Bloch MB.141
| Company type | Aircraft |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Founded | 1934 |
| Founder | Marcel Bloch |
| Products | Light aircraft |
The Bloch MB.141 was a French all-metal, two-seat light aircraft developed as a derivative of the Bloch MB.81 air ambulance model. Only a single example was ever constructed.
Design and development
The MB.141 featured a low wing cantilever monoplane configuration with a wing divided into three sections: a rectangular central part flanked by trapezoidal outer panels. The wing structure was built around two spars and covered with metal skin. Its detachable leading edge panels simplified maintenance tasks, while the high aspect ratio ailerons extended over roughly two-thirds of the outer wing panels.
Equipped with a five-cylinder Hispano-Suiza 5Q radial engine—licensed from the Wright R-540 design—the aircraft had a slim-chord nose cowling. The fuselage, with flat sides, employed panel and frame construction techniques, creating an unobstructed cabin space extending in length. Seating was arranged in tandem with dual flight controls, and there was luggage storage behind the seats. Entry to the cabin was through a large trapezoidal door located on the port side.
The tail assembly included straight-tapered surfaces with square tips; the tailplane and elevator were mounted near the top of the fuselage ahead of the rudder hinge line, and all control surfaces were unbalanced.
The undercarriage was fixed with a tailwheel configuration and featured a track width of . Main wheels were supported by vertical, faired oleo struts and equipped with brakes operated via a lever on the control column. The small tailwheel was castoring and incorporated shock absorption.
Test pilot Zacharie Heu conducted the maiden flight in late July 1934. Although handling characteristics received positive remarks, critiques noted the aircraft was "too heavy" and potentially lacked sufficient power compared to the MB.81, despite having an engine with lower output. The high cost of manufacturing restricted production to only this prototype.
In an uncommon promotional strategy, Marcel Bloch gifted the unflown prototype to the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique in April 1934. Later that year, it was offered as a lottery prize, advertised through French aviation networks.