Bloch MB.210

The MB.210 and MB.211 were the successors of the French Bloch MB.200 bomber built by Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch in the 1930s.

Development

The MB.210 derived from the MB.200 and differs in particular by its more deeply-set, cantilever wing and the retractable undercarriage from their predecessor.

Developed as a private venture, the prototype MB.210 accomplished its first flight on 23 November 1934, powered by two 596 kW (800 hp) Gnome-Rhône 14Kdrs/grs air-cooled radial engines and having a fixed undercarriage. This was followed by a second prototype, the MB.211 Verdun, powered by 641 kW (860 hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Y V-12 liquid-cooled inlines and fitted with a retractable undercarriage, this flying on 29 August 1935. Initial flight testing of this version was somewhat disappointing, so no further examples were built. Further progress with the MB.210, however, convinced the Armée de l'Air to order series production, the first example of which flew on 12 December 1936.

The satisfaction did not last very long, however, since it was underpowered and the engines of production aircraft were inclined to overheating. The type was grounded until its engines could be replaced by the more powerful and reliable Gnome-Rhône 14N, these engines first being tested in summer 1937 and had to be replaced. Altogether, 257 units were manufactured amongst companies as diverse as Les Mureaux over Potez-CAMS, Breguet, Hanriot, and Renault.

Operational history

In September 1939, the Bloch MB.210 equipped 12 bomber units of the Armée de l'Air. At the time of Nazi Germany's attack on France in spring 1940, these squadrons were in the middle of a restructuring aimed at removing outdated aircraft from the front line. Up to the armistice on 25 June of the same year, the MB.210 was used still for nighttime bomb employments and shifted then to North Africa.

Variants

• MB.210.01 - First prototype.
  • MB.210Bn.4 - Initial production version.
  • MB.210Bn.5 - Hanriot-built variant with extra crew member.
• MB.211.01 - Prototype equipped with two 641 kW (860 hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Y inline engines.

Operators

Template:BUL

Received six aircraft from Germany.

Template:FRA

French Air Force

Template:Country data Germany

Luftwaffe (used briefly for training in 1942 after the German occupation of France)

Template:ROM

Received ten from an order of 24.

Template:Country data Spain Spanish Republic

Spanish Air Force received at least one aircraft.

Specifications (MB.210Bn.5)

Data from War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Seven

General characteristics

• Crew: Five
• Length: 18.83 m (61 ft 9 in)
• Wingspan: 22.82 m (74 ft 10 in)
• Height: 6.70 m (21 ft 11¾ in)
• Wing area: 62.5 m² (673 ft²)
• Empty weight: 6,413 kg (14,109 lb)
• Loaded weight: 9,720 kg (21,385 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 10,221 kg (22,487 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Gnome-Rhône 14N-10/11 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 709 kW (950 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 322 km/h (174 kn, 200 mph) at 3,500 m (11,480 ft)
• Cruise speed: 240 km/h (130 kn, 149 mph) (econ cruise)
• Range: 1,700 km (918 nmi, 1,056 mi)
• Service ceiling: 9,900 m (32,480 ft)
• Wing loading: 156 kg/m² (31.8 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.15 kW/kg (0.089 hp/lb)
• Climb to 4,000 m (13,120 ft): 12 min

Armament

• Guns: 3 × 7.5 mm (.295 in) MAC 1934 machine guns (one in nose, dorsal and vental turrets)
• Bombs: 1,600 kg (3,520 lb) of bombs

See also

Related development

• MB.200

Designation sequence
MB.160 - MB.170 - MB.200 - MB.210 - MB.220 - MB.480 - MB.700 Related lists

• List of aircraft of the Armée de l'Air, World War II

References

• Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War: Bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft, Volume Seven. London: Macdonald, 1967.

External links

• aviafrance(French)
• MB 210-211: Dassault

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Bloch MB.210".