France's Amiot 143 Twin Engine Bomber,1
Amiot 143:
Prototype
The Armée de l'Air put out it's requirement for a day and night bomber, reconnaissance, and escort aircraft.1 Amiot, Blériot, Breguet and SPCA submitted prototypes and the Amiot 140 was picked.1 The 143 and 143M were in service from the middle 1930s.1
An order was placed for 40 of the Amiot 140s.1 With a new engine this was changed to the Amiot 143.1 A total of 178 140s, 143s, and 143Ms were built.1
Variants
- 143: First 40 were slightly shorter.1
- 143M: Main production model.1
- 143 BN4: Night bomber.1
- 143 B5: Day bomber.1
Start of World War II
After France declared war these were used for night reconnaissance and leaflet dropping.1
After the invasion of France they were used against the bridges of Sedan on May 14, 1940.1 They were also used against railways and bridges in Belgium, France, and Germany.1
Vichy
The Vichy government used them as transports mostly in North Africa.1
| Amiot 1431 | Amiot 143M1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Night bomber1 Reconnaissance1 |
|
| Crew | 51 | |
| Engine (Type) | 2: Gnome-Rhône 14 Kirs/Kjrs Mistral Major1 | |
| Cylinders | Radial 141 | |
| Cooling | ||
| Net HP | 870 each1 | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Span | 80' 5"1 24.53 m1 |
|
| Length | 59'1 17.951 |
59' 10"1 18.26 m1 |
| Height | 78' 6"1 5.68 m1 |
|
| Wing area | 1,076 ft2 1 100 m2 1 |
|
| Weight | ||
| Empty | 13,420 lb1 6,100 kg1 |
|
| Loaded | 21,385 lb1 9,700 kg1 |
|
| Performance | ||
| Speed @ 13,000' / 4,000 m | 192 mph1 310 kph1 |
|
| Climb | 14' 20" to 13,000' / 4,000 m with 18,942 lb / 8,610 kg weight1 | |
| Service ceiling | 26,000'1 7,900 m1 |
|
| Range | 745 miles1 1,200 km1 |
|
| Armament | 4: 7.7 mm Lewis MG1 | 4: 7.5 mm MAC 1934 MG1 |
| Above engine | ||
| Rounds | ||
| Wings | ||
| Rounds | ||
| Propeller hub | ||
| Rounds | ||
| Bombs external racks | 1,760 lb1 800 kg1 |
|
| Bombs internal | 1,760 lb1 800 kg1 |
|
| Production |
Sources:
- Aircraft of World War II, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
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