Bernard 190

The Bernard 190 was a French airliner of the 1920s. It was a high-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration, based on the Bernard 18. Compared with its predecessor, it kept the same basic design but featured redesigned tail surfaces, an enlarged cabin, and offered its flight crew a completely enclosed cockpit. Also like its predecessor, the basic airliner model provided the basis for a long-range aircraft to be used in record attempts, the 191GR (for Grand Raid).

Operational history

The eight 190Ts served CIDNA on various European routes, but the 190 is best remembered for the exploits of the three 191GRs. The first built was used by Louis Coudouret in an attempt to cross the North Atlantic in August 1928. This was unsuccessful when the aircraft first refused to leave the ground in Paris, and was later turned back by Spanish authorities unwilling to permit the flight. On July 7 the following year, Coudouret crashed the aircraft near Angoulême and died with it.

The second example was used in the first successful French aerial crossing of the North Atlantic. Painted bright yellow and dubbed Oiseau Canari ("Canary Bird") it departed Old Orchard Beach, Maine on June 13, 1929 and piloted by Jean Assolant, René Lefebvre and Armand Lotti, it completed the crossing to Oyambre, near Comillas, Cantabria, Spain, in 29 hours 52 minutes, even with a stowaway (Arthur Schreiber) aboard. This aircraft is now preserved in the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace.

The third 191GR was used by Antoine Paillard to set two world airspeed records, for 100 km with a 2,000 kg payload, and for 1,000 km with a 1,000 kg payload.

Variants

• 190T - Single-engined airliner, powered by a 480-hp (358-kW) Gnome et Rhône-built Bristol Jupiter radial piston engine.
• 191GR - Record-breaking plane, powered by 600-hp (447-kW) Hispano-Suiza 12Lb piston engine. Three built as 191G.R. No.1, 191G.R. No.2 and 191G.R. No.3.
• 192T - Single mailplane example for Aéropostale.
• 193T' - Single-engined transport aircraft, powered by a 450-hp (336-kW) Lorraine 12Eb piston engine. Only one built.
• 197GR -Eengine demonstrator commissioned by Lorraine-Dietrich. Lost off Rangoon 26 February 1929.

Operators

Template:FRA

• Aéropostale

References

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 154. 
• World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing, File 890 Sheet 30. 
• Aviafrance.com

See also

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Bernard 190".