft was placed in 1938 for evaluation purposes under the designation of NC.600 as the design was now intended to run for a 1936 specification for a long-range fighter competing against the Potez 670 and the SNCASE SE.100. The modified prototype was exhibited at the 1939 Brussels Air Show, but the real NC.600 was an even further modified aircraft. It featured redesigned wings and tail surfaces and was now a two-seat aircraft. Now it was even more armed with four 20mm forward-firing cannons and the defensive machine guns replaced by a single flexibly mounted cannon.
The prototype of the "definitive" version flew for the first time on 15th May 1940 but it didn't attract the attention of the Armée de l'Air as other types were preferred, like the Potez 671 or the SNCASE SE.100, however, any further work was halted by the French Armistice in June 1940.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNCAC_NC-600
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Aérocentre SNCAC NC.270

After World War II, the French Air Force wanted to update their bomber fleet with domestically built aircrafts in order to not have to rely on foreign-built bombers, mainly American and Britsh ones. On the technological part, it was obvious, for the French High Command, that the age of the propeller-driven bombers was over, so every propeller-driven bomber project was rejected.
In September 1945, the French Air Force's High Command issued a very ambitious programme for the French industry of the time.
The specifications for that bomber were that it should weight 25 to 28 tons at maximum with a payload of, at least, 5 tons of bombs with a maximum range of 3000km (1864milles) with a minimum speed of 900km/h (559mph) at 9000metres (29527ft) of altittude. It should've been powered by two British-built Rolls-Royce Nene engines. All evidence point that it was going to be underpowered.
Two French companies presented their projects in March 1946, the Sociétés Nationales de Constructions Aéronautiques (Aérocentre-SNCAC) and Sud-Ouest (SNCASO) with the N.C.270 and the SO.4000 respectively.
The fuselage was circular with a fuel deposit in the upper part and the bomb compartment that could carry up to 5 tons of bombs in the lower side. The two Rolls-Royce Nene engines were to be installed at the sides of the fuselage.
The cockpit was going to be located at the front and was integrated with the fuselage in order to erase any drag and make it completely aerodynamical. The expected crew of two, one pilot plus one navigator/bomber  would have acceded through a hatch located in the ventral part of the aircraft and it would've had a defensive remotelly-controlled turret with four 20mm guns located at the back, behind the tail. It would've had a trycicle landing gear with a main wheel retracting into the main fuselage and two smaller one retracting into the jet engines.
At the end of 1946, the construction of the N.C.270 prototype was going to be started after having tested with a 1/25 scale model of the aircraft attached to a SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc transport aircraft. At the factory of Boulogne-Billacourt, close to Paris, the engineers that designed the bomber realized that they had overstimated the power of the jet engines and therefore it was obvious that the power of the Rolls-Royce Nene engines was highly insufficient for an aircraft of those characteristics. Furthermore, the price of the project was highly understimated and therefore the project seemed to be a financial failure both for Aérocentre and the French Air Force.
The project was subsequently classified as "not prioritaire" and, in October 1947 the technical direction of Aérocentre abandoned definitely the project of the N.C.270 but retained the scale models in order to perform experimental aerodynamic testings.
According to some sources, Aérocentre continued on to build unofficially the prototype until June 1949 when they went bankrupt and shut down. It seems that the prototype was 60% to 85% complete. Anyway, the company was bought by SNECMA -Safran Aircraft Engines- and Aérocentre's factories were reconfigured to manufacture Renault piston engines.

Sources:
1. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNCAC_NC.270 (translated)
2. http://aerophile.over-blog.com/article-les-projet-secret-de-la-sncac-premiere-partie-104222679.html (translated)

Aérocentre SNCAC NC.1071

The Aérocentre SNCAC NC.1071 was a a French jet-engined dive-bomber developed after the end of the World War II.
After the accident of the first prototype of the previous NC.1070, it was decided to re-engine and modify the second prototype, becoming it the first prototype of the NC.1071 on 23rd October 1947.
It was powered by two Rolls-Royce Nene 101 jet engines and flew for the first time on 12th October 1948 on a flight between Toussus-le-noble and Bretigny pilotted also by Fernand Lasne. Trial flights reported that, even if the type had some faults, they could quickly be fixed and that the type had good flying characteristics except for the excessive vibrations at high speed. Later, on 27th July 1949, after a test flight in the Centre d'Essais de Vol (Flight Test Centre), the prototype suffered a small handling accident due to a deflated tire that damaged it. This time, as the project took 100 million of French Francs of the time, it was decided to repair it and to improve the fuselage characteristics. Therefore, new low-pressure tires were installed, the nose was modified in order to get better visibility, the defensive turret at the back was replaced by an observation post and additional fuel tanks were placed at the root of the wings. The pilot who tuned-up the modified prototype was Claude Dellys.
After those modifications, further test flights were performed, but on 8th May 1951 after a 0.7 mach high-speed flight, piloted by Jean Sarrail, the aircraft suffered serious deformations at the junctions of the drifts with the motor spindles. After landing it successfully, due to lack of interest in the type, it was decided to not repair it, and abandon it. It was written-off and sent to Rochefort Mechanics school where it ended its days there.
An all-weather heavy-fighter version, called NC.1072 was also expected, but as we couldn't find any blueprints about how it could've looked like, we haven't drawn it.

Sources:
1. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNCAC_NC.1071 (translated)
2. https://www.aviationsmilitaires.net/v2/base/view/Variant/12380.html (translated)
3. https://www.aviationsmilitaires.net/v2/base/view/Variant/12381.html (translated)

Aérocentre SNCAC NC.1070

In 1943, when France was occupied, the Navy launched, clandestinally a programme for a shipborne twin-engined aircraft destined to perform dive-bombing, torpedo-bombing and anti-submarine missions. After the discardment of many studies, the project of SNCAC was chosen in 1944 when most of France had been already liberated.
The NC.1070 was an all-metal twin-engined aircraft that was powered by two Gnome et Rhône 14R-25 engines delivering each of them 1600hp of power. It was armed with two 30mm cannons in the nose, it had provision for an unspecified number of rockets under the wings and could carry either one torpedo, an unsepecified number of depth-charges or a load of bombs. As defensive armament, the prototype was armed with two captured German 20mm MG 151 in a turret at the back.
After the war, the French Navy stimated that they would need at least 105 aircraft of that type and, as the project of the NC.1070 had strongly impress the French Navy, they demanded the finantiation of 15 aircrafts (12 to operate from land bases and 3 embarked). An order was signed on 20th August 1945 for three prototypes but the third one was called off on 25th April 1946. And those two were envisaged to serve on board the projected Clemenceau Aircraft Carrier (PA 28) that was never completed (later the French Navy commisioned a Clemenceau Aircraft Carrier but of another kind).
The NC.1070 flew for the first time on 23rd May 1947 piloted by Fernand Lasne. During various test flights, the good flying characteristics standed out but, also it was pointed the low reliability of the engines. On 9th March 1948 due to a malfunction of the landing gear, the prototype had the make a belly landing at the Toussus-le-Noble airfield. As the prototype was very damaged and Aérocentre's interes were already on jet-powered aircrafts, it was repaired and development moved on to the identical -albeit jet-powered- Aérocentre NC.1071.

Sources:
1. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNCAC_NC.1070
2. http://all-aero.com/index.php/44-planes-a-b-c/191-aerocentre-sncac-nc1070

Amiot 144 - Never produced variants

Today we bring you not one but three never produced aircraft as we post the never-built variants of the Amiot 144.
The Amiot 145 was the designation given to a proposed version of the Amiot 144 that was expected to be powered by two Hispano-Suiza 14AA delivering each of them 1100hp of power in order to improve the poor original performance of the Amiot 144.
The Amiot 146 was the designation given to another proposed version of the Amiot 144 expected to be powered by two Gnome et Rhône 18Lars engines delivering each of them 1100hp of power too. As that engine proved to be unsuccessful due to poor power-to-weight ratio, the project was discarded. Also, as we couldn't find any pic of how a Gnome et Rhône 18Lars looked like on an airplane, we left this variant undrawn.
The last one, the Amiot 147 was the designation given to another proposed version of the Amiot 144 expected to be powered by two Hispano-Suiza 12Ydrs/12Yfrs delivering each of them 880hp of power. This last one chose a less powerful but more reliable engine in order to improve the feeble performance of the Amiot 144.
All of them were discarded as the type was already obviously very obsolete by 1938-1939 and there were already better aircraft to centre the production on.

Sources:
1. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_amiot_145.html
2. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_amiot_146.html
3. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_amiot_147.html
4. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiot_143 (translated)

Amiot 150

The Amiot 150BE was an hydroplane designed to perform bombardment and reconnaissance mission (hence the BE that stands for "Bombardement Exploration"). The prototype, that was an hybrid between an Amiot 142 and 143, it had the nose turret of the 142 as well as the open dorsal turret but it was powered by the same Gnome & Rhône 14K radial engines of the Amiot 143 delivering each of them 740hp of power and it was also armed with the same MAC 1934 machine guns in the  nose, dorsal and two in the ventral posts.
The prototype flew for the first time in Cherbourg on 18th September 1937 with the single tail of the Amiot 143 and the floaters that made it, obviously, a seaplane. Due to the floaters, the maneouvrability was vastly reduced, and, looking for a way to improve it, it was decided to modify the tail and make it double. The modified twin-tailed prototype, flew for the first time on 3rd June 1939 but due to a hard landing it was heavily damaged and any further development was abandoned.

Sources:
1. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiot_143 (translated)
2. http://www.airwar.ru/enc/bww1/a150.html (translated)

Amiot 144

The Amiot 144 was a further development of the Amiot 143 that made its maiden flight on 18th January 1936.
The development consisted on giving the new aircraft retractable landing gear instead of the fixed one of the original Amiot 143. It had smaller wing area but with a bigger aspect ratio, by decreasing the width of the wings and they also featured wing flaps. It was armed with the usual four defensive gun points of the model, a turret (that was removed later in the prototype) in the nose, another spinal one, a ventral gun point and another one firing through the bottom part of the aircraft.
Twenty-five of them were ordered in September 1936, but the performance of the prototype was disappointing and by the end of 1936 the order was converted for 25 more Amiot 143M.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiot_143
2. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_amiot_144.html
3. https://www.aviafrance.com/amiot-144-aviation-france-2672.htm (translated)