Bréguet 270


The Bréguet 27 was a 1930s French biplane military reconnaissance aircraft, built for the Armée de l'Air and for export to Venezuela and China.

Design and development

The Breguet 27 was designed in response to a 1928 request for proposals by the Armée de l'Air. Breguet submitted a large all-metal sesquiplane with an unusual fuselage that ended abruptly, aft of the two open cockpits. The empennage was mounted on a boom behind the fuselage. Construction was largely of steel tubing with non-structural aluminium alloy sheeting and fabric covering for wings and empennage.
The prototype exhibited mediocre performance during flight trials. Nonetheless the military placed orders for 85 aircraft in 1930 and 45 in 1932, this latter batch having a more powerful engine fitted. Two high-altitude reconnaissance versions were also built as the Breguet 33, but these did not lead to further production.

Operational history

Breguet 27s continued in military service through the outbreak of World War II, still equipping three Groupes at the time of the initial German offensive. After they began suffering combat losses, the Army withdrew all remaining examples from service.
The two Breguet 33 high-altitude reconnaissance prototypes were used to make significant long-distance flights. The first aircraft was flown from Paris to Hanoi in January 1932 by Paul Codos and Henri Robida in 7 days, 9 hours and 50 minutes, and back again in just 3 days 4 hours and 17 minutes. The second aircraft was flown by Maryse Hilsz on a tour of Asia, visiting Calcutta, Saigon, Hanoi, and Tokyo before returning to Paris via Saigon, eventually covering around 35,000 km. Hilsz also won the 1936 Coupe Héléne Boucher flying a Breguet 27 at an average speed of 277 km/h.
The French army ordered 85 270s in 1930. In 1932, 45 Breguet 271s, with a more powerful 484 kW engine, and larger useful load were ordered. Older 270s were modified for VIP liaison duties.

Variants

;Breguet 27S
;Bre.270
;Bre.271
;Bre.272
;Bre.272TOE
;Bre.273
;Bre.274
;Bre.330
;;Bre.330.01

Operators

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