Lioré et Olivier LeO H-13

__NOTOC__ Infobox Aircraft
name=Lioré et Olivier H-13


caption=
type=Passenger and bomber flying boat
manufacturer=Lioré et Olivier
designer=
first flight= July 1922
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user=French Navy
more users=French civil aviation
Polish Navy
produced=
number built=53
variants with their own articles=The Lioré et Olivier LéO H-13 was a French biplane two-engine flying boat of 1920s, built in passenger and military variants.

Development

The LeO H-13 was constructed by Lioré et Olivier in Levallois-Perret factory, for an order of the French Aeronavale airlines. The prototype was flown in July 1922. From 1923 there were built 23 passenger aircraft LeO H-13A. Next, there were developed military variants: reconnaissance-bomber LeO H-13B-3 and trainer LeO H-13E. They differed in fuselage configuration, because the H-13B-3 had an open cockpit for a pilot only behind a lower wing, while the H-13E had an open cockpit for a trainee and instructor seating side-by-side, in front of wings. Both had open machine gun nests in a fuselage nose and behind wings. The H-13E could be also used as a reconnaissance aircraft. From late 1923 there were built 20 H-13B-3 (nos. 1-20) and 10 H-13E (nos. 21-30).

Variants

;LéO H-13:Prototype;LéO H-13A:Passenger variant, 23 built;LéO H-13B-3:Reconnaissance-bomber variant, 20 built.;LéO H-13E:Trainer variant, 10 built.

ervice

Passenger H-13A were used over the Mediterranean Sea.

In the French Navy, H-13 were quickly withdrawn for training purpose, because of weak structure and low manufacturing quality.

In 1924-1925 two H-13B3 and two H-13E were sold to Poland and used in Naval Aviation Unit ("MDLot") in Puck from mid-1925. One of H-13E was used for a short time in a River Flotilla in Pinsk. The first H-13B-3 no. 1-1 was withdrawn in 1929, next two (nos. 1-2 and 1-3) in 1931, while the last H-13E, no. 1-4, crashed on 29 July 1931 over the land near Puck.

Description

Two-engine biplane flying boat of wooden construction. Wooden framed fuselage, plywood covered, rectangular in cross-section, with a flat bottom with a single step. Two-spar rectangular wings, covered with plywood (in front) and canvas. A lower wing attached to the fuselage, an upper wing above it, mounted on struts, with two engines between wings, driving tractor propellers. Two floats under a lower wing. Conventional braced empennage. Two 150 hp radial engines Hispano-Suiza 8E.

Armament: two twin 7.7 mm Lewis machine guns and 4 bombs up to 25 kg below a lower wing.

pecifications (LeO H-13B-3)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew=3 (pilot and two gunners)
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 11.5 m
length alt=
span main= 16 m
span alt=
height main= 3.7 m
height alt=
area main= 58 m²
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,620 kg
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 2,500 kg
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)= Hispano Suiza 8E
type of prop=
number of props=2
power main= 180 hp
power alt= 132 kW
power original=
max speed main=150 km/h
max speed alt=
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 500 km
range alt=
ceiling main= 3,600 m
ceiling alt=
climb rate main= 3.1 m/s
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

aircontent
see also=
related=
similar aircraft=
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References

* Sankowski, Wojciech: "Pierwsze Francuzy" in: "Lotnictwo z szachownicą" nr 20

External links

* [http://www.aviafrance.com/constructeur.php?ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=825 Lioré et Olivier at Aviafrance]