Lioré et Olivier LeO 25

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The Lioré et Olivier LeO 25 was a bomber aircraft produced in France in the late 1920s.Taylor 1989, 579] It was a development of the LeO 20 and retained much of that aircraft's structure, adding a new tail and liquid-cooled engines. The prototype was delivered to the "Aéronautique Militaire" amongst a batch of LeO 20s in 1928 for evaluation. This was redesignated LeO 252 in 1929 after an engine change, and a second, generally similar machine was purchased by Romania."World Aircraft Information Files, File 900 Sheet 08]

In 1931, the LeO 252 remaining in France was fitted with wooden pontoons and handed over to the "Aéronavale", forming the pattern for the majority of LeO 25s which would be produced as seaplanes. The only other members of the family to be built with wheeled undercarriage were three LeO 253s purchased by Brazil in 1931, and which would see service in the Constitutionalist Revolution the following year, and the sole LeO 255 which would later be fitted with floats. This latter machine was equipped with supercharged enginesTaylor 1989, 580] and was used to set a number of height-with-load records for seaplanes.

The only versions produced in quantity were the LeO H-257"bis" and LeO H-258, which together represented orders for 86 units from the "Aéronavale". Entering service in June 1935, they flew neutrality patrols during the Spanish Civil War and some remained in service at the outbreak of the Second World War. These surviving aircraft flew convoy escort and anti-submarine patrols in September 1939 before being used as tactical bombers against land targets during the Blitzkrieg, suffering heavy losses. Fifty-three remained on strength with Vichy forces in August 1940, and these were used for secondary roles such as training and target towing until 1944.

Variants

* LeO 25 - landplane night bomber with Hispano-Suiza 12Hb engines (1 prototype)
* LeO 252 - landplane bomber with Hispano-Suiza 12Mbr engines (1 built, one converted from LeO 25)
* LeO 253 - landplane bomber similar to LeO 252 (3 built)
* LeO H-254 - dedicated seaplane version of LeO 252 (2 built)
* LeO H-255 - record-setting version of LeO H-254 with supercharged Hispano-Suiza 12Xbrs engines (1 built)
* LeO H-256 - version of H-254 with extended wingspan (1 built)
* LeO H-257 - modified version for Aéronavale with Gnome-Rhône 14Kbrs engines and enclosed cockpit for pilot (1 built)
** LeO H-257"bis" - production version of H-257 with Gnome-Rhône 14Kirs/Kjrs engines, strengthened airframe, and enclosed nose gun position (60 built)
* LeO H-258 - interim version similar to H-257"bis" but with Hispano-Suiza 12Nbr engines, supplied to Aéronavale while H-257"bis" production was being undertaken (26 built)
* LeO 259 - version with Hispano-Suiza 12Ydrs/Yfrs engines (1 built)

Operators

* France
** "Aéronavale
*** Escadrille 3B1
*** Escadrille 3B2
*** Escadrille B-1
*** Escadrille B-2
*** Escadrille B-3
*** Escadrille E.7
*** Escadrille 3S4
** "Armée de l'Air"
*** Groupe de Bombardement 11/25
* Brazil - 3 × LeO 253
* Romania - 1 × LeO 252

pecifications (LeO H-257"bis")

aerospecs
ref=
met or eng?= met

crew=Five
capacity=
length m=17.54
length ft=57
length in=7
span m=25.50
span ft=83
span in=8
swept m=
swept ft=
swept in=
rot number=
rot dia m=
rot dia ft=
rot dia in=
dia m=
dia ft=
dia in=
width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=6.80
height ft=22
height in=3
wing area sqm=133.5
wing area sqft=1,437
swept area sqm=
swept area sqft=
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
volume m3=
volume ft3=
aspect ratio=
wing profile=
empty weight kg=5,300
empty weight lb=11,680
gross weight kg=9,560
gross weight lb=21,080
lift kg=
lift lb=

eng1 number=2
eng1 type=Gnome-Rhône 14Knrs/Kors
eng1 kw= 650
eng1 hp= 870
eng1 kn=
eng1 lbf=
eng1 kn-ab=
eng1 lbf-ab=
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=
eng2 kn=
eng2 lbf=
eng2 kn-ab=
eng2 lbf-ab=

max speed kmh=230
max speed mph=140
max speed mach=
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
stall speed kmh=
stall speed mph=
range km=1,500
range miles=930
endurance h=
endurance min=
ceiling m=8,000
ceiling ft=26,200
g limits=
roll rate=
glide ratio=
climb rate ms=
climb rate ftmin=
sink rate ms=
sink rate ftmin=

armament1=3 × 7.5 mm Darne machine guns
armament2=700 kg (1,320 lb) of bombs "or" 1 × DA torpedo
armament3=
armament4=
armament5=
armament6= aircontent
see also=
related=
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lists=

Notes

References

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