Breguet 941

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

941

Breguet 941
Type STOL Transport
Manufacturer Breguet
Maiden flight 21 May 1958 (Breguet 940)
1 June 1961 (Breguet 941)
Introduction 1967
Retired 1974
Primary user Armée de l'Air
Number built 1 + 5

The Breguet 941 was a French four engined STOL transport aircraft developed by Breguet in the 1960s. Although widely evaluated, it was not built in large numbers, with only one prototype and four production aircraft being built.


Contents

[edit] Design and development

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the French aviation pioneer Loius Breguet developed a concept for a Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft using four "Free Turbine" turboshaft engines to drive a common power shaft, which, in turn drove four oversize propellers, which were evenly spaced along the leading edge of a wing with large, full-span, slotted flaps, with the arrangement known as "l'aile soufflée" or blown wing [1].

An initial, experimental prototype, powered by four Turbomeca Turmo II engines, the Breguet 940, first flew on 21 May 1958 [1], and was used to prove the concept, demonstrating excellent short field performance. This led to an order being placed in February 1960 for a prototype of an aircraft employing the same concept, but capable of carrying useful loads. This aircraft, the Breguet 941, first flew on 1 June 1961[2].

Testing of this prototype resulted in an order for four improved production aircraft, the Breguet 941S for the French Air Force, first flying on 19 April 1967. These were fitted with more powerful engines and a modified rear cargo door to allow for air-dropping of stores [2].


[edit] Operational history

The 941 prototype was tested extensively by both France, and the United States, where a license agreement had been made with McDonnell Aircraft. The prototype, known as the McDonnell 188 in the USA, was evaluated by both NASA [3] [4] and the US Military, but no orders were placed. The second Br 941S also carried out a tour of the United States, being evaluated as a STOL passenger airliner for operation from small city airports [5], although, again, no orders resulted.

The four Breguet 941S entered service with the French Air Force in 1967, continuing in service until 1974 [1].


[edit] Variants

Breguet 940
Experimental prototype for concept demonstration, one built.
Breguet 941
Prototype transport, one built.
Breguet 941S
Production version for the French Air Force, an enlarged version of the 941, 4 built.


[edit] Operators

Flag of France France


[edit] Survivors


[edit] Specifications (941S)

Data from The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft [2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: Two
  • Capacity: 57 civil passengers or 40 fully loaded troops or 24 stretchers
  • Length: 23.75 m (77 ft 11 in)
  • Wingspan: 23.40 m (76 ft 9¼ in)
  • Height: 9.65 m (31 ft 8 in)
  • Wing area: 83.8 m² (902 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 13,460 kg (29,610 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 26,500 kg (58,422 lb)
  • Powerplant: 4× Turbomeca Turmo IIID3 turboprop, 1,119 kW (1,500 hp) each

Performance

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Aérostories Breguet Br 940/941 The Airplane with the "Deflection slipstream concept". Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
  2. ^ a b c Donald, David (Editor) (1997). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Aerospace Publishing. ISBN 1-85605-375-X. 
  3. ^ [http://history.nasa.gov/SP-3300/ch8.htm Borchers, Paul F. Franklin ,James A. Fletcher, Jay W. Flight Research at Ames, 1940-1997, Chapter 8 Boundary Layer Control, STOL, V/STOL Aircraft Research NASA SP-3300]. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
  4. ^ [http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4302/ch3.9.htm Hartman, Edwin P. Adventures in Research: A History of Ames Research Center 1940-1965, Part III: THE LEAP TO SPACE : 1959-1965, 1963-1965, NASA SP-4302]. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
  5. ^ Starting STOL. Time (1968-08-16). Retrieved on 2007-07-03.

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

v • d • e
Lists relating to aviation
General
Military
Accidents/incidents
Records