The Bre.460 was obsolete when the 1933 specification was issued, and its construction was plagued by a number of technical difficulties, preventing the first prototype from taking to the air until 1935. Test flights achieved speeds of approximately 385 km/h and a range of over 3,000 km, but the Air Force command was now focusing on new bombers scheduled for delivery in 1937. As expected, "pure" bombers such as the LeO.45 and Amiot 340 demonstrated superior performance, but production prototypes of these aircraft were not expected until 1938. Furthermore, the requirements for an attack aircraft had not yet been developed, and it was only in 1938, according to the new AB2 specification, that the Bre.691/693 series aircraft entered serial production.

Meanwhile, testing of the Bre.460 was delayed due to serious problems. The aircraft was sent back for further modifications, which required further time. Due to a change in specifications, the Bre.460 was adjusted to the B4 bomber class, but it was already clear it was no match for the new designs. However, by the end of 1936, a glimmer of hope for an extension of the project's lifespan appeared.

Firstly, that year the aircraft industry was nationalized, and many companies were merged into concerns. This was done to accelerate the modernization of the Air Force, but the effect was quite the opposite. Only Breguet managed to avoid such a merger, and it even managed to expand its production capacity.

Secondly, the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War allowed the warring parties to offload a large amount of old or unnecessary equipment, while also testing new aircraft in combat conditions. The Bre.460 fell into the category of such "necessary" aircraft. After brief negotiations, the French government agreed to supply the Republican Air Force with a single prototype bomber, intending to test its true combat effectiveness. In 1937, the aircraft arrived in Spain and joined a bomber group. Specific details about the Bre.460's combat performance are lacking, but it is known that the bomber spent most of its time on the ground.

The Bre.460's history ended quite prosaically. Work on it was abandoned that same year, 1936, in favor of the more advanced Bre.462, which was submitted for testing in October 1936.

Photo	Description
	Схема Br.460

The Bre 462, replacing the ill-fated Bre 460, rolled off the assembly line in early October 1936 and made its maiden flight shortly thereafter. The aircraft was then presented in all its glory at the 15th Paris Air Show, which opened on November 13. Manufactured in accordance with the "B4" program issued in 1934, the aircraft incorporated all the latest improvements made to the Bre 460, thereby proving significantly superior to its predecessor. Designated the Bre 461 for its twin-fin tail, this aircraft was intended to be an excellent medium bomber for the time and was aerodynamically more sleek than its predecessor, the Breguet 460 Vultur. However, for reasons unknown to me, this tail design was rejected by the design bureau in Valisy, and as a result, the Bre 462 was built as a single-fin version.

The new aircraft had a nearly all-metal construction (the elevator and rudder surfaces were fabric-covered), and its three-piece wing had a two-spar, box-type structure, securely attached to the monocoque fuselage. The main landing gear was a Breguet design. However, aside from its appearance, the "462" showed that its design was heavily influenced by its older brother, the "460."

For its powerplant, the design bureau planned to use Gnome & Rhône 14 N-0/N-1 twin-row air-cooled radial engines, which would produce 940 hp at takeoff at 2,360 rpm, and its optimum altitude would be 3,900 meters above sea level. Unfortunately, these engines were not yet available in the fall of 1936, and so, in anticipation of better options, the aircraft was equipped with Gnome & Rhône 14 Kirs/jrs.

The aircraft's maiden flight took place on February 23, 1937, and after satisfactory factory testing, it was handed over to CEMA and, almost simultaneously, presented to the press during the Fête de l'Air, held in Villacoublay on July 18, 1937. Observers noted several innovations in the engine cowlings and different propeller hub fairings. The exhaust pipes were equipped with mufflers with hot air intake for heating the cabin. Incidentally, the flight tests of Bre 462 N°02 were conducted by Michel Detroit, appointed official expert for all French factories nationalized in March 1937. The aircraft received the civil registration number F-AKIB from the French government.

In mid-1937, the company's plans also included the creation of a floatplane version (with two floats and a twin-fin tail) – precisely at the time when the program for creating multi-seat multi-purpose aircraft was abandoned. Although the Bre 462 was a relatively modern aircraft, it was not produced in series, as a new generation of aircraft—high-speed (as per specifications) bombers (the LeO 45, Amiot 350, etc.)—was on the horizon.

Why did the mediocre Bloch 131 escape program cancellation, while the Breguet, although not as "attractive" ("joli") from an aerodynamic standpoint, was significantly faster and could have bridged the gap in anticipation of the (nearly) state-of-the-art LeO and Amiot? The question remains open.

Bibliography

• Experienced heavy bomber Breguet Bre 482 B4 / Ivan Byakin /
• Heavy bomber Breguet Br. 482 / Andrey Krumkach. /