https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breguet_14
The Breguet 14 was a French biplane bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of World
War I. It was built in very large numbers and production continued for many
years after the end of the war. Apart from its widespread usage, it is known for
being the first mass-produced aircraft to use large amounts of metal rather than
wood in its structure. This allowed the airframe to be lighter than a wooden
airframe of the same strength, in turn making the aircraft very fast and agile
for its size, able to outrun many of the fighters of the day. Its strong
construction was able to sustain much damage, it was easy to handle and had good
performance. The Breguet 14 is often considered to have been one of the best
aircraft of the war.
The aircraft was designed by Louis Breguet, who flew the first prototype
(originally designated "Breguet AV Type XIV") on its first flight on 21 November
1916. The design was a return for Breguet to designing conventional planes,
after designing the pusher-type Breguet BUM. Later that month, the French Army's
different new aircraft types. Breguet submitted his new design for two of those
categories - reconnaissance aircraft, and bomber.
Following evaluation in February, the Breguet 14 was accepted for both these
roles, and in March, orders were placed for 150 reconnaissance aircraft and 100
bombers, designated "Breguet 14 A.2" and "14 B.2" respectively (by 1918 written
Breguet XIV A2/B2). The A.2s were equipped with cameras, with some carrying
radios, while the lower wing of the 14 B.2 was modified slightly in order to
accommodate bomb racks (built by Michelin). Both variants featured automatic,
bungee cord-operated aerodynamic flaps, but these were not fitted to production
aircraft. A number of B2 models were equipped with the U.S.-built Liberty engine
and were denoted "Breguet 14 B2 Ls".
Role
Bomber
Manufacturer
Breguet
Designer
Marcel Vuillierme
First flight
November 21, 1916
Introduction
1917
Primary users
US Army Air Service
Polish Air Force
Royal Thai Air Force
Produced
1916-1928
Number built
ca 7,800
Following successful deployment by the French, the type was also ordered by the
Belgian Army (40 aircraft) and the United States Army Air Service (over 600
aircraft). Around half the Belgian and U.S. aircraft were fitted with Fiat A.12
engines due to shortages of the original Renault 12F. By the end of World War I,
some 5,500 Breguet 14s had been produced.
The type continued to be widely used after the war, equipping the French
occupation forces in Germany and being deployed to support French troops in the
colonies. A special version was developed for the harsh conditions encountered
service in putting down uprisings in Syria and Morocco, in Vietnam and in
France's attempted intervention in the Russian Civil War. The last trainer
examples were not withdrawn from French military service until 1932.
Postwar, Breguet had also begun to manufacture dedicated civil versions. The 14
T.2 Salon carried two passengers in a specially modified fuselage. An improved
version of this was the 14 Tbis, manufactured as both a land-plane and seaplane.
The 14 Tbis also formed the basis of the improved 14 Tbis Sanitaire air
"CGEA", the airline used, among others, 106 Breguet 14s for flights over the
Sahara Desert. The 18 T was a single 14 T re-engined with a Renault Ja engine
and equipped to carry four passengers. When production finally ceased in 1928,
the total of all versions built had reached 7,800 (according to other sources,
8,000 or even 8,370).
Specifications (14B.2)
General characteristics
Crew: two
Length: 8.87 m (29 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 14.36 m (47 ft 1 in)
Height: 3.30 m (10 ft 10 in)
Empty weight: 1,010 kg (2,227 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 1,536 kg (3,386 lb)
Performance
Maximum speed: 190 km/h (95 kn, 109 mph)
Range: 900 km (486 nmi, 560 mi)
Service ceiling: 6,000 m (19,685 ft)
Rate of climb: 292 m/min (960 ft/min)
Power/mass: 145 W/kg (at max. takeoff weight) (0.09 hp/lb)
Armament
Bombs: 300 kg (660 lb)
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