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| Breguet 19 |
Introduction
The Breguet 19 (also known as Breguet XIX, Br.19, or Bre.19) was a light bomber and reconnaissance biplane made for the French Armee de l’Air. There were also several civilian variants, many used for long-distance flights.
Development
Designed by chief Breguet engineer, Marcel Vuillerme, the new aircraft was to be a successor to the Breguet 14, a successful World War I light bomber. The prototype for the new aircraft first appeared at the Salon Aeronautique in November 1921. The original prototype equipped with an experimental Bugatti powerplant, comprised of two eight-cylinder Bugatti engines coupled to drive a single four-bladed propeller. In March of 1922, a new design appeared with a more conventional layout and a 450hp Renault 12Kb inline engine. Eleven more evaluation aircraft followed this prototype. After trails, the Armee de l’Air ordered the type in September 1923.
The first eleven prototypes had several different engines, and due to the use of duralumin as a construction material (rather than steel or wood), the Br.19 was faster than most other bombers of its time, and could even outrun some fighter aircraft. This caused a huge interest in the aircraft around the world, which was also helped by its success in the civilian market. Mass production for both the French military and for exportation began in 1924.
Design
The Br.19 was a biplane of sesquiplane design, with a conventional layout. The fuselage was an ellipsoid in the cross-section, the frame made of duralumin pipes. The front area was covered with duralumin sheets, while the tail and wings were covered in canvas. The wings were two-spar structures, the framing made of duralumin. The tail, featuring horn-balanced elevators, also was framed with duralumin. The landing gear of production aircraft as a simple cross-axle type, having a single tapered strut on each side with cable cross-bracing, and it had a rear-skid rather than a tailwheel. It seated a crew of two, with open, tandem cockpits and dual controls.
The Br.19 was fitted with many different engines, the majority of which were water-cooled twelve-cylinder’s including the Renault 12Kb, Lorraine-Dietrich 12Db, 12Eb, and 12Ed, the Hispano-Suiza 12Ha and Hb, and the Farman 12We. Yugoslavian aircraft were also equipped with the Gnome-Rhone 9Ab Jupiter 9-cylinder radial. These engines all drove a two-bladed wooden propeller.
The military versions were armed with a fixed 7.7mm Vickers machine gun for the pilot, firing through the propeller. The observer had a twin mount of trainable 7.7mm Lewis guns, and some variants carried a fourth gun to be fired downwards by the observer through a floor opening. The CN2 night fighter variant had two forward-firing guns. The bomber variant carried up to 472kg of bombs under the fuselage or in a vertical bomb bay. The reconnaissance variant could carry twelve 10kg bombs, and had a small camera mounting (which was optional in the bomber version). All variants were equipped with a radio.
Operational History
The type saw use in many militaries. The French began operating their Br.19 A2 in autumn 1924, the B2 in June 1926, and the C2 and CN2 later. In the later 1920’s and early 1930’s, the Br.19 was the most numerous French combat aircraft. While some structural strengthening became necessary in its early career, the Br.19 gave outstanding service to the French military. It was used against rebel Druze tribesman in Syria, and against Riff insurgents in Morocco. It formed the backbone of day bomber and reconnaissance units for many years. However, it eventually went on to become obsolete, and began to be withdrawn in the early 1930’s. Its final use was in night-fighter units, a role to which it was unsuited, and the last of these were withdrawn from service in 1935. However, it was still used in French colonies in the Middle East and North Africa into World War II.
In 1923, Breguet began an export campaign for the Br.19. The prototype was featured at an international competition organized by the Spanish War Ministry. The Br.19.01 was sold to the Spanish, while the Br.19.02 was supplied to Yugoslavia.
The Belgians bought six Br.19 B2’s in 1924, and manufactured 146 A2’s and B2’s under license at the SABCA works between 1926 and 1930. Theirs were powered by 450hp Lorraine-Dietrich 12Eb W-12’s, and 450hp Hispano-Suiza 12Ha V-12’s.
Greece’s Hellenic Air Force bought thirty Br.19 A2’s, and used them for reconnaissance missions against the Italians in 1940.
The Polish Air Force bought 250 Br.19 A2’s and B2’s powered by Lorraine-Dietrich 12Eb’s. The first Br.19 entered Polish service in 1926, though most were delivered in 1929 and 1930. They were withdrawn from combat units between 1932 and 1937, and used as trainers up until 1939. Though not used in combat during the German invasion, most were destroyed on the ground by the Luftwaffe.
After buying the original prototype, Spain purchased a license for production of the A2 and B2. The first 19 Spanish Br.19’s were imported, the next 26 assembled from French parts, followed by 177 built entirely in Spain. Fifty of these had Hispano-Suiza engines, and the rest had Lorraine-Dietrich 12Eb’s. The Br.19 was the main Spanish bomber and reconnaissance aircraft until the Spanish Civil War. In July of 1936, less than 100 were in service with the Republican Air Force. They were used as bombers on both sides during the civil war. In 1936, the Nationalists acquired twenty from Poland. When more modern fighters entered into the war, the losses mounted and they were withdrawn from frontline service. The Republicans lost a total of twenty-eight, and the Nationalists ten (these figures include two Republican and one Nationalist aircraft that deserted). All remaining aircraft were used for training until 1940.
The Yugoslav Royal Air Force bought 100 Br.19 A2’s in 1924, and in 1927 acquired a license to manufacture them in their new factory at Kraljevo. The initial batch of 85 was assembled from French parts, followed by 215 built from scratch. Theirs were powered by Lorraine-Dietrich’s, Hispano-Suiza 12Hb’s, and 420hp Gnome-Rhone 9Ab Jupiter 9-cyilnder radials. In 1932, the factory began production of the Br.19.7, with the first five built in France, and the next 75 in Yugoslavia. A further 48 were built without engines, and completed between 1935 and 1937 with Wright Cyclones. Some were used in combat after the German assault in 1941.
Yugoslavian partisans under Marshal Tito operated a defected Croatian Br.19 in June and July of 1942 until it was shot down. Another two were captured by forces of the new Communist government, and used in the pursuit of the Ustashe (Croatian Revolutionary Movement).
Argentina operated twenty five aircraft. Bolivia operated ten and used them in the Chaco War against Paraguay. Brazil operated five aircraft. The Chinese Nationalist Air Force received four aircraft purchased by the Chinese government, and the Manchurian warlord Zhang Zuolin purchased seventy aircraft. Croatia used forty-six aircraft in anti-partisan missions. Italy’s Regia Aeronautica bought a single aircraft for testing. Japan bought several Br.19’s, and it is believed that Nakajima license built some aircraft. The Persian Air Force acquired two aircraft. The Royal Romanian Air Force bought fifty Br.19 A2’s and B2’s. The Soviets bought a single Br.19 for testing. Turkey bought twenty Br.19 B2’s, followed by fifty Br.19.7’s, which were used for bombardment and reconnaissance during the Dersim Rebellion. The United Kingdom acquired one for testing. Venezuela operated twelve aircraft, and Uruguay also operated Breguet 19’s.
The Br.19 was used for many record-breaking flights, made by both standard and modified aircraft. The first record was made by the prototype, which won the military aircraft speed contest in Madrid on February 17, 1923. On March 12, 1923, it set an international altitude record of 19,660ft (5,992 meters) while carrying a load of 500kg.
There were many long-distance flights made. In February 1925, a Br.19 was piloted from Brussels to Leopoldville, central Africa – a 5,500 mile (8,900km) flight. Two Br.19 A2’s bought by the Japanese Asahi Shimbun newspaper were fitted with additional fuel tanks, and flew the Tokyo-Paris-London route in July of 1925, covering 8,600mi (13,800km). Between August 27 and September 26, 1926, a Polish Br.19 flew from Warsaw to Tokyo and back (6,400mi, 10,300km each way) in a modified Br.19 A2, despite the fact that one of the lower wings was broken on the way. Between 1927 and 1930, Polish, Romanian, and Yugoslav Br.19’s were often used in the Little Entente Air Races.
Several world records were set by the Br.19, mostly long-distance, non-stop flights. The first was Arrachart and Lemaitre’s 1,967mi (3,166km) flight from Paris to Villa Cisneros in 24.5 hours on 2-3 February, 1925. On 14-15 July, 1926, Girier and Dordilly set a new record of 2,930mi (4,716km), flying from Paris to Omsk. This was beaten on August 31-September 1 by Challe and Weiser’s 3,215mi (5,174km) flight, and also on October 28 by Dieudonne Costes and Rignot’s 3,390mi (5,450km) flight. From October 10, 1927 to April 14, 1928, Costes and Le Brix flew around the world, covering 35,418mi (57,000km), though the leg between San Francisco and Tokyo was taken by ship.
The Super Bidon variant was created especially for transatlantic flight. Named the Point d’Interrogation (the Question Mark), Dieudonne Costes and Maurice Bellonte made a non-stop distance record of 4,911mi (7,905km) from Paris to Moulllart on September 27-29, 1929. On September 1-2, 1930, it was flown from Paris to New York City, a distance of 3,900mi (6,200km), making it the first non-stop, east-west, fixed-wing crossing of the North Atlantic. The second Super Bidon disappeared over Mexico along with M. Barberan and J. Collar Serra after a transatlantic flight from Seville to Cuba in 1933.
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| Point d'Interrogation at Le Bourget |
Variants
Br.19.01: First Br.19 prototype, first flown March 1922 and later bought by Spain.
Br.19.02 through Br.19.011: Pre-production aircraft, lengthened fuselage by 60cm. Br.19.02 sent to Yugoslavia for evaluation in 1923.
Br.19 A2: Two-seat observation and reconnaissance version. Could carry light bombs on underwing racks.
Br.19 B2: Two-seat light bomber. Basically identical to A2, but with provision for up to 800kg of bombs
Br.19 CN2: 40 aircraft converted as night fighters with two forward-firing guns.
Br.19 GR: (Grand Raid) Variant specially modified for long-distance flights, after early long-range attempts made with regular Br.19 A2 fitted with additional fuel tanks. First GR had fuel tank of 230 US gal (2000 liters), and captured world distance record 1925. 1926, three more aircraft modified to Br.19 GR with larger fuel tanks fitted in fuselage, total up to 770 US gal (2900-3000 liters). Cockpit moved slightly aft, wingspan increased to 48.65ft. Three aircraft had different engines. 1927, aircraft no.1685 fitted with 600hp Hispano 12Lb, and fuel capacity extended to 925 US gal (3500 liters), and wingspan increased by a meter. Christened Nungesser et Coli after the two airmen who disappeared in transatlantic flight attempt in May 1927. Fifth aircraft built for Greece called Hellas with 550hp Hispano 12Hb.
Br.19 TR Bidon: (Bidon – Literally Petrol Can) Built 1927, various aerodynamic refinements and 987 US gal (3735 liter) fuel in fuselage. Additional fuel tank in wings, total capacity 1089 US gal (4125 l). Five built by Breguet, two by Spanish company CASA. Three French aircraft had 600hp Hispano 12Lb, one had 550hp Renault 12 kg, and one had 450hp Lorraine 12eb. First Hispano powered aircraft sold to Belgium, and Renault powered sold to China after a Paris to Beijing flight. Third Hispano powered became French Br.19 TF. Second Spanish aircraft christened Jesus del Gran Poder, and flown from Seville to Bahia, Brazil.
Br.19 TF Super Bidon: Last and most advanced long-distance variant, 1929, designed for transatlantic flight. Was third Br.19 TR Hispano powered, named Point d’Interrogation (the Question Mark), with modified fuselage, 60ft wingspan, and 5370 liter fuel capacity. Powered by 600hp Hispano-Suiza 12Lb (later replaced by 650hp 12Nb). Another aircraft, with closed canopy built in Spain 1933. Christened Cuatro Vientos, flew from Seville to Cuba, and disappeared while flying to Mexico.
Br.19 ter: Utilizing experience with long distance variants, improved recon variant developed 1928, but remained prototype.
Br.19.7: Most popular of late variants, 1930, 600hp Hispano-Suiza 12Nb, max speed 150mph. First five converted in France for Yugoslavia, then several built in Yugoslavia, and another 50 built in France for Turkey.
Br.19.8: 780hp Wright Cyclone GR.1820-F-56 radial, 48 Br.19.7 airframes completed as Br.19.8’s in Yugoslavia. Max speed 173mph.
Br.19.9: Single prototype developed in Yugoslavia with 860hp Hispano Suiza 12Ybrs engine.
Br.19.10: Fitted with twin floats as seaplane, single prototype produced for France. Another aircraft sold to Japan and fitted with floats by Nakajima
Nakajima-Breguet Reconnaissance Seaplane: Nakajima-built Breguet 19-A2B seaplanes.
Specifications
Br.19 A2
Crew: 2
Length: 31ft 6¼in
Height: 12ft 1¼in
Wingspan: 48ft 7¾in
Wing Area: 538 sq ft
Empty Weight: (Lorraine) 3,058lb (Renault) 3,796lb
Max Weight: (Lorraine) 5,511lb (Renault) 6,856lb
Powerplant: 1x 450hp Lorraine 12Ed or 12D 12-cylinder liquid-cooled inline
OR: 1x 513hp Renault 12Kb 12-cylinder liquid-cooled inline
Max Speed: (Lorraine) 133mph (Renault) 146mph at sea level
Range: (Lorraine) 497 miles (Renault) 746 miles
Ceiling: (Lorraine) 23,620ft (Renault) 22,640ft
Armament: 1x 7.7mm Vickers machine gun
2x 7.7mm Lewis machine guns flex-mount rear cockpit
Light Bombs
Sources:
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