Lioré et Olivier LeO 7

Lioré et Olivier 7
Role Bomber escort biplane
Manufacturer Lioré et Olivier
First flight 1922
Primary users French Air Force
French Navy
Number built 39

The Lioré et Olivier LeO 7 was a French bomber escort biplane designed and built by Lioré et Olivier for the French Air Force.

Design and development

The LeO 7 was three-seat bomber escort biplane developed from the LeO 5 ground-attack biplane. Appearing in 1922 the production version (the LeO 7/2) had a wide-track landing gear and gunner's cockpits in the snub nose and amidships. The pilot was located in a cockpit just behind the wing trailing edge.[1]

Operational history

Twenty LeO 7/2s were built followed by 18 LeO 7/3s which were a navalised version with increased wingspan.

Variants

LeO 7
Prototype
LeO 7/2
Production version for the Armée de l'Air (French Air Force), 20 built
LeO 7/3
Production version for the Aéronautique Navale (French Naval Aviation), 18 built.

Operators

 France

Specifications (LeO 7/2)

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 3 (pilot and two gunners)
  • Length: 11 m (38 ft 0.75 in)
  • Wingspan: 18.59 m (60 ft 11.75 in)
  • Height: 3.9 m (13 ft 2.25 in)
  • Wing area: 68 m2 (730 sq ft)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Hispano-Suiza 8Fb V-8 engines , 223 kW (300 hp) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 190 km/h (118 mph, 103 kn)
  • Service ceiling: 7,010 m (23,000 ft)

Armament

  • 400kg (882lb) bombs

References

Notes

  1. ^ Taylor and Alexander 1969, pp. 97-98.
  2. ^ The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). London: Orbis Publishing, 1985. p. 2320.

Bibliography

  • Hartmann, Gérard. Les Avions Lioré Et Olivier. Boulogne-Billancourt, France: ETAI. 2002. ISBN 2-7268-8607-8 (in French)
  • Taylor, John W. R. and Jean Alexander. Combat Aircraft of the World. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-71810-564-8.
  • Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 1989. ISBN 0-517-69186-8.