J.Davilla, A.Soltan French Aircraft of the First World War (Flying Machines)

Levy-Besson 450-hp Flying Boat

  The next Levy-Besson design used a single 450-hp Renault engine. The flying boat carried a crew of three and had a triplane layout, in keeping with the Besson formula. Unlike Besson's other designs, the upper and middle wings were of equal length, while the lower wing was shorter. A gunner was carried in the bow cockpit. The Levy-Besson 450-hp flying boat appears to have been intended for the coastal patrol mission, and 12 of them were built. This type may have served as the basis for the LB three-engine "high seas" flying boat.


Levy-Besson Three-Man Flying Boat with 450-hp Renault
   Empty weight 2,455 kg; loaded weight 4,000 kg
   Maximum speed: 150 km/h
   Twelve built



Levy-Besson "High Seas" Three-Engine Flying Boat

  The "high seas" category of flying boats was intended to be the French equivalent of the British Felixstowe series. The aircraft had to carry a crew of four, a T.S.F. wireless, a 75-mm cannon with 35 rounds, and have a range of 1,120 miles. Utilizing an airframe similar to the previous 450-hp flying boat, the firm fitted three 350-hp Lorraine engines. As with the previous design, the upper and middle wings were of equal span, while the shoulder-mounted lower wing had a reduced span. Because of the huge span, the aircraft had folding wings to permit storage in hangars at French naval air stations. The pilot and observer were seated in the front of the fuselage and both had an excellent field of view. Cutaways in the hull permitted a good view below. The hull was of cedar ply and said by the manufacturer to be a "true boat" that could be operated in heavy seas or bad weather. The aircraft successfully met the specifications for the "high seas" category and 200 were ordered. However, delays in development of the aircraft, coupled with the Armistice, resulted in the order being canceled. One source records that one of the Levy-Besson aircraft was fitted with three 350-hp Panhard engines, although this may have actually been a Farman design that emulated the hull design of the Levy-Besson but was a biplane.


Levy-Besson Five-Man "High Seas" Flying Boat with Three 350-hp Lorraines
   Span 24.90 m; length 17.90 m; height 6.15 m; wing area 185 sq. m
   Empty weight 4,200 kg; loaded weight 7,200 kg; payload 3,000 kg
   Maximum speed: 155 km/h; range 1800 km; endurance 3 hours (up to 12 hours possible in certain configurations)
   A total of 200 were ordered but only a limited number built