Borel-Odier Bo-T

Bo.T
Role	Torpedo-reconnaissance floatplane
National origin	France
Manufacturer	Antoine Odier
Design group	Etablissements Borel
First flight	1916
Primary user	French Navy
Number built	92

The Borel-Odier Bo-T (also known as the Borel-Odier torpedo floatplane or B.O.2) was a French twin-engined float biplane designed by Borel but built by Antoine Odier for the French Navy.^[1]

Design and development

The Bo-T was a biplane powered by two 164 kW (220 hp) Hispano-Suiza 8Ba inline piston engines and fitted with twin floats.^[1] It had room under the fuselage for a torpedo.^[1] The prototype was destroyed on the first flight in August 1916 but the French Navy still placed and order for 91 aircraft.^[1] Deliveries did not start until 1917 and were stopped when the Armistice was signed.^[1] Only a few aircraft saw operational use on coastal patrols in the mediterranean.^[1]

In 1919 a ten-passenger transport variant was flown designated Bo-C/Bo.20 but it was destroyed during testing.^[1]

Variants

Bo-T: Torpedo-reconnaissance floatplane
Bo-C: Ten-passenger transport variant of the Bo-T
Bo.19: Three-seat floatplane, powered by 400 hp Liberty engine; never built^[2]

Operators

France

French Navy

Specifications (Bo-T)

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft,^[1] French aircraft of the First World War^[3]

General characteristics

Crew: 4
Length: 11.23 m (36 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 20 m (65 ft 7 in)
Height: 3.93 m (12 ft 11 in)
Wing area: 80 m² (860 sq ft)
Empty weight: 1,200 kg (2,646 lb)
Gross weight: 2,400 kg (5,291 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Hispano-Suiza 8Ba V-8 water-cooled piston engines, 160 kW (220 hp) each
Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propellers

Performance

Maximum speed: 124 km/h (77 mph, 67 kn) at sea level
Range: 520 km (320 mi, 280 nmi)

Armament

Guns: 2x 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Lewis machine guns on flexible mounts in front an rear cockpits
Bombs: 1 × 650 kg (1,430 lb) Torpedo

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. p. 833.
^ "Borel designations".
^ Davilla, Dr. James J.; Soltan, Arthur M. (January 2002). French aircraft of the First World War. Flying Machines Press. pp. 77–78. ISBN 1891268090.

Bibliography

Cortet, Pierre (December 2001). "Rétros du Mois" [Retros of the Month]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (105): 7. ISSN 1243-8650.

[orbis-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. p. 833.

[2] "Borel designations".

[Davilla-3] Davilla, Dr. James J.; Soltan, Arthur M. (January 2002). French aircraft of the First World War. Flying Machines Press. pp. 77–78. ISBN 1891268090.

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