Breguet 482

Last updated
Br 482
RoleBomber aircraft
National origin France
Manufacturer Breguet Aviation
First flight27 November 1947 [1]
Number built2

The Breguet 482 was a French four-engined bomber aircraft of the 1940s. It was designed prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, two prototypes were nearing completion when Germany invaded France in 1940, with one being flown after the end of the war as an experimental platform.

France Republic with mainland in Europe and numerous oversea territories

France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million. France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.

Contents

Development and design

In December 1936 the French Air Ministry issued a specification for a four-seat, twin-engined medium bomber, with Breguet's initial design, the Breguet 480 (or Bre. 480) to be powered with the specified 1,225 hp (914 kW) Gnome et Rhône 14L radial engines, [1] intended to carry 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of bombs over a 2,500 km (1,600 mi) radius. Gnome et Rhône abandoned the 14L however, so, after considering a version powered by two Hispano-Suiza 12Y V12 engines, Breguet reworked the design as the Breguet 482, with four 1,350 hp (1007 kW) Hispano-Suiza 12Z engines, [1] with an order for two prototypes placed by the French Air Ministry on 12 May 1938. [2]

Radial engine reciprocating engine with cylinders arranged radially from a single crankshaft

The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is called a "star engine" in some languages. The radial configuration was commonly used for aircraft engines before gas turbine engines became predominant.

Gnome et Rhône was a major French aircraft engine manufacturer. Between 1914 and 1918 they produced 25,000 of their 9-cylinder Delta and Le Rhône 110 hp (81 kW) rotary designs, while another 75,000 were produced by various licensees. These engines powered the majority of aircraft in the first half of the war, both Allied designs as well as German examples produced by Motorenfabrik Oberursel.

Hispano-Suiza 12Y V-12 piston aircraft engine

The Hispano-Suiza 12Y was an aircraft engine produced by Hispano-Suiza for the French Air Force in the pre-WWII period. The 12Y became the primary French 1,000 hp (750 kW) class engine and was used in a number of famous aircraft, including the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 and Dewoitine D.520.

The Breguet 482 was a mid-winged monoplane of all-metal construction, with a clean, low-drag, oval section monocoque fuselage, twin tails and a retractable tailwheel undercarriage. The planned defensive armament was a 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon in a power-operated dorsal position, with a 7.5mm machine gun in the nose and a further two machine guns in ventral mountings. [2] Up to 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) of bombs could be carried. [2]

Monoplane fixed-wing aircraft with a single main wing plane

A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with a single main wing plane, in contrast to a biplane or other multiplane, each of which has multiple planes.

Monocoque Structural design that supports loads through an objects external skin

Monocoque, also structural skin, is a structural system where loads are supported through an object's external skin, similar to an egg shell. The word monocoque is a French term for "single shell" or "single hull". First used in boats, a true monocoque carries both tensile and compressive forces within the skin and can be recognised by the absence of a load-carrying internal frame.

Conventional landing gear aircraft undercarriage arrangement with main gear forward plus tail support

Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail. The term taildragger is also used, although some claim it should apply only to those aircraft with a tailskid rather than a wheel.

Operational history

Construction of the two prototypes was well progressed when Germany invaded France on 10 May 1940, and in late May it was decided to evacuate the near complete prototypes from Villacoublay near Paris, with the first prototype being sent to Bône in Algeria and the second to the Breguet factory at Anglet, near Bayonne in the far south-west of France. [2] The first prototype was destroyed during a German air raid following the Allied invasion of French North Africa, but the second prototype remained untouched, despite the fact that Anglet had been occupied by the Germans since 1940. [2]

Battle of France Successful German invasion of France

The Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries during the Second World War. In the six weeks from 10 May 1940, German forces defeated Allied forces by mobile operations and conquered France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, bringing land operations on the Western Front to an end until 6 June 1944. Italy entered the war on 10 June 1940 and invaded France over the Alps.

Vélizy-Villacoublay Commune in Île-de-France, France

Vélizy-Villacoublay is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the south-western suburbs of Paris 13.9 km (8.6 mi) from the center and 3.2 km (2.0 mi) east of Versailles. Its inhabitants are called Véliziens.

Annaba City in Annaba Province, Algeria

Annaba, formerly known as Bona, and then Bône, is a seaport city in the northeastern corner of Algeria, close to Tunisia. Annaba is close to the small Seybouse River, and it is in the Annaba Province. With a population of about 260,000 (2008), Annaba is the fourth largest city in Algeria. It is a leading industrial center in eastern Algeria.

When the Germans withdrew, Breguet resumed work on the Br 482, proposing to complete it with more powerful Hispano-Suiza 12Z engines and a heavier armament. [1] The French Armée de l'Air had no requirement for a bomber, however, and it was decided to use the aircraft, with the planned modifications, but with armament removed, as a research aircraft. In this form it was finally flown for the first time in November 1947, being used for various experimental purposes, including testing of the 12Z engines. [2]

Hispano-Suiza 12Z

The 12Z, designated Type 89 by the company, was the final evolution of the series of Hispano-Suiza V-12 aircraft engines. The Z model had just entered production when France fell to the Germans during World War II. A small number were produced during the war but the German occupation government would not allow full-scale production to start. After the war small numbers were built to equip new designs, but the rapid introduction of the jet engine ended further development.

Variants

Bre 480
Original design, powered by two Gnome-et-Rhône 14L radial engines. Unbuilt. [2]
Bre 481
Proposed versions with two Hispano-Suiza 12Y engines and reduced wing area. [2]
Bre 481 B4
Planned bomber version of Bre 481. Unbuilt. [2]
Bre 481 Raid
Planned long-range record aircraft with further reduced wing area. [2]
Bre 482 B4
Four-engined bomber powered by Hispano-Suiza 12Z engines.
Bre 482 No 1
First prototype - destroyed 1942.
Br 482 No 2
Second prototype, completed 1947 as three-seat research aircraft.

Specifications (Breguet Br 482)

Data from [1] [2]

General characteristics

V12 engine piston engine with 12 cylinders in vee configuration

A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders each, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft. Since each cylinder bank is essentially a straight-six which is by itself in both primary and secondary balance, a V12 inherits perfect primary and secondary balance no matter which V angle is used, and therefore it needs no balance shafts. A four-stroke 12 cylinder engine has an even firing order if cylinders fire every 60° of crankshaft rotation, so a V12 with cylinder banks at a multiples of 60° will have even firing intervals without using split crankpins. By using split crankpins or ignoring minor vibrations, any V angle is possible. The 180° configuration is usually referred to as a "flat-twelve engine" or a "boxer" although it is in reality a 180° V since the pistons can and normally do use shared crankpins. It may also be written as "V-12", although this is less common.

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 560 km/h (348 mph; 302 kn) at 8,000 m (26,250 ft)
  • Cruise speed: 529 km/h (329 mph; 286 kn)
  • Range: 1,519 km (944 mi; 820 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,000 ft)

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 http://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=9573&ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=249&ANNEE=0&ID_MISSION=0&MOTCLEF=
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Green 1967, pp. 129, 131.

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References

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