Wibault 260
| Company type | Aircraft prototype |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Products | Reconnaissance aircraft |
The Wibault 260 R.2 was developed to compete for a French government tender issued in 1928 seeking a long-range, two-seat reconnaissance aircraft. Among the eight prototypes evaluated during the 1931-1932 trials, it ultimately was not chosen for mass production.
Design
The 1928 French R.2 specification called for a fast, all-metal reconnaissance aircraft with two crew members, capable of rapid ascent and extended operational range. The requirement stipulated the installation of a Hispano-Suiza 12Nb water-cooled V-12 engine, resulting in prototypes from eight manufacturers: Amiot 130, Breguet 33, Latécoère 490, Les Mureaux 111, Nieuport-Delage Ni-D 580, Potez 37, Weymann WEL-80, and the Wibault 260.
The Wibault 260's design featured an all-metal parasol wing with a cantilever structure, trapezoidal shape, and rounded tips. To improve visibility from the cockpit, the wing included a pronounced cut-out along its trailing edge. The wing lacked dihedral and incorporated long, narrow ailerons along its trailing edges. It was supported by outward-angled N-shaped cabane struts linking the wing center-section to the upper fuselage. The wing structure was built around two spars covered with duralumin skin.
Its fuselage consisted entirely of duralumin with a rectangular cross-section framed by four longerons. The nose housed the Hispano-Suiza 12Nb V-12 engine within a streamlined cowling featuring cylinder bulges, while a shallow radiator was positioned beneath the forward fuselage. A fuel tank was located just aft of the firewall. The pilot's cockpit was situated beneath the wing cut-out and armed with two fixed machine guns firing through the propeller arc. Positioned behind the pilot, the observer/gunner operated photographic and radio equipment as well as two flexible machine guns.
The tail assembly followed conventional design principles, with a triangular tailplane mounted near the top of the fuselage and braced by struts. The tailplane’s angle of incidence could be adjusted in flight by the pilot. Narrow rectangular elevators included central cut-outs to accommodate a trapezoidal rudder that extended down to the keel and was affixed to a triangular fin.
The landing gear was fixed and constructed from steel, featuring a track width of . The wheels were equipped with brakes and connected via upward-angled half-axles that met at a transverse V-strut beneath the fuselage. Oleo-pneumatic shock absorbers were faired into the legs and drag struts attached to the lower longerons. The tailskid also incorporated an oleo strut for shock absorption.
Development
By mid-1930, the Wibault 260 had completed its initial flights. In early November of that year, pilot Ribière performed an impressive demonstration at Villacoublay. The S.T.I.Aé Concours des avions de grande reconnaissance (long-range reconnaissance aircraft competition) commenced at Villacoublay in April 1931 and unusually extended over approximately one year. Although the French government placed an order for two Wibault 260 units in March 1930 specifically for this contest, the ANF Les Mureaux 111 ultimately secured victory, preventing further production of the Wibault model.