Breguet Br.22 Leviathan

Concept and Development

Following the shortcomings of the Br.XX, the Societé Anonyme des Atelliers d’Aviation Louis Breguet company embarked on developing another transport-passenger aircraft, designated the Breguet Br.22 Leviathan. This new aircraft was essentially a modified version of the Br.XX, reimagined to accommodate a novel powerplant configuration.

Innovative Powerplant and First Flight

Moving away from the unsuccessful tandem engine concept seen in other Breguet projects, the Br.22 featured four 260 hp Lorraine engines. These engines were ingeniously arranged in pairs on each side of the fuselage, adopting a “push-pull” setup. The Br.22 made its maiden flight on September 14, 1923, initiating its flight test program.

Testing and Limited Production

However, during the exhaustive testing phase, it quickly became apparent that the innovative powerplant did not offer the anticipated reliability. Moreover, the aircraft’s overall flight characteristics proved to be significantly inferior to those of its predecessor, the Br.XX. Consequently, only a single Br.22 Leviathan was ever produced, leading Breguet’s engineers to revert to designing aircraft with more conventional engine layouts.

Technical Specifications

Modification	Br.22
Wingspan, m	25.5 3
Length, m	13. 71
Height, m	5.13
Wing area, m2	137.00
Empty weight	4000
Maximum takeoff weight	7030
Engine type	4 Piston engine Lorraine
Power, hp	4 x 260
Maximum speed, km/h	170
Cruising speed, km/h	1 50
Practical range, km	800
Practical ceiling, m	4500
Crew, crew members	3
Payload:	20 passengers

Image and diagram gallery of the Breguet Br.22 Leviathan

Br.22 Leviathan	Br.22 Leviathan
Br.22 Leviathan	Br.22 Leviathan
Br.22 Leviathan