Blanchard Brd.1

Brd.1
Role	Reconnaissance flying boat
Manufacturer	Blanchard
First flight	1922
Introduction	1923
Retired	1926
Primary user	Aéronautique Maritime
Number built	24

The Blanchard Brd.1 was a French reconnaissance flying boat used by the French navy in the 1920s. It was a large biplane with two engines mounted in the gap between the wings, each engine driving a pusher propeller. In 1924, one Brd.1 was used to set several world altitude records for seaplanes.

Operators

France

• French Navy

Units using this aircraft

Aéronautique Maritime

• Escadrille 5R1

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: three, pilot, navigator, and gunner
• Length: 13.85 m (45 ft 5 in)
• Wingspan: 19.00 m (62 ft 4 in)
• Height: 5.00 m (16 ft 5 in)
• Wing area: 85.0 m² (914 ft²)
• Empty weight: 2,465 kg (5,434 lb)
• Gross weight: 3,930 kg (8,664 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Hispano-Suiza 8Fe, 205 kW (275 hp) each each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 170 km/h (106 mph)
• Service ceiling: 3,500 m (11,480 ft)

Armament

1 × 7.7 mm machine gun in flexible mount in bow

1 × 7.7 mm machine gun in flexible mount in rear fuselage

290 kg (640 lb) of bombs

See also

• Curtiss NC

References

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 161. 
• aviafrance.com