Letord Let.2
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The Letord Let.5 was probably the most numerous of a family of 3-seat reconnaissance bombers, designed and built in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
from 1916, originally to an A3 (reconnaissance aircraft 3-seat) specification from the STAé (''Service Technique d'Aéronautique'').


Design and development

In early 1916 the contemporary reconnaissance aircraft of the
Aéronautique Militaire The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...
, such as the Caudron G.6,
Morane-Saulnier T The Morane-Saulnier T (or Morane-Saulnier MoS.25 A.3) was a French biplane reconnaissance aircraft in 1916 and produced in small numbers during World War I. Design and development The Morane-Saulnier T was a large, five-bay biplane of conventi ...
and Salmson-Moineau SM.1 were proving to be less than sparkling in operations and testing. To provide a suitable replacement, the STAé, its Director Colonel Dorand and Établissements Letord, formulated the A3 specification and co-operated in the design of the only respondent, the Letord Let.1. The Letord A3 reconnaissance bomber family, the Let.1 to Let.7, were essentially similar biplanes with, variously unequal span or equal span wings, with prominent and characteristic negative stagger on their wings, powered by two tractor engines in nacelles mounted short struts or directly on the lower wings and had a fixed tailskid undercarriage. Some aircraft were equipped with a strut-mounted nosewheel to protect the aircraft and its crew from "nosing-over" accidents while landing. The pilot sat in an open cockpit under the upper wing trailing edge, with a gunner in an open position immediately aft, and a third crew-member in an open position in the nose where he could act as gunner, observer, and bomb-aimer. Aircraft were completed, variously, with equal span 4-bay wings or unequal span 3-bay wings with longer span upper wings braced by an A-frame king-post and wires. All the Letord reconnaissance bombers shared similar plywood covered wooden structure fuselages and wooden structure wings and conventional tail-unit.


Operational history

The Letord reconnaissance bombers saw widespread service throughout the
Aéronautique Militaire The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...
, from mid 1917, with 121 operational on the Western Front by November 1917. Most were no longer in front-line use by the
Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...
in November 1918.


Variants

;Let.1 A.3 :initial reconnaissance version, powered by two
Hispano-Suiza 8A The Hispano-Suiza 8 is a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914 that went on to become the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers during the First World War. The original ...
engines and having a three bay wing. ;Let.2 A.3 :reconnaissance aircraft similar to Let.1, but powered by two Hispano-Suiza 8Ba engines and also having a three bay wing. ;Let.3 Bn.3 :night bomber, powered by two Hispano-Suiza 8Ba engines and having a four bay wing. ;Let.4 A.3 :reconnaissance aircraft also used as a bomber, powered by two Lorraine-Dietrich 8A engines and having a three bay wing. ;Let.5 A.3 :reconnaissance aircraft powered by two Lorraine-Dietrich 8B engines, having a three bay wing and missing the nosewheel. ;Let.6 Ca.3 :fighter based on the Let.3, armed with a cannon, powered by two Hispano-Suiza 8Be engines and fitted with a four bay wing. ;Let.7 Bn.3 :night bomber, powered by two Lorraine-Dietrich 8B engines and fitted with a four bay wing of increased span.


Operators

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Aéronautique Militaire The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...


Specifications (Let.5)


See also


References


Bibliography

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Further reading

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External links

* * * * {{Letord aircraft 1910s French military reconnaissance aircraft 1910s French bomber aircraft Letord aircraft Biplanes with negative stagger Aircraft first flown in 1916 Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear