Bloch MB.160

Bloch MB.160

Company type	Aircraft model
Industry	Aviation
Founded	1937
Headquarters	Villacoublay , France
Products	Airliner

The Bloch MB.160 was a French airliner designed to accommodate fourteen passengers, primarily intended for operation within the French colonial territories in Africa. Only three aircraft of this model were manufactured, with two entering service at the outbreak of World War II under the airline Régie Air-Afrique. Its design evolution gave rise to the Bloch MB.162 bomber, which was introduced too late to participate in the war, and subsequently the Sud-Est SE.161 Languedoc, a post-war derivative that saw production of 100 units.

Development

The maiden flight of the Bloch MB.160 took place on 18 June 1937, with André Curvale at the controls at Marcel Bloch's facility in Villacoublay.

On 20 August, operating under the name Lieutenant-Génin, it competed in a race from France to Syria and back, covering the route Istres–Damascus–Paris. Out of thirteen entrants from France, Italy, and the UK, nine successfully completed the course; Italian Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 aircraft secured the top three positions, while the Bloch, flown by Captain François, finished seventh, recording a time of 17 hours and 38 minutes at an average velocity of .

On 17 October, the MB.160 established a world speed record while transporting a useful load exceeding , achieving an average speed of .

By March 1938, flight testing was finalized at Marignane, followed by minor adjustments to the ailerons and interior refinements at Villacoublay. Meanwhile, construction commenced on a second airframe. Additional wing alterations were implemented as late as November 1938. By July 1939, one of two aircraft delivered to Air-Afrique had conducted passenger reconnaissance flights over Algeria.

Although only three MB.160s were built, its design served as a foundation for the MB.161 prototype of the Sud-Est SE.161 Languedoc, which first took to the air in September 1939; post-war production totaled 100 units. The Languedoc featured a wingspan increased by 7%, twin end-plate vertical stabilizers, and a marginally shorter fuselage. The prototype was equipped with Gnome-Rhône 14N44/45 radial engines, whereas production variants utilized Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp radial engines.

The final iteration was the MB.162, initially conceived for long-distance flights but later adapted as a bomber. It shared twin vertical fins and Gnome-Rhône 14N powerplants with the MB.161. Only a single unit was constructed, making its first flight on 1 June 1940.

Design

Constructed entirely from metal, the Bloch MB.160 was tailored to fulfill Régie Air-Afrique’s requirements for routes connecting French African colonies.

This aircraft was a low-wing monoplane with four engines mounted on cantilever wings. The wing shape was triangular with elliptical tips and featured leading-edge sweepback. It consisted of three segments: a central section extending beyond the outer engine mounts with split flaps continuing beneath the fuselage, plus two outer panels equipped predominantly with balanced ailerons along their trailing edges. The wing’s internal framework comprised two longerons per side joined by a box-girder truss within the center section. The exterior surface was covered in flush-riveted stressed Vedal sheet metal.

Propulsion came from four Hispano-Suiza 12Xirs.1 V-12 water-cooled engines, each delivering 720 hp. These powerplants were housed in streamlined cowlings positioned just ahead of the wing’s leading edge, with oval-shaped radiators located behind each propeller hub. Fuel tanks were integrated within the center wing section.

The fuselage had an oval cross-section built from frames and bulkheads connected by longerons and clad in stressed Vedal skinning. The crew complement consisted of four members—two pilots, a flight engineer, and a radio operator—stationed in a well-glazed cockpit linked via an internal passageway to the passenger compartment. The Air-Afrique interior configuration included chaise-longues or couchettes for ten passengers alongside four armchairs; substituting chaise-longues for armchairs could expand capacity up to twenty-four passengers. At the rear of the cabin were amenities such as a bar area, lavatories, and baggage storage.

The tail assembly was conventional, featuring tapered tailplanes and rounded elevators mounted near the top of the fuselage; both control surfaces incorporated trim tabs. The rudder had straight edges with aerodynamic balancing and extended down to the keel but was attached via an inclined hinge to avoid interference with elevator movement. Internal structures for both fin and rear control surfaces were fabricated from steel frameworks similar to those used in wing construction.

The landing gear was retractable and conventional in layout, situated aft of the wing leading edge beneath the inner engine nacelles. It retracted hydraulically into compartments between engine mounts and forward spars, providing a track width of 5.25 meters. Each main gear leg supported a single low-pressure wheel equipped with brakes and consisted of dual oleo-pneumatic struts. A fork-mounted tailwheel completed the undercarriage arrangement.

Variants

MB.160

Three units produced.

MB.161

This is the prototype for the SE.161 Languedoc model. It closely resembles the MB.160 but features twin vertical stabilizers, Gnome-Rhône 14N44/45 radial engines, and modified dimensions. Designed to carry 33 passengers, with 100 units manufactured after the war powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines.

MB.162

A long-range version derived from the MB.160, equipped with twin fins, a shorter fuselage, and Gnome-Rhône 14N engines. Intended as a heavy bomber, only one was completed.

Operators

• Régie Air-Afrique