Breguet Deux-Ponts
| Deux-Ponts / Provence / Sahara / Universale | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Air France Provence at Tempelhof Airport in 1965 | |
| Role | Airliner and freighter |
| Manufacturer | Breguet Aviation |
| First flight | 15 February 1949 |
| Introduction | 10 March 1953 |
| Retired | 31 March 1971 |
| Primary users |
Air France French Air Force |
| Number built | 20 |
The Breguet 761/763/765 were a family of 1940s and 1950s French double-deck transport aircraft produced by Breguet Aviation. The aircraft were normally called the Deux-Ponts (Double-Decker) but it was not an official name.
Breguet began design work on the Breguet 761 double-deck airliner even before the end of the Second World War, in 1944. It was decided that a medium-range airliner with seating for over 100 passengers would be built. The design envisaged using readily available engines with the aim of ease of manufacture and an early first-flight date. The design was known as Project 76-1. The aircraft was destined not to be the first French postwar design to fly, an honour which instead fell to the Sud-Est Languedoc, a civilianised Bloch MB161. The prototype Br.761, F-WASK, first flew at Villacoublay on 15 February 1949.
The 761 featured a cantilever wing set at mid-height on the bulky fuselage. The retractable tricycle landing gear featured dual-wheel main units. The empennage had twin fins and rudders on a vestigial central fin. The prototype was powered by four 1,580 hp (1180 kW) SNECMA 14R-24 radial engines. The Breguets serving with Air France had up to 107 seats and an elevator between the two floors.
The prototype was followed by three Br.761S pre-production aircraft powered by 2,020 hp (1506 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-B31 radial engines. These were fitted with 12 ft 1½in (3.70 m) diameter Hamilton Standard propellers. The aircraft successfully completed their trials incident-free. Their first flights were in 1951 and 1952.
The French Government ordered 12 production aircraft, the Breguet 76-3, which was later redesignated Br.763. Six aircraft were to be operated by Air France and the other six by the Ministry of Transport. The 763 had more powerful engines, a 1.20 metres (3 ft 11 in) larger wingspan, strengthened wings and a three-crew flight deck (earlier aircraft had four crew). The 763 first flew on 20 July 1951 and entered service with Air France during autumn 1952.
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