Lioré et Olivier LeO H-13

The Lioré et Olivier LéO H-13 was a French biplane two-engine flying boat of the 1920s, built in passenger and military variants.

Development

The LeO H-13 was constructed by Lioré et Olivier in Levallois-Perret factory, for an order of the French Aeronavale airlines. The prototype was flown in July 1922. From 1923 23 passenger aircraft were built LeO H-13A.

Next, military variants were developed: reconnaissance-bomber LeO H-13B-3 and trainer LeO H-13E. They differed in fuselage configuration, because the H-13B-3 had an open cockpit for a pilot only behind a lower wing, while the H-13E had an open cockpit for a trainee and instructor seating side-by-side, in front of wings. Both had open machine gun positions in the nose and behind the wings. The H-13E could be also used as a reconnaissance aircraft. From late 1923 20 H-13B-3 were built (nos. 1-20) and 10 H-13E (nos. 21-30).

Variants

Data from: - Lioré et Olivier^[1]

LéO H-13

Prototype

LeO H-13bis

LéO H-13A

Passenger variant, 3 built

LéO H-13B-3

Reconnaissance-bomber variant, 20 built.

LéO H-13E

Trainer variant, 10 built.

LeO H-132

2 built,powered by 2x Hispano-Suiza 8Aa engines.

LeO H-133

4 built, powered by 2x 300 hp (223.7 kW) Renault 12F engines.

LeO H-134

2 built, powered by 1x 450 hp (335.6 kW) Lorraine 12Eb engines.

LeO H-135

7 built, powered by 2x 180 hp (134.2 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8Ab engines.

LeO H-136

12 built for Aeronavale

Leo H-14

Design studies for a 5-seat version of the H-13, not completed due to lack of interest from airlines.

Service

Passenger H-13A were used over the Mediterranean Sea.

In the French Navy, H-13 were quickly withdrawn for training purpose, because of weak structure and low manufacturing quality.

In 1924-1925 two H-13B3 and two H-13E were sold to Poland and used in Naval Aviation Unit (MDLot) in Puck from mid-1925. One of H-13E was used for a short time in a River Flotilla in Pińsk. The first H-13B-3 no. 1-1 was withdrawn in 1929, next two (nos. 1-2 and 1-3) in 1931, while the last H-13E, no. 1-4, crashed on 29 July 1931 over the land near Puck.

Description

Two-engine biplane flying boat of wooden construction. Wooden framed fuselage, plywood covered, rectangular in cross-section, with a flat bottom with a single step. Two-spar rectangular wings, covered with plywood (in front) and canvas. A lower wing attached to the fuselage, an upper wing above it, mounted on struts, with two engines between wings, driving tractor propellers. Two floats under a lower wing. Conventional braced empennage. Two 150 hp radial engines Hispano-Suiza 8E.

Armament: two twin 7.7 mm Lewis machine guns and 4 bombs up to 25 kg below a lower wing.

Operators

 France

• French Navy

 Poland

• Polish Navy

Specifications (LeO H-13B-3)

Data from Lioré et Olivier^[1]

General characteristics

• Length: 11 m (36 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 16 m (52 ft 6 in)
• Height: 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in)
• Wing area: 58 m² (620 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 1,620 kg (3,571 lb)
• Gross weight: 2,500 kg (5,512 lb)
• Fuel capacity: 250 kg (551.2 lb) (350 l (77.0 imp gal))
• Powerplant: 2 × Hispano-Suiza 8Aa V-8 water-cooled piston engine, 110 kW (150 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 170 km/h (106 mph; 92 kn) military aircraft, 160 km/h (99.4 mph; 86.4 kn)
• Range: 450 km (280 mi; 243 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 3,600 m (11,811 ft)
• Rate of climb: 3.1 m/s (610 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 38.8 kg/m² (7.9 lb/sq ft)

References

• (Polish) Sankowski, Wojciech: "Pierwsze Francuzy" in: Lotnictwo z szachownicą nr 20
• Hartmann, Gerard (2002). Lioré et Olivier. Boulogne-Billancourt: E-T-A-I. ISBN 2 7268 8607 8. 

External links

• Lioré et Olivier at Aviafrance