Breguet 521

infobox Aircraft
name = Br.521 Bizerte
type = Flying boat
manufacturer = Breguet

---

caption =
designer =
first flight = 11 September 1933
introduction = 1935
retired =
status =
primary user = French Navy
more users = Luftwaffe
produced =
number built = 34
unit cost =
developed from =Short S.8 Calcutta
variants with their own articles =The Breguet Br.521 "Bizerte" was a long-range military reconnaissance flying boat built by the French aviation company Breguet.

Development

A biplane of all-metal construction, with three engines mounted in nacelles between the upper and lower wings, the aircraft was a development of the Breguet S.8/2 Calcutta, which itself was a militarised licenced version of the British Short S.8 Calcutta. It was built to meet a French Navy specification for a long range flying boat issued in 1932, with the prototype first flying on 11 September 1933.Green 1968, p.6.]

A series of small orders for production Bizertes were placed, starting with an order for three in 1934, with the last order, for twelve (nine of which were later cancelled) being placed in September 1939. Green 1968, p.7-8.] .

In 1935 a civil version - the Breguet Br.530 Saigon - was produced.

Operational history

After the first flight in September 1933 thirty-four aircraft were produced, which served with five squadrons of the French Navy from 1935 until 1940. Two squadrons remained in service with the Vichy Navy after the armistice. Green 1968, p.8.] When Vichy France was occupied by the Germans following the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942, several were captured and operated by the Luftwaffe as Air-Sea Rescue aircraft.Green 1968, p.9.] Following the Allied Invasion of Southern France in August 1944, one of the Luftwaffe Bizertes was discovered by French forces and used for communications duties until spares ran out .

Variants

;Breguet 521.01:Prototype.;Breguet 521 "Bizerte":Long-range flying boat;Breguet 522:Re-engined version of Breguet 521. Three Hispano-Suiza 14 AA radial engines. One built.;Breguet 530 "Saigon":Civil version of the Breguet 521. Three Hispano-Suiza 12Y liquid cooled engines. Two built. Donald 1997, p. 189.]

Operators

;FRA
*Aviation Navale;flag|Germany|Nazi
*Luftwaffe (captured)

pecifications (Br.521)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref=The Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft [ Jackson 2002 ]
crew=Eight
capacity=
length main= 20.48 m
length alt= 67 ft 2 in
span main= 35.18 m
span alt= 115 ft 4 in
height main= 7.50 m
height alt= 24 ft 6 in
area main= 162.6 m²
area alt= 1,750 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 9,470 kg
empty weight alt= 20,878 lb
loaded weight main= 14,669 kg
loaded weight alt= 32,271 lb
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 16,600 kg
max takeoff weight alt= 36,597 lb
more general=
engine (prop)= Gnome-Rhone 14Kirs or 14N-11
type of prop=14-cylinder radial engines
number of props=3
power main= 671 kW
power alt= 900 hp
power original=
max speed main= 243 km/h
max speed alt= 131 knots, 151 mph
cruise speed main= 200 km/h
cruise speed alt= 108 knots, 124 mph
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 2,100 km
range alt= 1,134 nm, 1,305 mi
ceiling main= 6,000 m
ceiling alt= 19,685 ft
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 90.2 kg/m²
loading alt= 18.4 lb/ft²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 137 W/kg
power/mass alt= 0.0837 hp/lb
more performance=*Climb to 2,000 m (6,560 ft): 8 min 46 sec
guns=5 × 7.5 mm (.30 in) Darne machine guns
bombs=300 kg (660 lb) of bombs
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
*Short S.8 Calcutta
*Breguet 530 "Saigon"
similar aircraft=
sequence=
lists=
* List of military aircraft of France
* List of seaplanes and flying boats
see also=

References

* cite book|author=Donald, David (Editor)|title = The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft|year = 1997|publisher = Aerospace Publishing
pages= p. 189|id =ISBN 1-85605-375-X
*
*Jackson, Robert, "The Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft", Paragon, 2002. ISBN 0-75258-130-9

External links

* [http://avia.russian.ee/air/france/breguet-521.php Virtual Aircraft Museum]
* [http://frenchnavy.free.fr/seaplanes/bizerte/bizerte.htm French Navy]