The Bleriot 73 (B.LXXIII) was a heavy night bomber, an ambitious project developed by the French firm Bleriot. Although work on this bomber began at the end of World War I, its completion was not achieved until early 1919. The prototype made its maiden flight on January 22, 1919.
Design and Armament
This biplane was equipped with four Hispano-Suiza 8Fb engines, each boasting 300 horsepower. The Bleriot 73 was armed with two machine guns mounted on turrets, strategically placed in the rear and nose sections of the fuselage, and had a bomb load capacity of up to 1000 kilograms.
A distinctive feature of this model, compared to its predecessors, was a change in its layout. It featured a configuration with a “gondola” lowered beneath the lower fuselage. Its wings spanned 28 meters, and its total weight approached 7 tons.
Specifications and Tragic Maiden Flight
However, the maiden flight in Villacoublay ended tragically. The aircraft’s fuselage sustained damage in the tail area, causing the machine to crash onto the airfield. Sadly, the pilot, Sergeant Poulet, perished in the fire that erupted after the accident.
Technical Specifications
| Modification | Bl 73 |
| Wingspan, m | 27.00 |
| Length, m | 15.00 |
| Height, m | 6.40 |
| Wing area, m2 | 144.00 |
| Empty weight | 3 230 |
| Normal takeoff weight | 6980 |
| Engine type | 4 Hispano-Suiza 8Fb Piston engines |
| Power, hp | 4 x 300 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 130 |
| Cruising speed, km/h | 106 |
| Crew | 3 crew members |
| Armament | two 7.7-mm machine guns, bomb load – 1000 kg |
Image and diagram gallery of the Bleriot 73
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