Transport aircraft First flight: 1935 Breguet-Wibault

The Breguet-Wibault 670 passenger aircraft, although built according to modern formulas, is not a slavish imitation of successful designs.

Factory testing of the new eighteen-seat Breguet-Wibault Type 670 commercial monoplane is nearly complete, and the aircraft will soon be presented at Villacoublay for official trials. This low-wing, cantilever monoplane of all-metal construction can be considered a scaled-up and improved development of the Breguet-Wibault Type 282 and Type 283 trijet aircraft, which have enjoyed great success on Air France's European routes.

The typical Wibault layout was a cantilever wing consisting of three sections: a center section and two outer wings. The center section, which carried a pair of engine mounts, had a constant thickness; The outer wings tapered from a chord of 5 feet 8 inches (1.723 m) at the roots to significantly reduced at the tips. Strips of duralumin sheets connected the wing to the fuselage. The wing was a two-spar structure, the webs of which were made of duralumin sheets incorporating pressed flanges. The wing skin was duralumin. Slotted ailerons were located approximately two-thirds of the wing span and had a trim similar to that of slotted flaps. The main fuselage has a rectangular cross-section, although the nose is well rounded. The fuselage structure (including the skin) is duralumin. The pilot's cockpit, equipped with dual controls, is located in the nose, behind which is the radio operator's workstation. The passenger cabin contains eighteen seats in two rows of nine; each seat is located next to a window. Soundproofing and ventilation were meticulously designed; the cabin itself was not cramped, measuring 5 feet 9 inches (1.749 m) high and 5 feet 6 inches (1.672 m) wide. The entrance, lavatory, and baggage compartment were located aft of the cabin.

The aircraft was powered by two twin-row, fourteen-cylinder, geared radial Gnome-Rhone Mistral Major or K14 engines, which, with moderate boost, produced 900 hp (660 kW) at 4,500 ft (1,371.6 m).

The retractable main landing gear was a Breguet design; each main landing gear was equipped with a pair of shock-absorbing struts, one on each side of the wheel.

Br.470 Fulgur First flight: 1936 Breguet

Despite its great potential, the Fulgur failed to attract the attention of Air France and was placed in reserve. The transition to new engines (the aircraft was equipped with Gnome & Rhône 14 N-0/N-1 engines) led to the replacement of the Ratier propellers with metal G&R ones. The late 1930s was the perfect time to dispose of aircraft that were no longer in use and cluttering hangars. As has been repeatedly stated, the Spanish Republican government urgently purchased various flight equipment without voicing any complaints or dissatisfaction. The Breguet company transferred the Bre 470 T n°1 to SFTA. SFTA, in turn, resold the aircraft—that's the least we can say—to the Spanish company LAPE (Lineas Aéreas Postales Espanolas), where the Bre 470 T was registered EC-AHC.

The Fulgur was most likely widely used by the Republicans as a high-speed aircraft on the Barcelona-Toulouse route. According to Patrick Laureau, the Bre 470 T was given the standard dark green camouflage and red stripes of the Republican Air Force. The red, yellow, and purple flag painted on the vertical stabilizer was approved before the Civil War. With the new G&R N 14 engines, the aircraft reached a speed of approximately 400 km/h and was safe from Nationalist Bf 109s, which, however, it never encountered. When Franco's troops invaded Catalonia, sounding the death knell for the "Rojos" (Reds), EC-AHC ferried the last contingent of high-ranking refugees to Toulouse, possibly including President Negrin. The aircraft remained in Toulouse, where it likely fell into disrepair and was subsequently scrapped.

The project is most likely a little-known development of the Bre 470 T. This four-engine transport aircraft was designated the Breguet 471 T. It was expected to be powered by four 300-horsepower Renault 6 Q-20/21 engines; the wingspan was to be 21 m, and the length 14.25 m. The first sketches appeared on the drawing boards in late 1936, and blueprints in early 1937. The total weight of the 471 was to be 8,600 kg, and the speed 320 km/h. Representing no new technical solutions, this project was consigned to the trash heap, where it found a slew of "colleagues" who, nonetheless, are part of the history of our aviation...

According to some sources (CEMA), the Bre 470 T, considered the fastest passenger aircraft of 1936, could have received some performance improvements that would have made it ideal for commercial use, but Breguet did not consider this. This most likely led to Air France's rejection of the proposal to build a series of aircraft of this type. Nevertheless, the Fulgur should occupy a prominent place in the history of French aviation, in keeping with its career outlined above.

Photo	Description
	Drawing Br.470 Fulgur

Bibliography

• Aviation in World War II. Aircraft of France / Aviation Collection 10/
• "Dakota" in French. Experimental passenger aircraft Breguet 470 T12 "Fulgur" / Alternative History. Ivan Byakin./
• Complete Encyclopedia of World Aviation: Airplanes and Helicopters of the 20th Century / Donald D./