Breguet 500 Colmar

Last updated
Colmar
RoleAirliner
National originFrance
Manufacturer Breguet Aviation
First flight27 February 1945
RetiredOctober 1947
Primary user French Air Force
Number built1

The Breguet 500 Colmar was a 1940s French airliner designed by Breguet Aviation. [1] Two prototypes were built during the Second World War but only one survived to fly in 1945. The prototype went on to operate as a VIP transport with the French Air Force but no others were built. [1] [2]

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.

The Société des Ateliers d'Aviation Louis Breguet also known as Breguet Aviation was a French aircraft manufacturer. The company was set up in 1911 by aviation pioneer Louis Charles Breguet.

French Air Force Air warfare branch of Frances armed forces

The French Air Force[aʀme də lɛʀ], literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1934. The number of aircraft in service with the French Air Force varies depending on source, however sources from the French Ministry of Defence give a figure of 658 aircraft in 2014. The French Air Force has 225 combat aircraft in service, with the majority being 117 Dassault Mirage 2000 and 108 Dassault Rafale. As of early 2017, the French Air Force employs a total of 41,160 regular personnel. The reserve element of the air force consisted of 5,187 personnel of the Operational Reserve.

Contents

Design and development

Originally started under the designation 483T, the Colmar was designed as a twin-engined airliner or VIP and staff transport, based on the earlier four-engined Breguet 482 bomber. [2] It was an all-metal mid-wing cantilever monoplane with twin fins and rudders and retractable tailwheel landing gear. The fuselage cabin was divided into two due to the main spar, up to six passengers in the forward cabin and 17 in the rear. [2] Work started at Montaudran on two prototypes during the German occupation which were given the designation Breguet 500 Colmar. [2] In April 1944 one of the almost completed prototypes was destroyed by the Royal Air Force during a bombing raid on the factory. [2]

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.

Royal Air Force Aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's aerial warfare force. Formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world. Following victory over the Central Powers in 1918 the RAF emerged as, at the time, the largest air force in the world. Since its formation, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history. In particular, it played a large part in the Second World War where it fought its most famous campaign, the Battle of Britain.

Following the liberation of France, the surviving prototype, powered by two Gnome-Rhône 14R-04 / Gnome-Rhône 14R-05 radial engines, first flew on 27 February 1945. [2] [3] Plans to put the type into production as the Breguet 510 Colmar were abandoned, and, after testing, the sole Colmar was delivered to the French Air Force for use as a VIP transport. [2] The Colmar was withdrawn from service in October 1947 and scrapped.

Operators

Flag of France.svg  France

Variants

500 Colmar
Twin-engined airliner prototype, one built and one destroyed before completion. [2]
510 Colmar
Proposed production variant with longer fuselage, not built. [2]

Specifications (500 Colmar)

Data from [1] Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft

General characteristics

Performance

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References

Notes
  1. 1 2 3 Orbis 1985, p. 876
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Chillon et al 1980, p. 156
  3. ↑ "French Substratosphere Transport Was Hidden From Nazis", November 1948, Popular Science US magazine editors had wrongly named aircraft photo Bellatrix - rare photo in article
Bibliography

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft was a weekly magazine by Aerospace Publishing/Orbis Publishing that was published in the UK in the early 1980s. The magazine was intended to eventually make up a multi-volume encyclopedia dedicated to aviation. Starting in 1982 the magazine lasted for 216 issues, each of 20 pages, making up 18 volumes. The first two issues were sold together for the price of one, subsequent issues were sold on their own.

International Standard Book Number Unique numeric book identifier

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.

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