Sud-Est Languedoc
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| SE.161 Languedoc | |
|---|---|
| Type | Airliner |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Sud-Est |
| Designed by | Marcel Bloch |
| Maiden flight | 1939 |
| Introduced | 1946 |
| Retired | 1964 |
| Primary user | Air France |
The Sud-Est SE.161 Languedoc was a French four-engined airliner developed from the Bloch MB.160. It was in service with Air France and the French military in the late 1940s and 1950s.
[edit] Design and development
Designed originally as the Bloch MB.161 a development of the earlier 12-passenger Bloch MB.160 the prototype, registered G-ARTV, first flew in September 1939. It had a slow development and the test flying was not completed until January 1942. The French Vichy government ordered the aircraft into production in December 1941. With the German invasion of southern France in 1942 the production of 20 aircraft for Air France and Lufthansa was slowed down.
After the liberation of France the provisional government authorised production to be resumed with the first series production aircraft, now designated the SE.161, first flying on 27 September 1945. Some of the delay is attributed to the workforces reluctant to complete the aircraft ordered by Germany in 1942.
The Languedoc was an all-metal four-engined lowing cantilever monoplane airliner with a twin-fin and rudder assembly. It had a crew of 5 and a standard cabin accomodation for 33 passengers, although this could be reduced to 24 and later increased to 44-seats in 1951. It had a retractable tailwheel landing gear and was powered by four 1150hp (858kW) Gnome-Rhône 14N 44/45 radial engines in wing-leading edge nacelles.
A total of 100 aircraft were built for Air France and for the French Air Force and Navy. The only export customer was the Polish airline LOT which bought five.
[edit] Operational history
The 161 was renamed the Languedoc before it entered service with Air France on the Paris to Algiers route from the 28 May 1946. By October they were withdrawn from service not only had they landing gear and engine problems but they were unable to operate in winter conditions. They re-entered service in 1947 re-engined with Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines, de-icing equipment and cabin heating, the designation changing to SE.161.P7. The aircraft were soon familiar on the airlines European route network.
After the costly experience introducing the aircraft to service they were never as reliable as the Douglas DC-4 or Vickers Viscount and Air France arranged to sell off the aircraft to the French Military. Ten aircraft were converted with a large ventral gondola, observation windows and a ventral search radar for Search and Rescue operations which served for five years.
The Air Force also had new-build aircraft from the end of the production line, they were designated SE.161R and had Gnome-Rhône 14R engines with distinctive four-bladed propellers. They were used as transport aircraft from 1951 to 1955.
The largest military operator was the French Navy which operated 25 different aircraft over the years. The first aircraft were delivered in 1949 and used as long-range transports later aircraft would be used as flying classrooms for navigator and rear-crew training. The flying classrooms were modifed with both a nose-mounted radar and a ventral dustbin radar. The aircraft was withdrawn fron Naval service in 1959.
A small number of aircraft were used a flying testbeds including use as live airborne television relay for Charles de Gaulles Algerian visit in 1958. Four aircraft were used as motherships for experimental ram-jet aircraft.
The last Languedoc was withdrawn from service in 1964 unable to complete with American and British built airliners.
[edit] Variants
- Bloch 161-01
- Prototype powered by four 900hp Gnome-Rhône 14N radial engines.
- SE.161/1
- Production aircraft with four 1150hp Gnome-Rhône 14N 44/45 radial engines, LOT aircraft were fitted with Gnome-Rhône 14N 54/55 engines and later re-engined with Gnome-Rhône 14N 68/69s. The French Navy aircraft were also fitted with Gnome-Rhône 14N 68/69s.
- SE.161/P7
- Re-engined Air France aircraft with four 1220hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830 SIC-3-G engines.
- Note on French engine designation even numbers (for example Gnome-Rhône 14N 68) were anti-clockwise and fitted on the starboard side, odd numbers (for example Gnome-Rhône 14N 69) were clockwise and fitted on the port side.
[edit] Operators
- Air Liban
[edit] Specifications (SE.161/1)
Data from [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 5
- Capacity: 33
- Length: 24.26 m (79 ft 7 in)
- Wingspan: 29.39 m (96 ft 5 in)
- Height: 5.14 m (16 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 111.32 m² (1198 ft²)
- Empty weight: 12651 kg (27891 lb)
- Gross weight: 20577 kg (45320 lb)
- Powerplant: 4 × Gnome-Rhône 14N 44/45 radial engines, 1150 kW (858 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 440 km/h (274 mph)
- Range: 3200 km (1989 miles)
- Service ceiling: 7200 m (23616 ft)
[edit] See also
Related development
[edit] References
- ^ French Postwar Transport Aircraft, page 32
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
- (1980) French Postwar Transport Aircraft. Tonbridge, England: Air-Britain (Historian) Limited. ISBN 0 85130078 2.
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