FR0055 Bloch MB 210

History:

Construction of the prototype Bloch 210 began in 1933, as a floatplane with two Gnome & Rhône radial engines, in response to a request from the Aéronautique Navale. The first flight took place on November 23, 1934.

The aircraft was accepted by the French Air Force with a few modifications, including the adoption of retractable landing gear. Two orders, in 1934 and 1935, were for 130 units in the Bn4 version (Bombardier de Nuit 4 personnes), with 900 hp Gnome & Rhône 14 Kirs / jrs engines. The production aircraft made its maiden flight on December 12, 1935. No.2 and all subsequent aircraft have a larger dihedral, and, from No.3 onwards, a shorter vertical tail.

Additional orders are placed later, for a total of 257 MB 210s produced for the Armée de l'Air. In addition, between June 1937 and June 1938, the Romanian government receives 10 aircraft, powered by G&R 14 N10/11 engines, and assigns them to the Flotila 3 bombardament, based in Craiova.

The first French aircraft were assigned to GB I/12 and II/12 at Reims, and II/19 and II/21 at Bordeaux. However, a series of accidents prompted the General Staff to ground the MB 210s between September 1937 and March 1938. There were two main reasons for these accidents: on the one hand, the G&R 14 K engines were not powerful enough, and on the other, the technical innovations on the Bloch MB 210 (retractable landing gear and variable-pitch propellers) could surprise crews used to older aircraft. Improved training and the replacement of engines by slightly more powerful G&R 14 Ns (910 bhp at takeoff) meant that bomber group conversions could be resumed.

By September 1939, when war was declared, the MB 210 was the most widely used bomber in the French Air Force (180 aircraft in 12 bomber groups). The General Staff was well aware that the aircraft was outdated, and undertook to convert the groups still equipped with Bloch 210s to more modern types (LeO 450, Amiot 350, DB-7), but insufficient production by French industry meant that this program could not be carried out successfully. As a result, from May 18, 1940, the GB I/21 and II/21 operated with their Bloch 210s, rather than the Amiot 351s intended for them.

By the end of the French Campaign, around a hundred Bloch 210s remained in mainland France, and around twenty at Algiers Maison-Blanche. In July 1940, the Bloch 210 was withdrawn from the front line. However, during the invasion of the Free Zone, the Germans recovered 37 Bloch 210s, which were used in schools or as transport aircraft.

On the export market, in addition to the Romanian aircraft, which were used against the USSR from June 1941, a number of Bloch 210s were delivered to the Spanish Republicans. Some remained in crates until the end of the Republic ...

Specifications: twin-engine night bomber with five crew members (Bn5), Gnome & Rhône GR 14 N10/11 14-cylinder radial engines, 910 hp at takeoff and 950 at 3,500 m. 320 km/h at 3,500 m, ceiling 9,900 m, 22.81 m, length 18.9 m. Offensive armament: 1,600 kg of charges, defensive armament: a MAC 34 7.5 mm machine gun in each turret.

The kit will contain:

• - Spue A  for fuselage (mold nearly done, should be finished for end of November)
• - Sprue B for wings, ready (tests shots ready, at Colmar), on 11th / 12 th of November )
• - Sprues for smaller pieces, engines, clear parts, etc.

We plan to release 3 boxes for this aircraft,  different cowlings should be given

Probable boxes (may change!) :

FR0055 Bloch MB 210 Early

• Nr 124, GB I/19 2 ème escadrille, July 1938 (Lightning and Bat)
• Nr 258, 14 Blanc, GB II/23 4 ème escadrille (Lapin Trimardeur), 1939
• Nr 22, GB II/19, 2 ème escadrille, 1937