Breguet 500 Colmar

Colmar
Role	Airliner
National origin	France
Manufacturer	Breguet Aviation
First flight	27 February 1945
Retired	October 1947
Primary user	French Air Force
Number built	1

The Breguet 500 Colmar was a 1940s French airliner designed by Breguet Aviation.^[1] Two prototypes were built during the Second World War but only one survived to fly in 1945. The prototype went on to operate as a VIP transport with the French Air Force but no others were built.^[1]^[2]

Design and development

Originally started under the designation 483T the Colmar was designed as a twin-engined airliner or VIP and staff transport based on the earlier four-engined Breguet 482 bomber.^[2] It was an all-metal mid-wing cantilever monoplane with twin fins and rudders and a retractable tailwheel landing gear. The fuselage cabin was divided into two due to the main spar, up to six passengers in the forward cabin and 17 in the rear.^[2] Work started at Montaudran on two prototypes during the German occupation which were given the designation Breguet 500 Colmar.^[2] In April 1944 one of the almost completed prototypes was destroyed by the Royal Air Force during a bombing raid on the factory.^[2]

Following the liberation of France the surviving prototype powered by two Gnome-Rhône 14R-04 / Gnome-Rhône 14R-05 radial engines first flew on 27 February 1945.^[2]^[3] Plans to put the type into production as the Breguet 510 Colmar were abandoned and after testing the sole Colmar was delivered to the French Air Force for use as a VIP transport.^[2] The Colmar was withdrawn from service in October 1947 and scrapped.

Operators

France

French Air Force

Variants

500 Colmar: Twin-engined airliner prototype, one built and one destroyed before completion.^[2]
510 Colmar: Proposed production variant with longer fuselage, not built.^[2]

Specifications (500 Colmar)

Data from ^[1]Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft

General characteristics

Capacity: 23
Length: 19.95 m (65 ft 5 in)
Wingspan: 24.10 m (79 ft 1 in)
Height: 4.80 m (15 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 66.70 m² (718.0 sq ft)
Max takeoff weight: 14,380 kg (31,702 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Gnome-Rhône 14R-04 / Gnome-Rhône 14R-05 radial piston engine, 1,200 kW (1,600 hp) each

Performance

Cruising speed: 400 km/h (249 mph; 216 kn) approx
Range: 2,000 km (1,243 mi; 1,080 nmi)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Breguet aircraft.

Notes

1 2 3 Orbis 1985, p. 876
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Chillon et al 1980, p. 156
↑ "French Substratosphere Transport Was Hidden From Nazis", November 1948, Popular Science US magazine editors had wrongly named aircraft photo Bellatrix - rare photo in article

Bibliography

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
Chillon, J; J-P Dubois and J.Wegg (1980). French Postwar Transport Aircraft. Tonbridge, England: Air-Britain (Historian) Limited. ISBN 0-85130-078-2.

Aircraft produced by Breguet Aviation

Early types	Aerhydroplane Gyroplane Type I Type II Type III Type IV (1910) Type IV (1914) Type V Type A Type G Type U Type LE

Model numbers	4 5 6 12 14 16 17 19 20 22 230 26T 27 270 271 273 274 280T 390T 392T 393T 410 460 462 470 482 500 521 522 530 610 670 690 691 693 694 695 696 730 731 790 791 792 890 891 892 893 894 895 900 901 902 904 905 906 940 941 960 1001 1002 1004 1100 1050 1150

By name	Alizé Atlantic Atlantique 2 Bellatrix Bizerte BLC BUC BUM Choucas Colmar de Chasse Deux-Ponts Épaulard Fauvette Fulgur Integral Jaguar Leviathan Louisette Mars Mercure Michelin Mouette Nautilus Nymphale Provence Sahara Saigon Taon Universale Vultur (carrier attack aircraft) Vulture (medium bomber)

Helicopters	Gyroplane Gyroplane Laboratoire Breguet G.11E Breguet G.111

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