Couzinet 33

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

The Couzinet 33 Biarritz was a French long-range monoplane built by René Couzinet in the early 1930s.

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

rear view

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

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Couzinet Biarritz.
  1. ^ a b c Parmentier, Bruno (31 January 1999). "Couzinet 33 'Biarritz'". Aviafrance (in French). Paris. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Le 5 avril 1932 dans le ciel : Charles de Verneilh vole de France jusqu'à Nouméa, une première ! | Air Journal" (in French). 2019-04-05. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  3. ^ a b Parmentier, Bruno (26 May 2002). "Couzinet 33 'Biarritz' n ° 2". Aviafrance (in French). Paris. Retrieved 28 January 2019.

Further reading

  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.