Bréguet 25
| Breguet 25 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Two seat fighter aircraft |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Breguet Aviation |
| First flight | 1925 if flown |
| Number built | 1 |
The Breguet 25 or XXV was a French two seat fighter (military category C.2) from 1925. It was heavily armed, carrying seven machine guns.
Development
The Breguet 25 was a single bay sesquiplane with a lower wing area only 28% that of the upper. The dominant upper wing was straight-edged and swept, its chord increasing outboard because the long, wide ailerons broadened towards angled tips. The sweep was 5.25° and dihedral about 1°. The lower wing had the same sweep but no dihedral. Its wings were braced together by a single, strongly outward-leaning, faired interplane strut on each side. A short cabane held the upper wing closely above the fuselage. The wing spars and ribs were metal but the wings were fabric covered.[1]
The engine mountings of the Breguet 25 could accommodate a Lorraine 12E Courlis W12, a Renault V12, a Hispano-Suiza 12G W12 or a Hispano-Suiza 12H V12, all with power in the range 340–360 kW (450–480 hp). A photo and drawing of the aircraft in June 1925 show it with a V12, rather than a W12 engine and with its retractable radiator mounted below the engine. Behind the engine the fuselage had a structure of steel tubes held together by moulded connections.[2] The engine mounting and forward fuselage, including the cockpit area, were covered in light metal. The pilot's open cockpit was under the trailing edge of the upper wing, which had a large cutout to allow him to see upwards; his forward view was between the wing and the fuselage. He controlled four fixed machine guns, a pair of Vickers guns firing through the propeller and a pair of Darnes on the wings. The gunner's post had three machine guns, with a pair of Lewis guns on a flexible mount and a third firing downwards and rearwards.[1]
The rear part of the fuselage had a ovoid cross section, formed around the steel tube structure with stringers and fabric covered. The Type 25 used the same tail unit as the Breguet 19, with a triangular fin and straight-edged rudder. A triangular tailplane was mounted on top of the fuselage and carried balanced elevators.[1]
The landing gear was conventional and fixed. On each side a tapered metal leg, narrow near the ground and broadening upwards, angled slightly outwards. It was attached to the engine mounting and carried each end of a single axle. The shock absorbers were contained within the wheels. At the tail the free end of a short strut, hinged to the fuselage, was fixed to a vertical shock absorber within the rudder post, with the tailskid rubber mounted from it.[1]
There are no reports of the first flight of the Breguet 25 in the French press, nor of further developments.
Specifications
Data from Les Ailes, June 1925[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: Two
- Length: 9.34 m (30 ft 8 in)
- Upper wingspan: 14.83 m (48 ft 8 in)
- Lower wingspan: 7.67 m (25 ft 2 in)
- Height: 3.34 m (10 ft 11 in)
- Wing area: 43.86 m2 (472.1 sq ft) (upper wing area 34.35 m2 (369.7 sq ft))
- Empty weight: 1,093 kg (2,410 lb)
- Gross weight: 1,843 kg (4,063 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 365 L (80 imp gal; 96 US gal)
- Powerplant: 1 × Lorraine 12E Courlis , 340 kW (450 hp)
- Propellers: 2-bladed
Performance
- Maximum speed: 235 km/h (146 mph, 127 kn) at 2,000 m (6,600 ft)
- Service ceiling: 7,500 m (24,600 ft)
- Time to altitude: 20 min 30 sec to 5,000 m (16,000 ft)[2]
- Minimum speed:80 km/h (50 mph; 43 kn)
Armament
- Two fixed, forward firing Darne machine guns
- Two fixed, forward firing (through propeller disc) Vickers gun machine guns
- Paired Lewis guns on flexible mount in gunner's post
- Single downward firing Lewis gun in gunner's post
References
- ^ a b c d e Serryer, J. (18 June 1925). "L'avion Louis Bréguet XXV". Les Ailes (209): 2–3.
- ^ a b "Avions Breguet". L'Aéronautique. 80: 13. January 1926.