Bréguet 19


The Breguet 19 was a light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, also used for long-distance flights, designed by the French Breguet company and produced from 1924.

Development

The Breguet 19 was designed as a successor to a highly successful World War I light bomber, the 14. Initially, it was designed to be powered by a Bugatti U-16 engine, driving a four-blade propeller, and such a prototype was shown on the 7th Paris Air Show in November 1921. A new design was flown in March 1922, featuring a conventional layout with a single Renault 12Kb inline engine. The aircraft was built in a sesquiplane platform, with lower wings substantially smaller than the upper ones. After trials, the Breguet 19 was ordered by the French Armys Aéronautique Militaire in September 1923.
The first 11 Breguet 19 prototypes were powered by a number of different engines. A "trademark" of Breguet was the wide usage of duralumin as a construction material, instead of steel or wood. At that time, the aircraft was faster than other bombers, and even some fighter aircraft. Therefore, it met with a huge interest in the world, strengthened by its sporting successes. Mass production, for the Aéronautique Militaire and export, started in France in 1924.

Design

The Breguet 19 was a biplane, conventional in layout, with braced wings. The fuselage, ellipsoid in cross-section, was a frame of duralumin pipes. The front part was covered with duralumin sheets, the tail with canvas. The wings were canvas covered. It had a conventional fixed landing gear with rear skid. The crew of two, pilot and observer/bombardier, sat in tandem in open cockpits, with dual controls.
A wide variety of engine types were fitted, mostly water-cooled V-12 or W-12 inline engines, including the following:
A fixed Vickers machine gun with an interrupter gear was operated by the pilot, while the observer had twin Lewis Guns. There was also a fourth machine gun, which could be fired by the observer downwards through an opening in the floor. The Br.19CN2 night fighter variant was fitted with two pilot's machine guns. The bomber variant could carry up to of bombs under the fuselage, or in a vertical bomb bay. The reconnaissance variant could carry 12x bombs. The reconnaissance variant had a camera mounting, which was optional on the bomber variant. All variants had radio.

Operational history

The Breguet had its baptism of fire in the Spanish Civil War.

Greece

In the Greco-Italian War of World War II, 18 Breguets were on line at the outbreak of war, with 1 Observation Mira, under I Corp Command, based at Perigiali, near Corinth and with 2 Observation Mira under II Corps command, based at Larissa and Kozani.
On 4 November 1940, a RHAF Breguet from 2 Mira was sent looking for the attacking 3rd Julia Alpine Division, locating it in a mountain pass near Metsovo. Three more Breguets sent to bomb the Italian division were in turn attacked by three Fiat CR.42 fighters. A Breguet was shot down, one crash-landed and the third returned to base, though badly shot up.

Variants

;Br.19.01:Br.19.01 was the first Breguet 19 prototype which first flew in March 1922. It was later bought by the Spanish government.
, India en route from Paris to Tokyo in 1924
;Br.19.02 to Br.19.02.011:Pre-production aircraft, whose fuselage was lengthened by. The Br.19.02 was sent to Yugoslavia for evaluation in 1923.
No.2097
;Br.19 A.2:Two-seat reconnaissance aircraft.
;Br.19 B.2:Two-seat light bomber biplane. These first two variants were the most numerous, and were practically identical. They used a variety of engines, the most popular being the Lorraine-Dietrich 12Db, the Lorraine-Dietrich 12Eb, the Renault 12K, the Hispano-Suiza 12H and the Farman 12We.
;Br.19 CN.2:Night fighter version, almost identical to the B2 reconnaissance variant with two additional forward-firing machine guns.
;Br.19 GR: A variant specially modified for long-distance flights, after early long-range attempts were made with the regular Br.19 A2 no.23 fitted with additional fuel tanks. The first Br.19 GR had a fuel tank of about and captured the world distance record in 1925.
;Br.19 GR 3000 litres:In 1926, three further aircraft were modified to Br.19 GR 3000 litres specifications. They had larger fuel tanks fitted in the fuselage, with a total capacity of about. The cockpit was moved slightly aft, and the wingspan was increased to. The three aircraft were fitted with different engines: the first one had a Hispano-Suiza 12Hb, the others had Renault 12K and Farman 12Wers engines. In 1927, no.1685 received a new Hispano 12Lb engine, its fuel capacity was extended to and its wingspan was further increased by. It was christened Nungesser et Coli after the two airmen who disappeared in a transatlantic flight attempt in May 1927. A fifth aircraft was built for Greece, called Hellas, with a Hispano 12Hb.
, Madrid, Spain
;Br.19 TR Bidon:Built in 1927 with various aerodynamical refinements and of fuel in the fuselage. With an additional fuel tank in the wing, the total fuel capacity was. Five were built by Breguet and two by the Spanish company CASA. Three of the French aircraft had a Hispano-Suiza 12Lb, one had a Renault 12K, and one had a Lorraine 12Eb. The first Bidon Hispano was sold to Belgium, and the Bidon Renault was sold to China after a Paris–Beijing flight. The third Bidon Hispano became the French Br.19 TF. The second Spanish Bidon was christened Jesús del Gran Poder, and flew from Sevilla to Bahia.
at le Bourget airport
;Br.19 TF Super Bidon:The last and most advanced long-distance variant, built in 1929, and designed for transatlantic flight. The French Super Bidon was the third Br.19 TR Hispano, named Point d'Interrogation, with a modified fuselage, a wingspan of, and total fuel capacity. It was powered by a Hispano-Suiza 12Lb engine, later replaced by a Hispano-Suiza 12NLb. Another aircraft, with a closed canopy, was built in Spain in 1933. Christened Cuatro Vientos, it flew from Sevilla to Cuba, and disappeared while attempting to reach Mexico.
, Madrid, Spain
;Br.19 ter:Utilizing the experience with long-distance variants, this improved reconnaissance variant was developed in 1928, maybe for export purposes. It remained a prototype only.
;Br.19.7:The most popular of the late variants developed in 1930 with a Hispano-Suiza 12Nb engine, giving a maximum speed of. The first five machines were converted in France for Yugoslavia, then a number were built in Yugoslavia, and a further 50 built in France for export to Turkey.
;Br.19.8:With a Wright GR-1820-F-56 Cyclone radial engine, 48 Br.19.7 airframes were eventually completed as Br.19.8's in Yugoslavia. Their maximum speed was.
;Br.19.9:A single prototype developed in Yugoslavia with a Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs engine.
;Br.19.10:A single prototype developed in Yugoslavia with a Lorraine-Dietrich 12Hfrs Petrel engine.
;Br.19 hydro: Fitted with twin floats as a seaplane, a single prototype was produced for France. Another aircraft sold to Japan was fitted with floats built there by Nakajima.
;Nakajima-Breguet Reconnaissance Seaplane: Nakajima built Breguet 19-A2B seaplanes.
;Br.19T:
;Br.19T bis:
;Br.19 Limousine:, but these were never built.
;Breguet Br.26T:
;Breguet Br.26TSbis:
;Breguet Br.280T:
;Breguet Br.281T:
;Breguet Br.284T:
In total, more than 2,000 Breguet 19s were manufactured in France, and about 700 license-built by Spanish CASA, Japanese Nakajima, Belgian SABCA and the Yugoslavian aircraft factory in Kraljevo.

Operators

In April 1925, the factory Nakajima Hikoki KK acquired two aircraft from the French Breguet 19 A2, was a versatile aircraft with long-range bombers. Purchase of two aircraft was the work of well-known promoter and promoter of aviation Asahi Shinbun newspaper group. By factory Nakajima Hikoki KK won two planes had been able to fairly detailed knowledge of aircraft structures. At the same time opened negotiations to purchase licensing rights to manufacture, these negotiations were successful. Licensed production will eventually be made, because the Imperial Army Air Force expressed interest in reconnaissance. Nakajima Hikoki KK then immediately changed the wheel all-metal chassis for two floats and the Naval Air Force offered him. The Navy, however, at that time began to receive new aircraft in this category Yokosho Type 14 and also reflected his interest. Nakajima Hikoki KK it still ranked in the competition, the Air Force has called for maritime reconnaissance aircraft with long-range, this contest was ultimately canceled because it failed to accurately formulate long range category. Some time this plane flew again with wheeled undercarriage and civilian designation J-BBFO as a post. Unlike the French Breguet was driven by a powerful engine Nakajima Loriane 2, the French had first Loriane.
; Iran
; Kingdom of Spain & Spanish Republic
holding a bomb before the bombardment mission over Dersim with her Breguet 19.
Both standard and modified Breguet 19s were used for numerous record-breaking flights. The first was the Br.19 prototype, which won a military aircraft speed contest in Madrid on 17 February 1923. On 12 March 1923, it also set an international altitude record of carrying a load. It was later bought by the Spanish government.
Many crews made long-distance flights in Br.19s. In February 1925, Thieffry flew from Brussels to Leopoldville in central Africa, a distance of. Two Br.19 A2s were bought by the Japanese Asahi Shimbun newspaper and fitted with additional fuel tanks. They were flown by H. Abe and K. Kawachi on the Tokyo-Paris-London route in July 1925, covering. Between 27 August and 25 September 1926, the Polish crew of Boleslaw Orlinski flew the Warsaw-Tokyo route and back, in a modified Br.19 A2, despite the fact that one of its lower wings was broken on the way. On June 8, 1928 a modified Greek Br.A2, flown by C. Adamides and E. Papadakos, embarked on a long distance tour around the Mediterranean landing without incident at Tatoi airfield, Athens, on July 1st. Between 1927 and 1930, Romanian, Yugoslavian and Polish Br.19s were often used in Little Entente air races.
Breguet 19 GRs and TRs set several world records, mostly of long-distance non-stop flights, starting with Arrachart and Lemaitre's flight from Paris to Villa Cisneros in 24½ hours on 2–3 February 1925. On 14–15 July 1926, Girier and Dordilly set a new record of between Paris and Omsk, beaten on 31 August-1 September by Challe and Weiser's, and on 28 October by Dieudonne Costes and Rignot's. From 10 October 1927 – 14 April 1928, Costes and Le Brix flew a Br.19 GR around the world, covering - though the journey between San Francisco and Tokyo was taken by ship.
The Super Bidon was created especially for the purpose of a transatlantic flight. It was named Point d'Interrogation. Dieudonne Costes and Maurice Bellonte set a non-stop distance record of from Paris to Moullart on 27–29 September 1929 on this aircraft. Then on 1–2 September 1930, they flew from Paris to New York City, a distance of making the first non-stop east-west crossing of the North Atlantic by a fixed-wing aircraft. The second Super Bidon, the Spanish Cuatro Vientos, vanished over Mexico with M. Barberan and J. Collar Serra, after a transatlantic flight from Seville to Cuba on 10–11 June 1933.

Specifications (Br 19 A.2)

Surviving aircraft