https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lior%C3%A9_et_Olivier_LeO_45
was a low-wing monoplane, all-metal in construction, equipped with a retractable
had two 1,100 hp Hispano-Suiza engines. It was a very effective bomber but it
appeared too late to give any substantial contribution to the war effort.
Although designed before World War II, it remained in service until September
1957.
The fuselage housed the four-man crew with the bombardier, who was also the
commander as per French tradition, in the glazed nose ahead of the pilot. Behind
the pilot, the radio operator could man a defensive 7.5 mm M.1934 (500 rounds)
machine gun from an underbelly retractable "gondola". A corridor alongside the
main bomb bay led to the dorsal gunner's position, which featured a powered
mounting for the 20 mm cannon Hispano-Suiza HS.404, with 120 rounds; the turret
could be retracted. Another 7.5 mm machine-gun M.1934, was fixed in the nose
(300 rounds). The LeO's armament was: 120 20 mm rounds, 800 7.5 mm rounds, up to
the two 200 kg in the wings). The maximum load reduced the fuel load to only
1,000 lts. The fuel tanks were: two 880 lts (inner wings), two 330 and two 410
lts (all in the external wings).
The LeO 45-01 prototype, powered by a pair of Hispano-Suiza 14AA-6 /
Hispano-Suiza 14AA-7 radial engines producing 1,120 hp (835 kW) each, flew for
the first time on 16 January 1937. Despite problems with longitudinal
instability, engine reliability and overheating, the aircraft demonstrated
excellent performance, reaching 480 km/h (260 knots, 300 mph) at 4000 m and
attaining 624 km/h (337 knots, 388 mph) in a shallow dive. In July 1938, the
prototype fitted with the new Mercier cowlings reached 500 km/h (270 knots, 311
mph). The troublesome Hispano-Suiza engines were later replaced with Gnome-Rhone
14N 20/21 producing 1,030 hp (768 kW) each and the aircraft was renamed LeO
451-01.
Role
Medium bomber
Manufacturer
SNCASE, SNCAO
First flight
15 January 1937
Introduction
1938
Retired
1957
Primary user
French Air Force
Produced
Number built
561
The first production LeO 451 was built in 1938. The decision to abandon
Hispano-Suiza engines and a shortage of propellers resulted in production
delays. The latter also caused most aircraft to be fitted with slower Ratier
propellers which reduced the top speed from 500 to 480 km/h. As a result,
although 749 LeO 451 had been ordered, only 22 were delivered by the start of
World War II. Of these, only ten were formally accepted by the Air Force. They
were issued to a front line unit to experiment with the new type in the field
and flew a few reconnaissance flights over Germany, which resulted in the type's
first combat loss.
On 24 October 1940, Vichy French LeO 451s carried out an air raid against
Gibraltar in retaliation for the Free-French attack on Dakar, losing one of
their number to British anti-aircraft fire. Two bomber units equipped with LeO
451s, GB I/12 and GB I/31 were based in Syria when Allied forces invaded on 8
June 1941, at the start of the Syria-Lebanon Campaign. These were supplemented
by GB I/25, which was dispatched from Tunisia. During this campaign, the LeO
451s flew a total of 855 sorties, losing 29 LeO 451s in the process. After
Operation Torch which began on 8 November 1942, surviving French LeO 451 in
North Africa were used primarily for freight duties, although they flew a few
bombing missions against Axis forces during the Tunisia Campaign. They were
replaced by Handley-Page Halifax and B-26 Marauder bombers.
Following the war, the 67 surviving aircraft were mostly used as trainers and
transports. The LeO 451 was retired in September 1957, making it the last
pre-war French design to leave active duty.
Specifications (LeO 451)
General characteristics
Crew: 4
Length: 17.17 m (56 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 22.52 m (73 ft 11 in)
Height: 5.24 m (17 ft 2 in)
Empty weight: 7,530 kg (16,600 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 11,398 kg (25,130 lb)
Fuel capacity: 3,235 l (855 US gal)
air-cooled radial engine, 790 kW (1,060 hp) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 495 km/h (260 knots, 300 mph) at 4,000 m (13,125 ft)
Cruise speed: 420 km/h (225 knots, 260 mph)
Range: 2900 km (1,565 nm, 1,800 mi)
Service ceiling: 9,000 m (29,530 ft)
Armament
Guns: ##1x 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon in dorsal turret, 120 rounds
1x 7.5 mm (0.295 in) MAC 1934 fixed forward-firing machine gun, 300 rounds
1x 7.5 mm MAC 1934 in "dustbin" retractable ventral turret, 500 rounds
Bombs: Up to 1568 kg (3,457 lb) of bombs in fuselage and wing root bomb bays
##7x 200 kg bombs (actual bomb weight: 224 kg or 494 lb)
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