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France's Bloch MB 174 reconnaissance1
Bloch
MB 175 light bomber1
Bloch 174:
Design
The MB 170 was the design to meet the requirements for a light bomber.1 These requirements changed and the new design was the MB 174.1 The MB 174 had a newly designed fuselage.1
Prototype
The MB 170 prototype first flew on February 15, 1938.1
The MB 174 prototype first flew on January 5, 1939.1
The MB 175 prototype first flew in December 1939.1
The MB 176 prototype first flew in September 1939.1
Production
- MB 170 prototypes: 21
- MB 174: 591 First production arrived in November 1939.1 An initial order of 50 was given.1
- MB 175: 801 Manufacturing deliveries first started in May 1940.1
- MB 175 after war: 801
- MB 176: 61
- Total: 2271
Variants
- MB 170: Prototype.1 Had Gnome-Rhône 14N (950 HP) engines.1
- MB 174 A3:
- MB 175 B3:
- MB 176: Had Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engines.1
Usage
First Use in Combat
Capt. Antoine de Saint-Exupery flew the first sortie in March 1940.1
Survivors
About half of the MB 174s were destroyed during the invasion of France.1 Some of the survivors went to Tunisia where they later served in 1943.1
Some of the MB 175s also ended up in North Africa.1
Luftwaffe Use
The Luftwaffe received 56 completed MB 175s and were used as trainers.1
Postwar French Navy
After World War II the French Navy took delivery of 80 MB 175T torpedo bombers.1 The last one was delivered in 1950.1
| Bloch MB 174 and MB 1751 | Bloch MB 174 A31 | Bloch MB 175 B31 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Light bomber1 Reconnaissance1 Target marker1 |
Attack aircraft1 Light bomber1 |
|
| Crew | 31 | 31 | |
| Engine (Type) | 2: Gnome-Rhône 14N 48/491 | ||
| Cylinders | Radial 141 | ||
| Cooling | |||
| Net HP | 1,140 each1 | ||
| Propeller blades | 3 each1 | ||
| Dimensions | |||
| Span | 58' 9.5"1 17.92 m1 |
||
| Length | 40' 1.5"1 12.23 m1 |
||
| Height | 11' 8"1 3.56 m1 |
||
| Wing area | |||
| Weight | |||
| Empty | 12,346 lb1 5,600 kg1 |
12,478 lb1 5,660 kg1 |
|
| Loaded | 15,784 lb1 7,160 kg1 |
17,688 lb1 8,023 kg1 |
|
| Performance | |||
| Speed @ 17,060' / 5,200 m |
335 mph1 539 kph1 |
||
| Cruising speed | 244 mph1 393 kph1 |
||
| Climb to 13,120' / 4,000 m |
|||
| Service ceiling | |||
| Range with 1,320 lb / 600 kg bomb load |
993 miles1 1,600 km1 |
||
| Maximum ferry range | 2,050 miles1 3,300 km |
||
| Armament | |||
| Wings, dorsal, ventral | 7: 7.5 mm MG1 | ||
| Bombs | 1,102 lb1 500 kg1 |
1,323 lb1 600 kg1 |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
