Bloch MB.162

Development

Developed from the speedy MB.160 long-range civil transport, the MB.162 was originally developed as a mail plane. The MB.162 01 bomber prototype first flew in June 1940 and was captured subsequent to the Armistice. Had the MB.162 entered production in 1941 as planned, it would have been a notable and fast heavy bomber for the French, somewhat analogous to the B-17 but much faster and less well-armed.

Operational history

The MB.162 did not fly a single combat mission, nor did the MB.162 B.5 production model ever enter production. The prototype was used by the Luftwaffe in I/KG 200 for clandestine affairs during 1943-1944.

Variants

MB.160:

civil transport prototype with smaller span, longer, single central fin. Three built.

MB.161

produced postwar as airliner SE.161 Languedoc. 100 built

MB.162 Raid

Long-range mailplane version

MB.162.01

prototype, one built

MB.162 Bn.5

Production model - never produced

Military operators

 France

Armee de l'Air (postwar)

 Germany

Luftwaffe

Specifications (MB.162 B5)

Data from War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Seven

General characteristics

Crew: five

Length: 21.91 m (71 ft 10½ in)

Wingspan: 28.10 m (92 ft 2 in)

Height: 3.76 m (12 ft 4 in)

Wing area: 109 m² (1,173 ft²)

Empty weight: 11,890 kg (26,158 lb)

Loaded weight: 19,040 kg (41,888 lb)

Powerplant: 4 × Gnome-Rhône 14N-48/49 14-cylinder two-row air cooled radial engine, 821 kW (1,100 hp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 551 km/h (297 kn, 342 mph) at 5,500 m (18,045 ft)

Range: 2,399 km (1,296 nmi, 1,490 mi)

Service ceiling: 9,000 m (29,530 ft)

Wing loading: 175 kg/m² (35.7 lb/ft²)

Power/mass: 0.17 kW/kg (0.11 hp/lb)

Climb to 2,000 m (6,560 ft): 5 min 48 sec

Climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft): 18 min

Armament

Guns: 2 × 7.5 mm (.295 in) MAC 1934 machine guns in nose and ventral positions

2 × 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon in ventral and dorsal positions

Bombs: 3,600 kg (7,940 lb) of bombs