The Breguet 690 Vultur design of 1948 was a mixed-powerplant design incorporating an Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop in the nose and a Hispano-Suiza Nene turbojet in the rear fuselage. The jet provided additional thrust for combat performance and take-off. Experience with the Vultur, first flown on 3 August 1951, led the French navy to abandon the idea of such a powerplant for a strike aircraft. Instead, Breguet was contracted to develop a three-seat carrier-based anti-submarine aircraft from the Vultur.
Engines: 1 x Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop & 1 x Hispano Nene turbojet.
Bréguet 121 is the prototype, on which the SEPECAT (acronym for Société Européenne de Production de l’Avion d’Ecole de Combat et d’Appui Tactique) Jaguar is based.
A Breguet designed four-engined STOL transport that would be suitable for civil or military use the Bre.941 relied upon the deflected-slipstream technique to generate additional lift. The four engines were mounted in nacelles at the wing leading edges so that slipstream from the propellers was distributed over the entire span of the wing.
Only 17% prop thrust is lost should one of the four 1250 shp Turbomeca Turmo IIID shaft turbines fail during takeoff since all props remain operative. Four 13 ft 8.5in diameter Ratier-Figeac hydraulically operated variable pitch fully reversible propellers provide airflow across the full 76 ft 1 in wing span. High-lift for slow speed is obtained by deflecting the slipstream with full span double-slotted flaps that work through 100 degrees, plus four hinged spoilers on each wing. Ailerons which extend across 42% of wing also droop for STOL operation.
Full-span double-slotted trailing edge flaps were provided, these also being within the slipstream when deployed to maximise their effect, and with no wing trailing edge available for ailerons to be installed for roll control, four hinged spoilers were provided on the upper surface of each wing.
Once power settings of the four engines are made by individual controls, uniform rpm is maintained by the co-pilot’s single long-arm throttle at the right of the console. In the pilot’s position duplicate master throttle is to the left of seat. Downward visibility windows are on each side of cockpit at end of instrument panel. Main landing gear which retracts into fairings on each side of fuselage is the Messier “Jockey” trailing arm design where two wheels of each unit are hydraulically interconnected. This provides wheel movement in both fore-and-aft and vertical directions for rough terrain operations.
The French air ministry ordered a prototype on 22 February 1960. It was of cantilever high-wing configuration, with an upswept rear fuselage to incorporate a rear loading ramp. Undercarriage was retractable tricycle landing gear that incorporated twin nosewheels, with tandem-wheel main units that retracted into fairings on each side of the fuselage. Powerplant was four 895kW Turbomeca Turmo HID turboprops, and the prototype was flown for the first time on 1 June 1961. Subsequent testing of the prototype resulted in Breguet receiving a contract from the French government for the supply of four production transports under the designation Breguet 941S. Production aircraft were fitted with more powerful Turbomeca Turmo engines, a longer nose to permit the installation of a large radome, and modification of the rear cargo door to allow for the airdrop of heavy loads.
Operated by a crew of two, these aircraft could carry up to 57 civil passengers, or 40 fully-equipped troops, or 24 stretchers. The first of the production Br.941S aircraft made its initial flight on 19 April 1967, and testing proved that with an all-up weight of 22000kg, which was in excess of an assault mission take-off weight, the Br.941S could become airborne in only 185m.
All four of the production aircraft entered service with the Armee de I’Air, but no additional examples were built. There had been hopes that, with assistance from the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, orders might be generated in the USA, but despite a demonstration tour in America, no production orders were received.
As there was a possibility the 941 may be made under licence in the US, during the 1969 demonstration tour it was designated McDonnell 188.
Engines: 4 x Turbomeca Turmo III D-3 turbo-prop, 1105kW Wingspan: 23.4 m / 76 ft 9 in Length: 23.8 m / 72 ft 11.5 in Height: 9.4 m / 30 ft 7 in Wing area: 83.4 sq.m / 897.71 sq ft Take-off weight: 26500 kg / 58423 lb Empty weight: 13120 kg / 28925 lb Max payload: 15,000 lb Max. speed: 520 km/h / 323 mph Max speed at 10,000ft: 280 mph Cruise speed: 480 km/h / 298 mph Stall: 56 mph Ceiling: 8500 m / 27900 ft Range w/max.fuel: 3100 km / 1926 miles Range w/max.payload: 800 km / 497 miles Landing dist: 360 ft Crew: 2 Passengers: 55-60
The experimental Bregeut Br.940 first flew on 21 May 1958. For STOL operations, it is fitted with camber-changing slotted flaps, and large diameter, slow turning propellers driven by Turbomeca Turmo II turboprops.
The Br.940 was the prototype for the Br.941 series production.
The Breguet 906 Choucas (Jackdaw) is a slightly larger two-seater trainer development of the Fauvette with a wing span of 18m (59 ft 0 in) instead of the latter’s 15m, and the prototype flew for the first time on 26 October 1959.
It was not until April 1964 that the French government announced that they had decided to put it into production with an initial order for three, and as Breguet had ceased making sailplanes in 1963 Choucas production was entrusted to CAARP – Cooperative des Ateliers Aeronautiques de la Region Parisienne – at Beynes aerodrome in the Seine-et-Oise department.
CAARP replaced all the plastic parts with wooden components on the production aircraft, but the prototype was very similar in construction to the Fauvette, with the same three-section fuselage structure, the moulded plastic foam nose section housing the pilot’s seat, the steel tube centre portion covered with polystyrene skin containing the rear seat with its transparent canopy, and the rear fuselage being of plywood/Klegecel sandwich construction. The tail surfaces were the same construction as the Fauvette’s, and the cantilever shoulder wing had a single wooden spar with a plywood/Klegecel leading edge torsion box and a fabric-covered trailing edge. Slotted ailerons covered 45% of the span and the air brakes were metal and Klegecel sandwich like the Fauvette’s. The non-retractable monowheel has a brake and there is a shock-absorbing tailskid. There is provision for a baggage compartment for the pilots, and other optional ‘extras’ include a turn-and-bank indicator, artificial horizon, VHF radio and oxygen systems.
Span: 59 ft 0 in Length: 25 ft 11 in Wing area: 183.5 sqft Aspect ratio: 19.1 Empty weight: 640 lb Max take-off weight: 1,146 lb Max speed: 124 mph (in smooth air) Min sinking speed: 2.13 ft/sec at 43.5mph Best glide ratio: 30:1 at 43.5 mph
A postwar French sailplane designs, the Breguet 905 Fauvette (or Warbler) is a Standard Class single-seater with a V-tail and made its first flight in 1958. Like the Type 900 and 901 it was designed by J. Cayla.
Construction makes extensive use of Klegecel, the expanded plastic giving a very strong and light structure which was used before in the Type 901. The fuselage is built in three main parts, consisting of the nose section of moulded plastic foam including the pilot’s seat and flying controls; the centre fuselage, which is a steel tube framework covered with a moulded polystyrene skin and carries the wing, the cockpit attachment points and the towing hook; and the rear fuselage, which is of plywood/foam sandwich construction.
This sandwich is composed of 6mm plywood and 8mm of Klegecel, and the same sandwich construction is also used for the fixed tail surfaces, which can be folded to the vertical position for loading on a trailer; the movable surfaces are fabric covered. The cantilever single-spar shoulder wing is of similar plywood and Klegecel construction and has an NACA 63-series laminar flow section; the single spar is of wood and the air brakes are made up of a metal and Klegecel sandwich.
It was made available to customers either complete from the factory or in kit form for homebuilt assembly, and altogether 50 Fauvettes were built by Breguet.
The Fauvette soon made its mark in contest flying, and among the records set up in it was the United Kingdom distance record broken by Rear Admiral H. C. N. Goodharton 12 June 1959 with a flight of 388 miles.
905 Fauvette Span: 15.0 m / 49 ft 2.5 in Length: 6.22 m / 20 ft 4.75 in Wing area: 11.25 sq.m / 121.1 sq.ft Aspect ratio: 20.0 Wing section: NACA 63420/63613 Empty weight: 155 kg / 342 lb Max weight: 275 kg / 606 lb Water ballast: None Max wing loading: 24.5 kg/sq.m / 5.02 lb/sq.ft Max speed: 124 mph / 108 kt / 200 km/h Stalling speed: 29 kt / 54 km/h Max rough air speed: 92 kt / 170 km/h Min sinking speed: 0.65 m/sec / 2.13 ft/sec at 40 mph / 35 kt / 65 km/h Best glide ratio: 30:1 at 48 mph / 42 kt / 78 km/h
The Breguet 901 high-performance single-seat sailplane was developed in 1953 from the Type 900, Breguet’s first sailplane which, on its maiden flight on 13 May 1949, covered a distance of 292 miles at an average speed of 56mph which, had it been observed, would have set up a new French goal flight record.
The Type 900 was of all-wood construction with fabric covered wings of 46 ft 11 in span with slotted ailerons, slotted flaps and metal dive brakes, and a plywood-covered fuselage. The Type 901, designed by J. Cayla, incorporated several advanced features for its time and took first place in the single-seater class at the 1954 World Gliding Championships at Camphill, going onto repeat this success at the 1956 World Championships in France, by which time a production batch of 60 had been put in hand. The 901 differed from the 900 chiefly in having a longer span (56ft 10in) wing of higher aspect ratio and a more streamlined fuselage, with the large blown Plexiglas cockpit canopy flush with the fuselage top line, a practice since adopted by many other sailplane designers. Another unusual feature was the carriage of 165 lb of water ballast in the wings, which could be discharged through openings just beneath the wings in each side of the fuselage.
Construction was very similar to the Type 900 with slotted ailerons and multi-hinged slotted Fowler flaps on the laminar-flow wing, and metal dive brakes on the upper and lower surfaces. The leading edge torsion box is a sandwich of plywood and Klegecel, an expanded plastic pre-formed under heat to the required shape, giving very strong and light structure. The single spar is of spruce and plywood and wing covering is of plywood and fabric. The tail unit is of very similar construction, and the tailplane and elevators can be folded horizontally for transport. The fuselage is a plywood-covered monocoque with a single retractable monowheel with hydraulic brake for landing; a landing can be made with the wheel retracted without serious damage to the structure. The pilot is provided with radio, blind-flying equipment and oxygen.
The Type 901-S1, which first flew in 1956, differed from the 901 in having modified flaps, a slightly longer fuselage and larger tailplane. The Breguet 904 Nymphale is a two-seater version of the 901, the first of two prototypes making its maiden flight on 26 May 1956.
This featured a laminar-flow wing of 20m (65ft 7in) span and end-plate fairings called ‘salmons’ on the wing tips; the second seat increased the length to 29ft 6in.
901-S1 Span: 17.32 m / 56 ft 10 in Length: 7.57 m / 24 ft 10 in Wing area: 15.0 sq.m / 161.5sq.ft Aspect ratio: 20 Wing section: NACA 63 series Empty weight: 265 kg / 584 lb Max weight: 430 kg / 948 lb Water ballast: 75 kg / 165 lb Max wing loading: 28.67 kg/sq.m / 5.87 lb/sq.ft Max speed: 136 mph / 119 kt / 220 km/h Stalling speed: 33.5 kt / 62 km/h Max rough air speed: 97 kt / 180 km/h Min sinking speed: 2.0 ft/sec / 0.60 m/sec at 45 mph / 39 kt / 72 km/h Best glide ratio: 36:1 at 53 mph / 46 kt / 85 km/h
With a French Air Force requirement to replace the Douglas C-47 and Amiot AAC-1, in 1948, Breguet came to the conclusion that in the near future a high capacity transport aircraft would be needed that could be used for by both civilians and military. Prototype 890J Mercure commercial transport was originally to be powered by two Jumo 211 but with the availability of the British Hercules engine the designation was changed to 890H. The prototype of the basic model Breguet Br.890H Mercure is a cantilever monoplane with a high-wing, construction – all metal, except fabric covering control surfaces of the empennage. The power plant consisted of two Bristol Hercules 739 engines rated at 2000 hp. The aft fuselage contains a swing tail to allow access. On the ceiling of the cargo compartment rails fastened to the lift / winch designed for the download directly from the truck through the back as well as through a side door. It had a retractable tricycle landing gear. One was built and first flown in April 1950.
890H Mercure
Br.891R Mars was a military transport version of Br.890H Mercure, retained the structural features of the latter, but distinguished by folding the seats for 20 paratroopers laid along the sides, and doors on the sides for dropping paratroopers in the air, as well as the hatch to clear the cargo container, and fixing landing site for towing gliders. The power plant consisted of two Gnome-Rhone 14R-200 rated at 1600 hp (1,193 kW). One was built and first flew in November 1949. The first to fly on 1 March 1949, the Breguet 892S Mercure had four 500 hp (373 kW) Renault 12S inline piston engines. A convertible cargo/passenger variant, one was built and the 892S was later converted to be the second 890H. Only one prototype of each variant was built, the French Air Force ordered the Nord Noratlas rather than the Mars and with the availability of war-surplus aircraft like the Douglas DC-3 available to commercial operators the type did not enter production.
Breguet Br.890H Mercure Engines: 2 x Bristol Hercules 739, 2000 hp
Breguet Br.892R Mercure Engines: 4 x Renault 12S, 500 hp / 373 kW Maximum speed: 350 kph at 2500 m Cruising speed: 285 kph at 1500 m Range: 1000 km Empty weight: 8,990 kg Maximum take-off weight: 16 000 kg Wingspan: 30.60 m Length: 21.60 m Height: 7.20 m Wing area: 101.20 sq.m
Breguet Br.892S Mercure Engines: 4 × Renault 12S inline piston, 370 kW (500 hp) each Length: 21.60 m (70 ft 10 in) Wingspan: 30.60 m (100 ft 5 in) Height: 7.20 m (23 ft 7 in) Wing area: 101.20 m2 (1,089.3 sq ft) Empty weight: 800 kg (1,764 lb) Max takeoff weight: 16,000 kg (35,274 lb) Maximum speed: 350 km/h (220 mph; 190 kn) at 2500m Cruising speed: 285 km/h (177 mph; 154 kn) at 1500m Range: 1,000 km (621 mi; 540 nmi)
The 763 and 765 transport aircraft were the production developments of the 761, the design of which began in 1944. The prototype 761 powered by four 1,192kW SNECMA 14R engines and first flew on 15 February 1949. A pre-series of three aircraft, designated 761S, was then produced, powered by 1,490kW Pratt & Whitney R-2800 B31 engines.
Br.761 1949
The 763 was the first production version of the Deux Ponts. Twelve were ordered by Air France in 1951, powered by four 1,788kW R-2800 CA18 engines. The inaugural flight was on 16 March 1953, on the Algiers-Marseilles-Lyon-Marseilles-Tunis run. The plane, powered by four 2400-hp Pratt & Whitney Double Wasps, carried some 107 passengers, 59 in tourist class on an upper deck and 48 in a second-class cabin below; alternatively, 135 could be carried in economy class. They were used mainly on routes to North Africa, but some have worked extra peak-period services to London Airport.
In 1958 a Breguet 763 make a demonstration tour, including New York’s International Airport at Idlewild.
The fuselage was generally similar to that of the 761, but the wing span was increased and the wings were reinforced. It was a convertible passenger/cargo airliner with standard accommodation for 59 tourist-class passengers on the upper deck and 48 second-class passengers on the lower.
The 765 Sahara was the military transport version with accommodation for 146 fully equipped troops, 85 stretchers and medical attendants or freight (including military vehicles loaded through the large rear-opening ramp). Fifteen were ordered for the French Air Force in 1956 powered by Pratt & Whitney R-2800 GB-16 or CB-17 engines. The first flew on 6 September 1958.
The Bre.764 was a special maritime patrol/anti-submarine version of the Breguet Deux-Ponts. It was fitted with tip-tanks and dorsal/ventral turrets and radome.
Br.761 Engines: 4 x Gnome et Rhone 14R Wingspan: 136 ft 6 in Top speed: 323 mph
Engine: 4 x P+W R-2800 CA18 Double Wasp, 2400 hp / 1765kW Wingspan: 43.0 m / 141 ft 1 in Length: 28.9 m / 94 ft 10 in Height: 9.9 m / 32 ft 6 in Wing area: 185.4 sq.m / 1995.63 sq ft Take-off weight: 51600 kg / 113759 lb Empty weight: 32241 kg / 71080 lb Cruise speed: 380 km/h / 236 mph Ceiling: 6000 m / 19700 ft Range w/max.fuel: 4000 km / 2486 miles Range w/max.payload: 2300 km / 1429 miles Crew: 2-5 Passengers: 107-135
Breguet 763 Provence Engines: 4 x Pratt and Whitney Double Wasp CA-18 2,400 hp Span: 140ft Wing area: 1996 sq.ft Length: 94 ft 11 in Height: 31 ft 4 in Empty weight: 55,8890 lb Loaded weight: 110,230 lb Max cruise: 230 mph at 9842 ft ROC: 740 fpm Range: 2367 mi
Louis Breguet produced his third “Gyroplane” in 1949; the Model G.IIE. The GIIE had a streamlined fuselage and T-tail and cabin space for a pilot and four passengers. Constructed on behalf of the Societe Francaise du Gyroplane by Breguet, the prototype had an all-metal fuselage with a tall fin and small T-tailplane. It had a cabin for five people and a fixed tricycle undercarriage. The 240hp Potez 9E engine was buried in the fuselage behind the cabin, and three-bladed all-metal rotors were used.
First flew on 21 May 1949, at Villacoublay-Velizy to the south of Paris, the G.IIE was found to be underpowered and it was re-engined with a 450hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior – in which form it became the G.III, first flown in 1950.
Following testing in 1951 development was discontinued and F-WFKC was donated to the Musee de l’Air.
