Georges Levy G.L.40

G.L. 40

Role	amphibious aircraft
Manufacturer	Hydravions Georges Lévy
Designer	Blanchard and Le Pen
First flight	1917
Introduction	November 1917
Primary users	French Air Force Finnish Air Force

Georges Levy G.L. 40 HB2 was a three-seated French, amphibious biplane aircraft that was designed in 1917. The aircraft was designed by Blanchard and Le Pen and therefore the aircraft was also known as the Levy-Le Pen. Le Pen was Maurice Jules-Marie Le Pen born in Lorient, Morbihan, France in 1889. Le Pen was killed in a car crash in 1919. It was claimed to be the best French amphibious aircraft of World War I, but that is probably due to the low scale production of such aircraft in France at that time.^[1]

The Finnish Air Force purchased 12 Georges Levy G.L. 40 HB2s, but they weren't pleased with them. Three aircraft were lost in accidents that claimed lives — and it was given the nickname "the flying coffin" in the 1920s.

In 1920, the Belgian government started an airline in what was then called the Belgian Congo. Ligne Aerienne du Roi Albert (LARA) operated six Levy-Lepen hydroplanes along the Congo River from Leopoldville (now Kinshasa) upstream to Stanleyville (now Kisangani), a distance of 1725 kilometres. The flights were started in June 1921 and discontinued one or two years later.

Operators

Finland: Finnish Air Force - 12 aircraft, withdrawn from use by 1923.
France: French Navy - in service from November 1917, app. 100 built, also by Farman. Used in France, Algeria, Greece, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.
Portugal

Portuguese Naval Aviation - 2 aircraft used from 1918 to 1920

Peru

Peruvian Air Force - app. 3 delivered
Peruvian Navy

Belgium: 6 Levy Lepen were used in the Belgian Congo by the Ligne Aerienne du Roi Albert.
United States

United States Navy - 12 used for patrols from Le Croisic in France, two taken to US after the war.

Specifications (G.L. 40 HB2)

Data from Thulinista Hornetiin

General characteristics

Crew: 3 - 1 pilot and 1 crew, 1 observer
Length: 12.4 m (40 ft 8 in)
Wingspan: 18.5 m (60 ft 8 in)
Height: 3.85 m (12 ft 7½ in)
Wing area: 68.75 m² (740.04 ft²)
Empty weight: 1450 kg (3,196 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 2,350 kg (5,181 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Renault 12Fe V-12 engine, 224 kW (300 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 145 km/h (78 knots, 90 mph)
Cruise speed: 115 km/h (62 knots, 71 mph)
Range: 400 km (154 nm, 248 mi)
Service ceiling: 3,505.2 m (11,500 ft)

Armament

Guns: 1 × machine gun
Bombs: 200 kg (440 lb) of bombs

References

Notes

↑ Taylor and Alexander 1969, pp. 104-105.

Bibliography

Heinonen, Timo. Thulinista Hornetiin - 75 vuotta Suomen ilmavoimien lentokoneita. Tikkakoski, Finland: Keski-Suomen ilmailumuseo, 1992. ISBN 951-95688-2-4.
Taylor, John W. R. and Jean Alexander. Combat Aircraft of the World. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-71810-564-8.

External links

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