Bernard 80 GR
Encyclopedia
The Bernard 80 GR was one of three types built by different French
constructors in response to a government call for an aircraft capable of setting new long distance records. A single engine monoplane
with a crew of two, the 80 GR set an absolute record for flight over a closed circuit in April 1931, covering 8,960 km (5,569 mi). Modifications led to a new designation as the Bernard 81 GR but no more records were set despite several attempts.
Point d'Interrogation. Both non-stop flights in this open cockpit aircraft covered about 8,000 km (5,000 mi) and it was obvious that longer flights would require better crew protection. Albert Claquot, the French air minister, therefore announced a prize of one million francs for the prototype of an aircraft that could fly for 10,000 km (6,215 mi) against a 35 km/h (22 mph) head wind. Three manufacturers responded, resulting in the Blériot 110, the Dewoitine 33
Trait d'Union and the Bernard 80 GR L'Oiseau Tango. Tango referred both to the orange colour of the aircraft and to an earlier Bernard aircraft named L'Oiseau Tango, the Bernard 18 GR
. The GR designation used by both Bernard designs and by other long range French aircraft stood for Grand Raid or extreme long distance flight. The last of the three to fly, the Bernard was flown for the first time on 27 November 1930 by Antoine Paillard
.
The Bernard 80 was a monoplane with a cantilever
wing of high aspect ratio
(8.6). The wing planform was straight tapered with elliptical tips. Five fuel tanks on each side provided a total capacity of 7,000 L (1,540 Imp gal, 1,850 US gal). Differential ailerons were fitted. The wing was a single piece wooden structure with two spar
s and plywood
rib
s, plywood skinned with canvas covering
. It thickened continuously towards the centre where its depth increased rapidly to form part of the fuselage
. This centre section contained four parallel steel tubes which joined the front and rear fuselage sections to it. An oval internal opening, 0.7 m (28 in) high and 0.45 m (17 in) wide, gave access from the nose to the rear.
The nose section contained the V-12 Hispano-Suiza 12 Nb engine, which produced 462 kW (620 hp) at 2,000 rpm and drove a two blade propeller
. A chin radiator
was mounted below the fuselage firewall
, with a long, prominent fairing behind it. The engine mountings were extended rearwards beyond the pilot's cabin to join the steel tubes in the wings. The cabin, fitted with dual controls, was accessed via glazed triangular doors, which provided sufficient sideways vision for cruising flight. A hatch, provided with a small windscreen was used for take-offs and landings by raising the pilot's seat. The navigator sat alongside the pilot on a drop seat. His space, 2 m (79 in) long and 1 m (39 in) wide, had side and roof windows for sightings. Internally, the rear part of the fuselage, mounted on the other end of the wing's four steel tubes, provided a space for the crew to rest during a long flight. The aerodynamically clean, tapered, elliptical rear section was built around four longerons, with a plywood skin and outer fabric sheath. The tailplane
was mounted on top of the fuselage and the fin
and rudder
together were roughly elliptical. The fixed, tailwheel undercarriage had split axles hinged to the bottom of the fuselage, with the wheels and main legs enclosed in narrow, wide chord fairings.
After the successful record flight of March 1931 described below, the aircraft returned to the factory at Bourget
to be modified for further record attempts. The wing area was increased by a 2 m (79 in) span extension, the wheel fairings were refined and, most noticeably, the chin radiator was removed and replaced with ones in the wing leading edge
s. The engine was replaced by a similar but geared down version, the Hispano-Suiza 12 Nbr, driving a three blade propeller, which was later replaced by one with four blades. Post-modification, the aircraft was re-designated as the Bernard 81 GR. It first flew in this form in August 1931, named the Antoine Paillard in memory of its first pilot who had died suddenly under surgery for appendicitis two months before. Later it was renamed the L'Oiseaux Canari II, recalling the earlier record breaking Bernard 191
L'Oiseaux Canari.
in Algeria
, then part of Metropolitan France, in February 1931. In a first attempt, flying a 15 km (9.3 mi) for over 50 hours, Paillard and Louis Mailloux (Professor of Navigation at the École d'Aéronautique de Versailles) covered 8,168 km (5.076 mi). Higher than expected fuel consumption was blamed on the fixed pitch Chauvière propeller, so this was replaced by a variable pitch
Ratier. Whilst this was being done, a new record of 8,822 km (5,483 mi) was set on 1 March by Maurice Rossi and Lucien Bossoutrop in the Blériot 110. On 30 March the Bernard took off again, piloted this time by Jean Marmoz and Paillard, to set a new record of 8,960 km (5,569 mi) in a time of 52 h 44 min. They landed on 2 April with fuel still available, brought down by loss of coolant; during the last part of the flight, they pumped Champagne, eau de Vittel
and coffee into the radiator. The record was short lived, for on 10 June 1931 Doret and Le Brix flew the Dewoitine 33 a distance of 10,371 km (6,446 mi).
After completing the transformation into the 81 GR in August, planning began for an attempt on the straight line record with a flight from Oran to South America
, which would also win a one million franc prize. The attempt was blocked by the unwillingness of the French authorities to grant clearance, partly in response to the recent Dewoitine 33 crash. Instead, there was an attempt to regain the closed circuit record. On 29 December the 81 GR, carrying 8,500 L (1,870 Imp gal, 2,245 USgal) of fuel and piloted by Marmoz, attempted to take off. After a deliberately after a long run the tail lifted and the large propeller hit the ground, the undercarriage collapsed and the 81 GR slid on its belly, fortunately without catching fire. Mermoz and Mailloux escaped with a few bruises.
After its repair the 81 GR made a second and final attempt to regain the record. Even during take-off from Istres
on 18 October 1932, Marmoz noticed the aileron controls were slack, the ailerons themselves vibrated and there were large oscillations of the wings, with amplitude as much as 1 m. He dumped most of the fuel and returned, landing safely. It turned out that the wing oscillations were excited by a very stiff undercarriage suspension that transmitted ground forces into the wings, the motion of which damaged the aileron control runs.
Almost a year later, the ban on long range flights lifted by a new administration, an attempt on the straight line record was made at last. By this time the record was held by Rossi and Codos in the Blériot 110 at 9,104 km (5,658 mi). L'Oiseau Canari II left Oran on 4 October 1933, crewed by Jean Assolant and René Lefèvre, hoping to reach Saigon. After 24 hours they realized that the engine was consuming 10 L of fuel per hour more than expected, an excess of about 0.6% . This put the record just out of reach: the FAI
stipulation that the old record had to be beaten by 100 km (62 mi) left them an estimated 200 km (124 mi) short. They therefore landed in Karachi
, having flown 6,600 km (4,100 mi) in 27 hours. An inaccurate rev counter may have been partly to blame for the over-consumption.
The L'Oiseau Canari II was later re-engined with a 670 kW (900 hp) two row radial Gnôme-Rhône 14 Kfs engine, perhaps because Hispano-Suiza reclaimed their loaned engined. It was designated 84 GR but never flew. There was also a proposed bomber project, the unbuilt, Hispano powered 81 Bn3, which led to the Bernard 82 and its own variants.
Bernard 81 GR
Bernard 81 Bn3
Bernard 82
Bernard 84
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
constructors in response to a government call for an aircraft capable of setting new long distance records. A single engine monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
with a crew of two, the 80 GR set an absolute record for flight over a closed circuit in April 1931, covering 8,960 km (5,569 mi). Modifications led to a new designation as the Bernard 81 GR but no more records were set despite several attempts.
Design and development
In 1929 France regained the world straight line and closed circuit distance records with the Breguet 19 TRBreguet 19
The Breguet 19 was a light bomber and reconnaissance plane, also used for long-distance flights, designed by the French Breguet company and produced from 1924.-Development:...
Point d'Interrogation. Both non-stop flights in this open cockpit aircraft covered about 8,000 km (5,000 mi) and it was obvious that longer flights would require better crew protection. Albert Claquot, the French air minister, therefore announced a prize of one million francs for the prototype of an aircraft that could fly for 10,000 km (6,215 mi) against a 35 km/h (22 mph) head wind. Three manufacturers responded, resulting in the Blériot 110, the Dewoitine 33
Dewoitine D.33
The Dewoitine D.33 was a single-engine low-wing monoplane aircraft built by the Dewoitine Company. It is remembered for setting a long-distance record on its first flight in 1930....
Trait d'Union and the Bernard 80 GR L'Oiseau Tango. Tango referred both to the orange colour of the aircraft and to an earlier Bernard aircraft named L'Oiseau Tango, the Bernard 18 GR
Bernard 18
|-References:* * -See also:...
. The GR designation used by both Bernard designs and by other long range French aircraft stood for Grand Raid or extreme long distance flight. The last of the three to fly, the Bernard was flown for the first time on 27 November 1930 by Antoine Paillard
Antoine Paillard
Sous Lieutenant Antoine Joseph Henri Louis Paillard was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.-References:...
.
The Bernard 80 was a monoplane with a cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
wing of high aspect ratio
Aspect ratio (wing)
In aerodynamics, the aspect ratio of a wing is essentially the ratio of its length to its breadth . A high aspect ratio indicates long, narrow wings, whereas a low aspect ratio indicates short, stubby wings....
(8.6). The wing planform was straight tapered with elliptical tips. Five fuel tanks on each side provided a total capacity of 7,000 L (1,540 Imp gal, 1,850 US gal). Differential ailerons were fitted. The wing was a single piece wooden structure with two spar
Spar
In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a...
s and plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
rib
Rib
In vertebrate anatomy, ribs are the long curved bones which form the rib cage. In most vertebrates, ribs surround the chest, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the chest cavity. They serve to protect the lungs, heart, and other internal organs of the thorax...
s, plywood skinned with canvas covering
Aircraft fabric covering
Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures, the de Havilland Mosquito being an example of this technique....
. It thickened continuously towards the centre where its depth increased rapidly to form part of the fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
. This centre section contained four parallel steel tubes which joined the front and rear fuselage sections to it. An oval internal opening, 0.7 m (28 in) high and 0.45 m (17 in) wide, gave access from the nose to the rear.
The nose section contained the V-12 Hispano-Suiza 12 Nb engine, which produced 462 kW (620 hp) at 2,000 rpm and drove a two blade propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
. A chin radiator
Radiator
Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in automobiles, buildings, and electronics...
was mounted below the fuselage firewall
Firewall (construction)
A firewall is a fireproof barrier used to prevent the spread of fire between or through buildings, structures, electrical substation transformers, or within an aircraft or vehicle.- Applications :...
, with a long, prominent fairing behind it. The engine mountings were extended rearwards beyond the pilot's cabin to join the steel tubes in the wings. The cabin, fitted with dual controls, was accessed via glazed triangular doors, which provided sufficient sideways vision for cruising flight. A hatch, provided with a small windscreen was used for take-offs and landings by raising the pilot's seat. The navigator sat alongside the pilot on a drop seat. His space, 2 m (79 in) long and 1 m (39 in) wide, had side and roof windows for sightings. Internally, the rear part of the fuselage, mounted on the other end of the wing's four steel tubes, provided a space for the crew to rest during a long flight. The aerodynamically clean, tapered, elliptical rear section was built around four longerons, with a plywood skin and outer fabric sheath. The tailplane
Tailplane
A tailplane, also known as horizontal stabilizer , is a small lifting surface located on the tail behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplanes...
was mounted on top of the fuselage and the fin
Fin
A fin is a surface used for stability and/or to produce lift and thrust or to steer while traveling in water, air, or other fluid media, . The first use of the word was for the limbs of fish, but has been extended to include other animal limbs and man-made devices...
and rudder
Rudder
A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...
together were roughly elliptical. The fixed, tailwheel undercarriage had split axles hinged to the bottom of the fuselage, with the wheels and main legs enclosed in narrow, wide chord fairings.
After the successful record flight of March 1931 described below, the aircraft returned to the factory at Bourget
Le Bourget
Le Bourget is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.A very small part of Le Bourget airport lies on the territory of the commune of Le Bourget, which nonetheless gave its name to the airport. Most of the airport lies on the territory of the...
to be modified for further record attempts. The wing area was increased by a 2 m (79 in) span extension, the wheel fairings were refined and, most noticeably, the chin radiator was removed and replaced with ones in the wing leading edge
Leading edge
The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air; alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil section. The first is an aerodynamic definition, the second a structural one....
s. The engine was replaced by a similar but geared down version, the Hispano-Suiza 12 Nbr, driving a three blade propeller, which was later replaced by one with four blades. Post-modification, the aircraft was re-designated as the Bernard 81 GR. It first flew in this form in August 1931, named the Antoine Paillard in memory of its first pilot who had died suddenly under surgery for appendicitis two months before. Later it was renamed the L'Oiseaux Canari II, recalling the earlier record breaking Bernard 191
Bernard 190
|-References:* -See also:...
L'Oiseaux Canari.
Operational history
In response to several fatal crashes the French government had imposed restrictions on the long range flights from France required by attempts on the straight line distance record. Bernard therefore concentrated on the closed circuit record, which at the time of the 80 GR's first flight was held by the Italians Umberto Madalena and Fausto Cecconi. They had flown 8,188 km (5,089 mi) in a Savoia-Marchetti S.64. The 80 GR was taken to OranOran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, then part of Metropolitan France, in February 1931. In a first attempt, flying a 15 km (9.3 mi) for over 50 hours, Paillard and Louis Mailloux (Professor of Navigation at the École d'Aéronautique de Versailles) covered 8,168 km (5.076 mi). Higher than expected fuel consumption was blamed on the fixed pitch Chauvière propeller, so this was replaced by a variable pitch
Controllable pitch propeller
A controllable pitch propeller or variable pitch propeller is a type of propeller with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change their pitch...
Ratier. Whilst this was being done, a new record of 8,822 km (5,483 mi) was set on 1 March by Maurice Rossi and Lucien Bossoutrop in the Blériot 110. On 30 March the Bernard took off again, piloted this time by Jean Marmoz and Paillard, to set a new record of 8,960 km (5,569 mi) in a time of 52 h 44 min. They landed on 2 April with fuel still available, brought down by loss of coolant; during the last part of the flight, they pumped Champagne, eau de Vittel
Vittel
Vittel is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Mineral water is bottled and sold here by Nestlé Waters France, under the Vittel brand.-History:...
and coffee into the radiator. The record was short lived, for on 10 June 1931 Doret and Le Brix flew the Dewoitine 33 a distance of 10,371 km (6,446 mi).
After completing the transformation into the 81 GR in August, planning began for an attempt on the straight line record with a flight from Oran to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, which would also win a one million franc prize. The attempt was blocked by the unwillingness of the French authorities to grant clearance, partly in response to the recent Dewoitine 33 crash. Instead, there was an attempt to regain the closed circuit record. On 29 December the 81 GR, carrying 8,500 L (1,870 Imp gal, 2,245 USgal) of fuel and piloted by Marmoz, attempted to take off. After a deliberately after a long run the tail lifted and the large propeller hit the ground, the undercarriage collapsed and the 81 GR slid on its belly, fortunately without catching fire. Mermoz and Mailloux escaped with a few bruises.
After its repair the 81 GR made a second and final attempt to regain the record. Even during take-off from Istres
Istres
Istres is a commune in southern France, some 60 km northwest of Marseille. It is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture...
on 18 October 1932, Marmoz noticed the aileron controls were slack, the ailerons themselves vibrated and there were large oscillations of the wings, with amplitude as much as 1 m. He dumped most of the fuel and returned, landing safely. It turned out that the wing oscillations were excited by a very stiff undercarriage suspension that transmitted ground forces into the wings, the motion of which damaged the aileron control runs.
Almost a year later, the ban on long range flights lifted by a new administration, an attempt on the straight line record was made at last. By this time the record was held by Rossi and Codos in the Blériot 110 at 9,104 km (5,658 mi). L'Oiseau Canari II left Oran on 4 October 1933, crewed by Jean Assolant and René Lefèvre, hoping to reach Saigon. After 24 hours they realized that the engine was consuming 10 L of fuel per hour more than expected, an excess of about 0.6% . This put the record just out of reach: the FAI
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
stipulation that the old record had to be beaten by 100 km (62 mi) left them an estimated 200 km (124 mi) short. They therefore landed in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, having flown 6,600 km (4,100 mi) in 27 hours. An inaccurate rev counter may have been partly to blame for the over-consumption.
The L'Oiseau Canari II was later re-engined with a 670 kW (900 hp) two row radial Gnôme-Rhône 14 Kfs engine, perhaps because Hispano-Suiza reclaimed their loaned engined. It was designated 84 GR but never flew. There was also a proposed bomber project, the unbuilt, Hispano powered 81 Bn3, which led to the Bernard 82 and its own variants.
Variants
Bernard 80 GR- Prototype of a long-range record-breaking aircraft, powered by a single V-12 Hispano-Suiza 12 Nb engine, named L'Oiseau Tango. (GR - Grand Raid - extreme long distance)
Bernard 81 GR
- The 80 GR re-designated after being re-engined with a Hispano-Suiza 12 Nbr driving a three-bladed (later four-bladed) propeller, re-named L'Oiseaux Canari II.
Bernard 81 Bn3
- A proposed bomber variant of the 81 GR, which resulted in the Bernard 82
Bernard 82
- A bomber version, known as a bombardier de represaillies - reprisal bomber, powered by a single Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs V-12 engine.
Bernard 84
- The L'Oiseaux Canari II was re-engined with a 670 kW (900 hp) Gnôme-Rhône 14 Kfs two row radial engine, as the Bernard 84 but the aircraft never flew after conversion.