Amiot 143
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| 143M | |
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 1/72 scale model from Smer kit |
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| Type | Medium bomber |
| Manufacturer | Avions Amiot |
| Designed by | Félix Amiot |
| Maiden flight | 1931 |
| Introduced | July 1935 |
| Retired | 1944 |
| Primary user | French Air Force |
| Produced | 1935-1937 |
| Number built | 154 |
The Amiot 143M was a late 1930s French medium bomber originally conceived as a "multiplace de combat": an all-purpose aircraft which would be used as bomber, reconnaissance aircraft and escort fighter.
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[edit] Design and development
Félix Amiot's 1925 design was selected in 1928 for production over rivals Bleriot 137, Breguet 410 and SPCA 30. The prototype designated Amiot 140 flew in 1931, but actual production of the aging design did not begin until 1935 and continued for lack of a replacement until March 1937.
Despite being of an ungainly two-tiered structure, slow and unmaneuverable, and of obsolescent architecture, the Amiot 143M was a sturdy plane which was popular with its pilots. Notable were the very thick wings whose engines were accessible in flight.
The Amiot 143M production model mounted a turret in the nose and dorsal turrets, both of which housed one or two 7.5 mm MAC 1934 MGs. In addition, a single 7.5mm MAC 1934 MGs was mounted in both fore and aft of the ventral bombing gondola.
[edit] Operational history
The Amiot 143M entered service in July, 1935. The design was already ten years old and was quite out of date. Nevertheless, 87 Amiot 143M were in the front line. 50 equipped four metropolitan groupes: GBs I/34 and II/34 in the north, GBs I/38 and II/38 in the East, and 17 equipped one African groupe as of 10 May 1940.
During the Phoney War, Amiot 143M groupes carried out reconnaissance and leaflet raids over Germany. Upon the start of the Battle of France, the Amiot 143M was used in night attacks on German lines of communications. The most significant action involving the Amiot 143M was a daring daylight raid on German bridgeheads near Sedan took place on May 14, 1940. A force of thirteen planes from GBs I/34, II/34, and II/38 led by Commandant de Laubier encountered German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters en route. Twelve bombers were destroyed.
By the time of the Armistice, the Amiot 143M had dropped a total of 523 tons of bombs. 53 Amiot 143Ms were in the Unoccupied Zone and 25 were in French North Africa. They were reorganized into GBs I/38 and II/38 and were used until July 1941 when they were replaced by LeO 451 bombers.
Some planes of the II/38 served as a transports for the French in Syria. This groupe later went over to the Allied side after their landings in Africa. The last Amiot 143M was retired from service in February 1944.
A few Amiot 143M are reported to have been commandeered by the Germans and used as transports. Only 11 planes were left in the Unoccupied Zone when it was occupied by the Germans in 1943, and only three were flightworthy.
Had the war gone on a little longer for France, it is likely that all of the Amiot 143M would have ended up in a training role, having been replaced by more modern bombers such as the Breguet 693. The obsolete plane was never intended to have such an important role come war time, but slow French production made its use necessary - often being pulled from training squadrons to shore up bomber groupes!
[edit] Variants
- Amiot 140
- The first two prototypes.
- Amiot 142
- Revised prototype.
- Amiot 142 (revised)
- Based on the third prototype, but fitted with different engines. One prototype only.
- Amiot 143
- Pre-production and production aircraft. 138 built.
- Amiot 143.01
- One prototype with counter-rotating engines.
- Amiot 143M
- Only production model, 148 built.
- Amiot 144
- Reduced wing area, added flaps and retractable undercarriage and no front turret, one prototype only.
- Amiot 145
- Amiot 144 with Hispano-Suiza 14A4 engines, never built.
- Amiot 146
- Amiot 144 with Gnome-Rhône 18Lars engines, never built.
- Amiot 147
- Derived from Amiot 144 with Hispano-Suiza 12Ydrs/frs engines.
- Amiot 150BE
- Reconnaissance, torpedo-bomber prototype, for use with the Aeronavale. Amiot 143 with 10% larger wing, interchangeable wheel or float landing gear, powered by two Gnome-Rhone radial piston engines. One prototype only.
Total production (including prototypes): 154
[edit] Operators
- Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia operated one.
- Armee de l'Air operated 138 aircraft.
- Luftwaffe operated few captured aircraft.
- Polish Air Forces on exile in France
- Groupe de Bombardement Marche Polonais
[edit] Specifications (Amiot 143)
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Crew: Five (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier, gunner)
- Length: 18.3 m (59 ft 11 in)
- Wingspan: 24.5 m (80 ft 5¾ in)
- Height: 5.7 m (18 ft 7¾ in)
- Wing area: 100 m² (1,080 ft²)
- Empty weight: 6,100 kg (13,450 lb)
- Loaded weight: 9,700 kg (21,400 lb)
- Powerplant: 2× Gnome et Rhône 14Kirs/jrs 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 650 kW (870 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 310 km/h (193 mph)
- Range: 1,200 km (720 miles)
- Service ceiling 7,900 m (25,920 ft)
- Rate of climb: 279 m/s (915 ft/s)
- Ferry Range: 2,000km (1,240 miles)
Armament
- 4-6 × 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine guns in nose and dorsal positions as well as in front and rear of gondola
- 880-1,600 kg (1,936-3,520 lb) of bombs
[edit] References
- Breffort, Dominique & Jouineau, André. French Aircraft from 1939 to 1942
- Weal, Elke C., Weal, John A., Barker, Richard F. Combat Aircraft of World War Two
[edit] See also
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
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