Amiot 143

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiot_143

The Amiot 143M was a late 1930s French medium bomber designed to meet 1928
specifications for a bomber capable of day/night bombing, long-range
reconnaissance and bomber escort.

In 1928, the French Air Ministry issued a specification for a four-seat
Multiplace de Combat, a multi-seat combat aircraft to act as a light bomber,
reconnaissance aircraft and long-range escort fighter. Amiot received an order
for two prototype Amiot 140s, to be evaluated against the competing Bleriot 137,
Breguet 410 and SPCA 30. The Amiot 140 was a high-winged cantilever monoplane of
all-metal construction, with corrugated wing skinning and a fixed tail wheel
undercarriage. The pilot sat in an open cockpit, with cockpits for gunners in
the nose and dorsal positions. A glazed gondola under the forward fuselage
carried a bombardier/gunner, ensuring that the gunners had a clear field of fire
all around the aircraft. The Amiot was intended to be powered by two 515 kW (690
hp) Lorraine 18G Orion water-cooled W engines but these were unavailable and the
first prototype was fitted with Hispano-Suiza 12Nbr engines to allow flight
testing, making its maiden flight on 12 April 1931. The second prototype was
completed in February 1932 but the continued non-availability of its intended
engines, either the original Lorraine-Dietrichs or turbocharged Hispano-Suizas,
meant that it never flew. Despite this, on 23 November 1933 an order was placed
for 40 Amiot 140s, to be powered by 662 kW (880 hp) Lorraine 12Q Eider engines.

The French Air Ministry had meanwhile revised its requirements, concentrating on
the bombing role and asking for better performance. Amiot redesigned the
aircraft to meet these requirements and incorporate lessons learned during
testing of the Amiot 140. The gondola under the fuselage was enlarged, allowing
easier operation of the aircraft's guns and a fifth crew member (a
radio-operator) to be carried. Manually operated gun turrets were provided in
the nose and dorsal positions. Orders were placed for two prototypes, differing
only in the engines fitted, with the Amiot 142 having Hispano-Suiza 12Y engines
and the Amiot 143 having Gnome-Rhone 14K radial engines. The 143 flew first, on
1 August 1934, with the 142 not flying until January 1935. As it was decided to
allocate the Hispano-Suiza engines to fighters, the Amiot 143 was selected, the
existing order for 40 Amiot 140s being converted to 143s.

The Amiot 143 had the same high-wing and fixed undercarriage as the Amiot 140,
with the wing thick enough to allow crew access to the engines by a tunnel
between the wing spars. The pilot sat in an enclosed cockpit, level with the
leading edge of the wing and the navigator-bombardier, who was also provided
with flying controls, sat in the extensively glazed gondola beneath the pilot.
The radio operator sat towards the rear of the gondola and in early aircraft
operated two 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Lewis guns. Nose and dorsal turrets, each
carrying a Lewis gun, completed the defensive armament, while the gondola also
housed an internal bomb-bay. After 40 aircraft had been completed, the design
was revised, with the aircraft being fitted with a longer nose (increasing
overall length from 17.94 m (58 ft 10 in) to 18.24 m (59 ft 10 in), a revised
fuel system and with the Lewis guns in the nose, dorsal turrets and ventral
position replaced by single 7.5 mm (.295 in) MAC 1934 machine guns, with a
fourth gun used by the navigator-bombardier firing through a hatch in the floor.

Deliveries of the aging design eventually began in April 1935, continuing until
March 1937, with a total of 138 being built. An improved version, the Amiot 144
was built to meet 1933 requirement for a Multiplace de Combat, combining the
same fuselage and a similar wing with a retractable undercarriage. First flying
on 18 January 1936, only one was built.


Role
Medium bomber

Manufacturer
Avions Amiot

Designer
Félix Amiot

First flight
1931

Introduction
July 1935

Retired
1944

Primary user
French Air Force

Produced
1935-1937

Number built
138

The Amiot 143M entered service in July 1935, with deliveries continuing in 1936
and 1937. About six were going to be delivered to the Spanish Republican Air
Force at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. There is no evidence, however,
that these obsolete French bombers flew over Spain during the Civil War.

By the time the last deliveries were made in March 1938, the Amiot was quite out
of date and began to be replaced by modern aircraft such as the Bloch MB.131.
Nevertheless, at the outbreak of the Second World War, Amiot 143s equipped 5
metropolitan groupes together with a single African based groupe.

During the Phoney War, Amiot 143M groupes carried out reconnaissance and leaflet
raids over Germany. 87 Amiot 143M remained in front line service on 10 May 1940,
50 equipping four metropolitan groupes: GBs I/34 and II/34 in the north, GBs
I/38 and II/38 in the East and 17 equipping one African groupe, GB II/63, which
was in the process of re-equipping with Martin 167Fs. Following the start of the
Battle of France, the Amiot 143M was mainly used in night attacks against German
airfields and lines of communications, with losses relatively low. One notable
exception was a daylight raid by 10 Amiots from GBs I/34, II/34 and II/38 led by
Commandant de Laubier against German bridgeheads near Sedan on 14 May 1940.
Despite fighter escort, two Amiots were shot down while a third force-landed
before reaching its base.

By the Armistice, the Amiot 143M had dropped a total of 474 tonnes (523 tons) of
bombs. 52 Amiot 143Ms were in the Unoccupied Zone and 25 were in French North
Africa. They were reorganized into GBs I/38 and II/38 and were used until July
1941 when they were replaced by LeO 451 bombers.

Some planes of II/38 served as transports for the French in Syria. This groupe
later went over to the Allies after their landings in Africa. The last Amiot
143M was retired from service in February 1944.


Variants

Amiot 140
The designation for the Amiot reply to the requirement of the Armee d lÁir,
intended to be powered by 2x 515 kW (691 hp) Lorraine 18G Orion W-18 engines.
The first prototype was completed as the Amiot 140M.

Amiot 140M
Prototype with 2x 485 kW (650 hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Nbr inline engines. Two built,
of which only one flown, followed by orders for 40, to be powered by 2x 662 kW
(888 hp) Lorraine 12Q Eider engines, which were re-allocated to Amiot 143
production.

Amiot 141M
Powered by three 520 kW (700 hp) Lorraine-Dietrich 18G Orion W-18 water-cooled
piston engines.

Amiot 142
prototype with 499 kW (669 hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs V-12 engines (1 built)

Amiot 143
production version with 648.7 kW (870 hp) Gnome-Rhône 14Kirs / Gnome-Rhône
14Kjrs (left and right hand rotation) radial engines (138 built, including 40
ordered as Amiot 140 and 25 ordered as Amiot 144)

Amiot 144
version with reduced wing area, added flaps and retractable undercarriage and no
front turret, powered by 2x 664 kW (890.4 hp) Gnome-Rhône 14Kirs / Gnome-Rhône
14Kjrs (left and right hand rotation) (1 built, orders for 25 produced as Amiot
143 instead)

Amiot 145
Amiot 144 with Hispano-Suiza 14AA radial engines (not built)

Amiot 146
Amiot 144 with Gnome-Rhône 18Lars radial engines (not built)

Amiot147
Amiot 144 with Hispano-Suiza 12Ydrs / Hispano-Suiza 12Yfrs (left and right hand
rotation) V-12 engines (not built)

Amiot 150
Reconnaissance, torpedo bomber prototype, for use with the Aeronavale. Amiot 143
with 10% larger wing, interchangeable wheel or float landing gear, powered by
two 750 hp (559.3 kW) Gnome-Rhône 14Kdrs radial engines (1 prototype built)

Specifications (Amiot 143)

General characteristics
Crew: Five (pilot, navigator/bombardier, radio operator, nose and dorsal
gunners)
Length: 18.24 m (59 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 24.53 m (80 ft 6 in)
Height: 5.68 m (18 ft 8 in)
Wing area: 100 m2 (1,100 sq ft)
Empty weight: 5,455 kg (12,026 lb)
Gross weight: 8,611 kg (18,984 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 10,360 kg (22,840 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Gnome et Rhône 14Kirs/Kjrs 14-cyl. air-cooled radial engines
(counter-rotating), 640 kW (858 hp) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 295 km/h (183 mph; 159 kn)
Range: 1,300 km (808 mi; 702 nmi)
Ferry range: 1,995 km (1,240 mi; 1,077 nmi)
Service ceiling: 7,500 m (24,600 ft)
Time to altitude: 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 6.8 minutes

Armament

Guns: 4× 7.5 mm (0.295 in) MAC 1934 machine guns (one each in nose and dorsal
turrets, forward gondola and rear gondola)
Bombs: 800 kg (1,800 lb) internally plus 800 kg (1,800 lb) externally




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