Bloch MB.220

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M.B.220
Type	Airliner
Manufacturer	Société des Avions Marcel Bloch
Maiden flight	1935
Introduced	1938
Retired	1950
Primary users	Air France French Air Force
Number built	17

The Bloch M.B.220 was a French twin-engined passenger transport airplane built by Société des Avions Marcel Bloch during the 1930s.

Contents 1 Design and development 2 Service 3 Variants 4 Operators 5 Specifications (M.B.220) 6 References 7 External links 8 See also

[edit] Design and development

The French equivalent of the Douglas DC-2, the M.B.220 was an all-metal low-wing cantilever monoplane. It was powered by two Gnome-Rhône radial engines and had a retractable landing gear. Normal crew was four with room for 16 passengers, with eight seats each side of a central aisle. The prototype first flew in December 1935, and was followed by 16 production aircraft. At least five examples survived the war and were modified as the M.B.221 with Wright Cyclone R-1820-97 engines.

[edit] Service

By the middle of 1938 the type was being utlised by Air France on European routes. The first service of the type (between Paris and London) was flown on 27 March, 1938 with a scheduled time of 1 hour 15 minutes. During the Second World War most M.B.220s were taken over as military transports, including service with German, Free French and Vichy French air forces. Air France continued to fly the aircraft (as M.B.221s) after the war on short-range European routes. It sold four aircraft in 1949 but within a year all had been withdrawn from service.

[edit] Variants

M.B.220

One Prototype and 16 production aircraft with Gnome et Rhône engines.

M.B.221

At lease 5 survivors re-engined with the Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone.

[edit] Operators

 France

• Air France
• Free French Air Force
• Vichy Franch Air Force
• Societé Auxiliaire de Navigation Aérienne

[edit] Specifications (M.B.220)

General characteristics

• Crew: 4
• Length: 63 ft 1¾ in (19.25 m)
• Wingspan: 74 ft 10½ in (22.82 m)
• Height: ()
• Wing area: 807.32 ft² (75 m²)
• Empty weight: 15,007 lb (6807 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 20,944 lb (9500 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Gnome-Rhône 14N-16/7 radial piston, 985 hp (735 kw) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 205 mph (330 km/h)
• Range: 870 miles (1400 km)
• Service ceiling 22,965 ft (7000 m)

[edit] References

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. 

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

Comparable aircraft Douglas DC-2

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