France's Bloch M.B. 151 fighter1,3,
Bloch 151 fighter2
Bloch M.B. 151:
Bloch M.B. 151:
Design
The Bloch 150 series of fighters were heavily armed, but had an inadequate engine.1
Main Armament
It was intended for the Bloch 151 to have two cannons and two machine guns but often they were delivered with four machine guns.2
Prototype
The prototype of the Bloch 150 series, the MB 150 would not fly when it was trialed in July 1936.3 It we redesigned and eventually flew on May 4, 1937.3
The prototype of the Bloch 151 first flew on August 18, 1938.2,3
It flew with the Gnome-Rhône 14N-11 (920 HP).2
Production
144 of the Bloch 151 were ordered.2 The MB 151s were produced at the same time as the MB 152s, but eventually the MB 152s were the only ones being produced.3
- MB 150: 13
- MB 151: 1403
- MB 152: 4823
- MB 153: 13
- MB 155: 333
- Total: 6573
Variants
- M.B. 150-01: Prototype that didn't leave the ground on it's maiden flight on July 17, 1936.1
- M.B. 150-01M: Prototype that flew successfully on September 29, 1937.1
- M.B. 151: Production model.1
- MB 152: Production model.3
Usage
By the middle of January the Armée de l'Air received 138 Bloch M.B. 151s.1
By September 1939 there were 120 MB 151s and MB 152s delivered, but many lacked gun sights and even propellars.3
Eventually the MB 151 was declared obsolete and turned into trainers.3
Against Italy
A few MB 151s saw action against the Italian invasion in southern France in June 1940, but suffered heavy losses.3
Greece
Greece received nine Bloch 151s.2,3
| Bloch M.B. 1511,3, Bloch 1512 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Fighter1,3 |
| Crew | 11,3 |
| Engine (Type) | Gnome-Rhône 14 N 35 piston1 Gnome-Rhône 14N-352,3 |
| Cylinders | Radial1,3 143 |
| Cooling | |
| Net HP | 9202,3 |
| Propeller blades | 33 |
| Dimensions | |
| Span | 34' 7"2,3 10.54 m2,3 |
| Length | 29' 10"3, 29' 10.25"2 9.1 m2,3 |
| Height | 9' 11"3, 9' 11 1/3"2 3.02 m3, 3.03 m2 |
| Wing area | 186.43 ft2 2 17.32 m2 2 |
| Weight | |
| Empty | 4,570 lb2,3 2,073 kg2,3 |
| Loaded | 6,173 lb2,3 2,800 kg2,3 |
| Performance | |
| Speed @ 13,120' / 4,000 m |
300 mph3 483 kph3 |
| Speed @ 16,405' / 5,000 m |
289 mph2 465 kph2 |
| Cruising speed | |
| Climb to 3,280' / 1,000 m |
1.95 minutes2 |
| Climb to 16,400' / 5,000 m |
7 minutes3 |
| Service ceiling | 32,800'3 10,000 m3 |
| Range | 398 miles2,3 640 km2,3 |
| Armament | 2: 20 mm HS 4042 2: 7.5 mm MAC 1934 MG2 |
| Wings | 2: 20 mm3 2: 7.5 mm MG3 |
| OR | 4: 7.5 mm MG3 |
Sources:
- Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
- The Great Book of Fighters, William Green, Gordon Swanborough, 1994
- Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
