The Couzinet 33 Biarritz was a French long-range monoplane built by René Couzinet in the early 1930s.
| Couzinet 33 Biarritz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Long-range commercial monoplane |
| Manufacturer | Société des Avions René Couzinet |
| Designer | René Couzinet |
| First flight | 25 November 1931 |
| Number built | 2 |
Design
The Couzinet 33 was made of wood, with a thick cantilever wing with thickness of 60 cm (24 in) at the wing roots; with no dihedral on the upper surface. The wing main-spar was continuous from wing-tip to wing-tip; and the rear spars attached to the fuselage sides. The aircraft was covered with birch plywood, with the fuselage thinning to the rear, forming the characteristic tail of a René Couzinet signature aircraft.[1]
Couzinet designed the plane when he was 27 years old with only 28 flight hours.[2]
Operational history
The biarritz made its first flight in November 1931, clocking up 27 hours flying before departing on a flight from Paris to Nouméa. From 6 March 1932 to 5 April 1932 Emile Munch, Max Dévé and Charles Verneilh flew the Biarritz from France to New Caledonia, the first time a direct flight had succeeded. On arrival at Nouméa the aircraft crashed and was destroyed.[1]
Biarritz No.2
After the wreckage of the Biarritz was shipped back to France, a second aircraft was built using salvageable parts of the first. This aircraft set off on a non-stop flight from Paris to Algiers on 30 October 1933, flown by Charles Verneilh, but crashed in fog at Blaisy-Bas in the Côte-d'Or.[3]
Specifications
Data from Aviafrance : Couzinet 33 'Biarritz',[1] Aviafrance : Couzinet 33 'Biarritz' n ° 2 [3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 4
- Length: 11.73 m (38 ft 6 in)
- Wingspan: 16.16 m (53 ft 0 in)
- Height: 2.75 m (9 ft 0 in)
- Wing area: 34.4 m2 (370 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 1,600 kg (3,527 lb)
- Biarritz No.2: 1,722 kg (3,796 lb)
- Gross weight: 3,500 kg (7,716 lb)
- Biarritz No.2: 3,090 kg (6,810 lb)
- Powerplant: 3 × de Havilland Gipsy III 4-cyl inverted air-cooled in-line piston engines, 89 kW (120 hp) each
- Biarritz No.2: 3x de Havilland Gipsy Major 4-cyl inverted air-cooled in-line piston engines 140 hp (100 kW) each
- Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch metal prop[ellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 260 km/h (160 mph, 140 kn)
- Biarritz No.2: 280 km/h (170 mph; 150 kn)
- Cruise speed: 220 km/h (140 mph, 120 kn)
- Range: 4,500 km (2,800 mi, 2,400 nmi)
- Biarritz No.2: 4,900 km (3,000 mi; 2,600 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,000 ft)
References
Further reading
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