Bloch MB.220

MB.220
Role Airliner
Manufacturer Société des Avions Marcel Bloch
First flight 1935
Introduction 1938
Retired 1950
Primary users Air France
French Air Force
Number built 17


The Bloch MB.220 was a French twin-engine passenger transport airplane built by Société des Avions Marcel Bloch during the 1930s.

Design and development

The M.B.220 was an all-metal low-wing cantilever monoplane. It was powered by two Gnome-Rhône 14N radial engines and had a retractable landing gear. Normal crew was four, with room for 16 passengers, with eight seats each side of a central aisle. The prototype first flew in December 1935, and was followed by 16 production aircraft. At least five examples survived the war and were modified as the M.B.221 with Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone engines.

Service

By the middle of 1938, the type was being utilised by Air France on European routes. The first service of the type (between Paris and London) was flown on 27 March 1938 with a scheduled time of 1 hour 15 minutes. During World War II, most MB.220s were taken over as military transports, including service with German, Free French and Vichy French air forces. Air France continued to fly the aircraft (as MB.221s) after the war on short-range European routes. It sold four aircraft in 1949 but within a year all had been withdrawn from service.

Variants

MB.220
One Prototype and 16 production aircraft with Gnome-Rhône 14N-16 and Gnome-Rhône 14N-17 engines (opposite rotation).
MB.221
At least 5 survivors re-engined with the Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone.

Operators

 France

Accidents and incidents

Specifications (M.B.220)

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bloch MB.220.