Bernard V.4
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The Bernard H.V.120 was a
racing In sports, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific g ...
seaplane A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tech ...
designed and built by the
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
aircraft manufacturer
Bernard Bernard ('' Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It has West Germanic origin and is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''be ...
. It was developed specifically to compete in the
Schneider Trophy The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider, also known as the Schneider Trophy, Schneider Prize or (incorrectly) the Schneider Cup is a trophy that was awarded first annually, and later biennially, to the winner of a race for seaplanes and ...
race. The company developed it as a wooden single-seat mid-wing
cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is unsupported at one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cantilev ...
monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple wings. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
, equipped with twin floats and powered by a Hispano Suiza 18R W-18 piston engine. Development was protracted, primarily as a result of engine-related difficulties, that delayed availability and thus did not permit the aircraft to race in the 1929 competition as intended. The first aircraft performed its
maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. In the early days of aviation it could be dange ...
on 25 March 1930, four months after the race. The test flight programme, while successfully demonstrating the ability to fly at 500 kmph (310 mph), was not trouble-free. The second aircraft was lost in a fatal crash during 1931; work continued with the first aircraft. During the early 1930s, the prototype was converted, and thus re-designated ''Bernard V.4'', into a racing landplane; however, this aircraft would never actually fly as a result of funding having been pulled for the project.


Development

The
Schneider Trophy The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider, also known as the Schneider Trophy, Schneider Prize or (incorrectly) the Schneider Cup is a trophy that was awarded first annually, and later biennially, to the winner of a race for seaplanes and ...
competition, held annually throughout much of the
interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...
, proved to be attractive to various aircraft manufacturers across Europe. For the 1929 race, it was intended for France to have been represented by two seaplanes, one that was produced by
Nieuport Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars. History Beginnings Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
while the other by Bernard. Both projects were worked on with a high degree of secrecy and information was often intentionally vague to most external parties. Despite both company's strenuous efforts, neither aircraft were ultimately able to participate at the 1929 event due to the failure of the engine manufacturer to deliver their intended powerplants on time.NACA 1928, p. 1. On 25 March 1930, the first H.V.120 conducted its
maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. In the early days of aviation it could be dange ...
from
Hourtin Hourtin (; , ) is a communes of France, commune of southwestern France, located in the Gironde (department), Gironde departments of France, department, administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (before 2015: Aquitaine). It is located in the Can ...
, roughly four months after the race. Within the next 12 months, it demonstrated its ability to attain speeds as high as 500 kmph (310 mph).NACA 1928, p. 5. Aside from the engine-related problems, development of the aircraft had encountered several technical issues; the weight of the finalised engine was so much that it necessitated the redesigning of both the engine mount and the forward fuselage. Several other changes were made, while the first aircraft had a three-bladed propeller, the second was fitted with a four-bladed Chauvière propeller instead. During July 1931, the second aircraft crashed into the water on its first flight, killing the pilot. In 1933, the prototype was converted into a racing landplane, referred to as the ''Bernard V.4''. The V.4 had widely spaced main
landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft, it is generally needed for all three of these. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, s ...
with
streamlined Streamlines, streaklines and pathlines are field lines in a fluid flow. They differ only when the flow changes with time, that is, when the flow is not steady flow, steady. Considering a velocity vector field in three-dimensional space in the f ...
wheel spats. During December 1933, the V.4 was transported to
Istres Istres (; Occitan: Istre) is a commune in southern France, some 60 km (38 mi) northwest of Marseille. It is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture. Location I ...
to try to achieve a French Air Ministry prize for a French aircraft to beat the world speed record before January 1934. It was due to make an attempt to fly on 27 December 1933, but strong winds kept the aircraft grounded. Further attempts in February 1934 to fly were thwarted by engine problems and lack of government finance. The project was abandoned without the aircraft having ever flown.


Design

The single-piece wing of the aircraft was entirely composed of wood and features
laminar Laminar means "flat". Laminar may refer to: Terms in science and engineering: * Laminar electronics or organic electronics, a branch of material sciences dealing with electrically conductive polymers and small molecules * Laminar armour or "bande ...
-type construction, akin to that of the
Bernard 20 __NOTOC__ The Bernard 20 was a single-seat monoplane fighter aircraft designed and built by the France, French aircraft manufacturer Société des Avions Bernard. Derived from the Bernard V2 racing aircraft, the Bernard 20 was originally displaye ...
fighter aircraft. Structurally, it used narrow box-
girder A girder () is a Beam (structure), beam used in construction. It is the main horizontal support of a structure which supports smaller beams. Girders often have an I-beam cross section composed of two load-bearing ''flanges'' separated by a sta ...
s that roughly corresponded to traditional spar. These girders, which varied in both height and length dependent upon their specific location within the wing, were fitted with
plywood Plywood is a composite material manufactured from thin layers, or "plies", of wood veneer that have been stacked and glued together. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured boards, which include plywood, medium-density fibreboa ...
flange A flange is a protruded ridge, lip or rim (wheel), rim, either external or internal, that serves to increase shear strength, strength (as the flange of a steel beam (structure), beam such as an I-beam or a T-beam); for easy attachment/transfer o ...
s and spruce webs that were glued together to produce a longitudinal multicellular structure.NACA 1928, pp. 1-2. This framework of the wing was attached to the formers of both the
leading edge The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air;Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil sectio ...
and
trailing edge The trailing edge of an aerodynamic surface such as a wing is its rear edge, where the airflow separated by the leading edge meets.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 521. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. ...
as well as the inter-spar
rib In vertebrate anatomy, ribs () are the long curved bones which form the rib cage, part of the axial skeleton. In most tetrapods, ribs surround the thoracic cavity, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the ...
s. The flanges were
planed Rural community development encompasses a range of approaches and activities that aim to improve the welfare and livelihoods of people living in rural areas. As a branch of community development, these approaches pay attention to social issues pa ...
down to the sought
profile Profile or profiles may refer to: Art, entertainment and media Music * ''Profile'' (Jan Akkerman album), 1973 * ''Profile'' (Githead album), 2005 * ''Profile'' (Pat Donohue album), 2005 * ''Profile'' (Duke Pearson album), 1959 * '' ''Profi ...
, which was relatively thick and biconvex, before being covered with plywood. The centre section of each girder was enlarged and hollowed out to form the forward portion of the cockpit as well as a portion of the fuselage. The centre of the wing possessed considerable
torsion Torsion may refer to: Science * Torsion (mechanics), the twisting of an object due to an applied torque * Torsion of spacetime, the field used in Einstein–Cartan theory and ** Alternatives to general relativity * Torsion angle, in chemistry Bio ...
al resistance while the wingtips were noticeably more flexible.NACA 1928, p. 2. The entire width of the wing's central section was traversed by four tubes, composed of
steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...
, that terminated in sockets at each end. The wing was attached to the fuselage via the four rear sockets while the four forward sockets connected to the engine bearer. Furthermore, the float gear was attached, via a duralumin frame, to the underside of the wing's central section. The
aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement aroun ...
s, which were metal, were operated by torsion. The aircraft had an oval-section fuselage, the midsection of which was intentionally minimised in terms of its size. Structural elements included a pair of box girders that formed two vertical walls; these were united via several frames of spruce and plywood. These girders consist of a pair of
longeron In engineering, a longeron or stringer is a load-bearing component of a framework. The term is commonly used in connection with aircraft fuselages and automobile chassis. Longerons are used in conjunction with stringers to form structural fram ...
s, complete with spruce uprights and crosspieces, that were assembled by
gusset In sewing, a gusset is a triangular or rhomboidal piece of textiles, fabric inserted into a seam to add breadth or reduce stress from tight-fitting clothing. Gussets were used at the shoulders, underarms, and hems of traditional shirts and chemi ...
s and entirely covered by plywood. Both the top and bottom of the fuselage were also covered with plywood, which was stiffened via a series of longitudinal stringers.NACA 1928, pp. 2-3. A single-piece horizontal
empennage The empennage ( or ), also known as the tail or tail assembly, is a structure at the rear of an aircraft that provides stability during flight, in a way similar to the feathers on an arrow.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third ed ...
was encased into the tip of the fuselage and secured via four bolts; it had a framework of two box spars and ribs and was covered with plywood. The
fin A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. F ...
, which shared a similar design, was integral with the fuselage.NACA 1928, p. 3. The floats were mounted in a similar fashion to that of a
catamaran A catamaran () (informally, a "cat") is a watercraft with two parallel hull (watercraft), hulls of equal size. The wide distance between a catamaran's hulls imparts stability through resistance to rolling and overturning; no ballast is requi ...
; they were connected to the central section of the wing by wooden panels and highly resistant steel tubing. Furthermore, each float was connected with the wing via a pair of wires with
elastic Elastic is a word often used to describe or identify certain types of elastomer, Elastic (notion), elastic used in garments or stretch fabric, stretchable fabrics. Elastic may also refer to: Alternative name * Rubber band, ring-shaped band of rub ...
attachments that prevented abnormal stresses from being transferred through the wires; such forces could occur during a hard landing or in the event of the wing having suffered deformation. Fuel was housed inside of both floats; in operation, the fuel from the left float would automatically transfer across to the right float, from which the fuel was pumped to the engine.NACA 1928, p. 4. It was powered by a single Hispano Suiza 18R inline piston engine, capable of producing up to 1,400 hp. Installed within the nose of the aircraft, it was covered by a
cowling A cowling (or cowl) is the removable covering of a vehicle's engine, most often found on automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, and on outboard boat motors. On airplanes, cowlings are used to reduce drag and to cool the engine. On boats, cowlings ...
that fused with the leading edge of the wing. The atypical engine arrangement required a purpose-designed mount, consisting of a cradle that was directly attached to the two lower forward sockets of the wing's centre section and supported by a pair of tubes that were attached to the two upper forward sockets of the wing.NACA 1928, pp. 3-4. A compact header tank was present that used
air pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as air pressure or barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The Standard atmosphere (unit), standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , whi ...
to prevent fuel delivery issues while the aircraft was performing tight turns or high-G manoeuvres, although a prolonged bank could exceed its capabilities. Cooling was primarily achieved via sizable wing-mounted
radiator A radiator is a heat exchanger used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in cars, buildings, and electronics. A radiator is always a ...
s; these covered three quarters of the wing's surface area.NACA 1928, pp. 4-5. A separate radiator on the side of the fuselage was present to cool the oil; just aft of the pilot's position was the oil tank.NACA 1928, p. 5.


Variants

;H.V.120-01 :Prototype, first flew 25 March 1930 had a direct drive three-bladed propeller. ;H.V.120-02 :Fatal crash on first flight in July 1931, had a reduction gear to drive a four-bladed propeller ;V.4 :Prototype H.V.120 re-built as a landplane in 1933 with a Hispano-Suiza 18Sb engine and shorter span wings, not flown.


Specifications (H.V.120-01)


References


Citations


Bibliography

*
"The Bernard 120 seaplane (French) : a 1400 hp single-seat monoplane racer"
''
National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency that was founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its ...
'', 1 March 1931. NACA-AC-139, 93R19940.


Further reading

* * * * * {{Bernard aircraft 1930s French sport aircraft Floatplanes Single-engined tractor aircraft HV120 Aircraft first flown in 1930 Mid-wing aircraft