all-aero

Main Menu

Bloch MB.150-155

In July 1936 the M.B.150.01 prototype failed even to take-off. Redesign, abandoned for a period, was subsequently re-started and a first flight was successfully completed on 29 September 1937. The prototype had been revised with a larger wing and a 701-kW (940-hp) Gnome-Phone l4No radial.

Trials confirmed that the revised prototype was a promising fighter, and span and power were again increased.

Bloch had become part of a nationalised group by this time, and from this SNCASO was ordered the M.B.151 in the form of 140 aircraft including 25 pre-production machines. The airframe was redesigned for mass-production, and the first aeroplane flew on 18 August 1938 with the 14N-11 engine.

While testing and further production were taking place, the improved MB-152.01 with a 14N-25 engine, in place of the MB-151's less powerful 14N-35, was tested. The imminence of war led to additional orders, based on optimistic MB-152 performance figures (reached with inaccurate measuring instruments).

The first MB-151 delivered was not accepted by the Armee de l'Air until March 1939, and was regarded as unsuitable for combat. Even after modifications, Armee de l'Air MB-151 were utilised only for training.

MB.152

The designers had also been working on an improved version, the M.B.152 with more power and revised armament, first flying in December 1938. The Bloch 152 C1 cantilever low-wing monoplane was one of the standard Armee de l'Air fighters during the Battle of France in May-June 1940, but was comparatively unsuccessful.

The 745.2kWGnome-Rhone 14N-25 radial engine powering most Bloch 152 was insufficiently powerful to give good performance; a number had the improved 14N-49 engine and Chauviere 371 variable-pitch propeller, which rendered them more effective. It was clear, however, that the Bloch fighters (while robustly built and stable in flight) lacked manoeuvrability. Nevertheless Bloch-equipped units were credited with 146 confirmed and 34 probable victories by the time of the June 1940 Armistice.

MB.152

The first fighter Groupe to equip with the MB-152 was GC I/1 at Etampes-Mondesir in July 1939. The type was subsequently withdrawn for modification and when war broke out no Bloch fighters were in escadrille service. Re-equipment got under way at the end of 1939 and by the time of the German Blitzkrieg on 10 May 1940, 140 MB-151 and 363 MB-152 had been taken on charge by the French. Some of the former were to see service with navy fighter escadrilles. By the time of the Armistice the number of MB-152 accepted had risen to 482, plus one MB-153 (with Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp radial) and nine MB-155. The MB.155 first flew on 3 December 1939 and the MB.157 in March 1942

Nineteen more MB-155 were completed by the Vichy French. They differed from the MB-152 in detail and had increased fuel capacity. Externally the main change was in the adoption of a smooth engine cowling. The Vichy regime was allowed to retain six (out of nine) MB-152-equipped Groupes after June 1940, but only 215 MB-152 and MB-155 were on charge when the air arm was dissolved by the Germans in November 1942.

MB.155

Eventually 593 were delivered. 85 before the start of WW2 and not one was operational. All lacked gunsights and most lacked propellers.

The Germans impressed 173 MB.151 and 152, passing twenty MB-152 to Romania.

Others (plus some MB-155) ended their careers as Luftwaffe trainers or used by Vichy France. Nine MB-151 of a Greek export order were delivered to that country in 1940, but there is no record of their operational use.

MB.152
Engine: 1 x Gnome-Rhone 14N21, 735kW
Take-off weight: 2693 kg / 5937 lb
Empty weight: 2103 kg / 4636 lb
Wingspan: 10.5 m / 34 ft 5 in
Length: 9.1 m / 29 ft 10 in
Height: 3.0 m / 9 ft 10 in
Wing area: 17.3 sq.m / 186.22 sq ft
Max. speed: 482 km/h / 300 mph
Cruise speed: 440 km/h / 273 mph
Ceiling: 10000 m / 32800 ft
Range: 580 km / 360 miles
Crew: 1
Armament: 2 x 20mm machine-guns, 2 x 7.5mm machine-guns

MB.152
Engine: l x Gnome-Rhone 14N-25 or N-49, 805 or 820kW (1,080 or 1,100 hp).
Span: 10.55m (34ft 7.25 in).
Length: 9.1 m (29ft 10.25 in).
Max T/O weight: 2680 kg (5,908 lb).
Max speed: 320 mph at 13,125ft.
Operational range: 373 miles.
Armament: 2x20-mm Hispano-Suiza cannon and 2x or 4x7.5-mm (0.295-in) MAC machine-guns.

MB.152

Engine: l x Gnome-Rhone 14N-25, 805 kW / 1,080 hp

Span: 10.55m (34ft 7.25 in).

Length: 9.1 m (29ft 10.25 in).

Height: 3.98 m / 13 ft 0 in

Empty weight: 2020 kg / 4453 lb

Max T/O weight: 2680 kg (5,908 lb).

Max speed: 520 kph / 320 mph at 13,125ft.

Time to 6000 m / 16,400 ft: 6 min

Service ceiling: 10,000 m / 32,800 ft

Operational range: 600 km / 373 miles.

Armament: 2x20-mm HispanoSuiza 404 cannon (60 rds) and 2x or 4x7.5-mm (0.295-in) MAC 1934 machine-guns (500 ds each)

bloch-150-ld

MB.152

Joomla! is Free Software released under the GNU General Public License.