French gliding sport required not only high-performance gliders but also sport-training and even purely instructional models. In 1949, the Breguet design bureau in Toulouse began considering a simplified, two-seater extrapolation of the Br 900 glider.
By 1956, the company’s design bureau had developed a large number of preliminary projects. These were prompted by the SALS management’s realization of the need to replace existing Caudron C.800 gliders. Raymond Jarlaud, who had recently headed Breguet’s glider division, developed a project that looked rather rough and differed from the Br 900 and Br 901 gliders in both appearance and construction.
Development and First Flight
Two Br 902 prototypes were built. The first prototype, Br 902-01, made its maiden flight on May 14, 1957, piloted by Paul Lepanse. However, the Br 902 glider proved unsuccessful.
Its design was too expensive for small-series production, and there was regret within Breguet that it did not build a very simple and cheap Br 904 at the time. Following the prototype’s presentation, no orders were placed for the Br 902.
Technical Specifications
The glider’s wing had a complex shape: the root sections of the wing panels were straight, while closer to the tips, they became trapezoidal. The main structural framework of the wing consisted of a single spar. The leading edge, covered with plywood skin and connected to the rib noses and the spar, formed a strong box structure. The rear part of the wing had fabric covering, and the wing profile was a scaled NACA 63. Wing mechanization consisted of slotted ailerons and airbrakes, installed along the wingspan on the upper and lower surfaces.
The fuselage was based on a truss structure welded from steel tubes, locally reinforced with stringers and plywood elements. The main fuselage skin was fabric, but its front part was made of fiberglass laminate. The two crew cockpits were covered by canopies with a large glazed area, each made from a single piece of plexiglass.
The horizontal tail consisted of a non-separable stabilizer and two elevators. In the stabilizer, the single spar was located in its rear part and, together with the skin (a sandwich construction of plywood and Klégecell PVC foam), there were no ribs. The elevators had a classic structure with ribs and fabric covering. The vertical tail consisted of a fin and a rudder; the vertical fin was also single-spar, but the box was reinforced with ribs, and the rudder had a structure similar to that of the elevators.
Modular Design and Controls
The glider’s landing gear consisted of a single non-retractable wheel strut, with a wheel measuring 355 × 150 mm. The control of the landing gear wheel brake (hydraulic drive) was connected to the airbrakes. As with other Breguet gliders, the control system was rigid, with the exception of the rudder control and elevator trim tabs, for which cables were used.
The glider could optionally be equipped with a VHF radio and oxygen equipment. The glider was disassemblable: the wing panels were detachable, and the horizontal tail could be removed entirely. Large-component disassembly did not require any special equipment.
Technical Specifications
| Modification | Br.902 |
| Wingspan, m | 18.00 |
| Length, m | 9.00 |
| Aspect ratio | 15.00 |
| Wing area, m2 | 21.60 |
| Wing loading, kg/m2 | 23.00 |
| Empty weight | 311 |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 500 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 220 |
| Max. glide ratio | 26 |
| Speed at max glide ratio, km/h | 75 |
| Minimum sink rate, m/s | 0.75 |
| Speed at minimum sink rate, km/h | 72 |
| Crew | 2 |
Image and diagram gallery of the Breguet 902
 Br.902 |
 Br.902 |
 Br.902 |