Bloch MB.200

infobox Aircraft
name = MB.200
type = Bomber
manufacturer = Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch


caption =
designer =
first flight =
introduction =1935
retired =
status =
primary user = French Air Force
more users = Czechoslovakian Air Force
Bulgarian Air Force
Luftwaffe
produced = 1933-1939
number built = 332
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = The MB.200 was a French bomber aircraft built by Societé des Avions Marcel Bloch, designed in response to a 1932 requirement for a new day/night bomber.

History

As the winning design for the competition, the MB.200 entered production in 1933, and equipped 12 French squadrons by end of 1935. Production in France totalled over 200 aircraft, being carried out by a number of different companies, while Czechoslovakia chose the MB.200 as part of their modernisation program in the 1930s.

At the rate of aircraft development at that time, the MB.200 would have become obsolete in a couple of years, as indeed it eventually did. However, the Czechoslovakians needed a quick solution involving the license production of a proven design, as their own aircraft industry did not have sufficient development experience with such a large aircraft, or with metal airframes and stressed-skin construction. After some delays, both Aero and Avia began license-production in 1937, with a projected total of 74 aircraft. Czechoslovakian MB.200s were basically similar to their French counterparts, with differences in defensive armament and other equipment.

The gradual German conquest of Czechoslovakia meant that MB.200s eventually passed under their control, including aircraft that were still coming off the production line. As well as serving in the German Luftwaffe, some bombers were distributed to Bulgaria. A total of 208 aircraft were built in France, by a variety of manufacturers, and 124 in Czechoslovakia.

Variants

* MB.200.01 - single prototype
* MB.200B.4 - main production version

Operators

;flag|Bulgaria|1878: Bulgarian Air Force - Purchased 12 ex-Czech MB.200s from Germany in 1939, using them as trainers. Green and Swanborough 1989, pp65-66.] ;CZS: Czech Air Force;FRA: French Air Force (from 1935);flag|Germany|Nazi: Luftwaffe (captured)

pecifications (MB.200B.4)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref=
crew= Four
capacity=
length main= 16.00 m
length alt= 52 ft 6 in
span main= 22.45 m
span alt= 73 ft 8 in
height main= 3.90 m
height alt= 12 ft 10 in
area main= 62.50 m²
area alt= 721 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 4,300 kg
empty weight alt= 9,480 lb
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 7,480 kg
max takeoff weight alt= 16,490 lb
more general=
engine (prop)=Gnome-Rhône 14Kirs
type of prop=
number of props=2
power main= 649 kW
power alt= 870 hp
power original=
max speed main= 285 km/h
max speed alt= 155 knots, 178 mph
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 1,000 km
range alt= 540 nm, 621 mi
ceiling main= 8,000 m
ceiling alt= 26,200 ft
climb rate main= 260 m/min
climb rate alt= 852 ft/min
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
* 3 × 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine guns (one for each defensive post).
* 1,200 kg (2,640 lb) of bombs
avionics=

See also

aircontent
related=
* MB.210
similar aircraft=
* MB.480
lists=
* List of aircraft of the Armée de l'Air, World War II
* List of bomber aircraft
see also=

References

* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "Balkan Interlude - The Bulgarian Air Force in WWII". "Air Enthusiast". Issue 39, May–August 1989. Bromley, Kent: Tri-Service Press, pp. 58–74. ISSN 0143-5450.
* [http://www.dassault-aviation.com/en/passion/aircraft/military-bloch-aircraft/mb-200.html?L=1 "Military Bloch aircraft : MB 200"] . "Dassault Aviation". Retrieved 23 August 2008.