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

Letord 9

  A memo dated 28 November 1917 slated that a development of the Letord series would be the fastest way to replace the Capronis and Voisins in service. The Letord 9 night bomber was designed to meet lhe BN2/3 requirement for a night bomber capable of carrying 500 kilograms of bombs. The aircraft was markedly different from others in the Letord series. It had an enlarged wing with increased span and surface area. The wings were of equal span, had four bays of struts, and were straight without the negative stagger seen on the earlier Letords. Two 400-hp Liberty 12 engines were mounted in nacelles placed close to the fuselage. Twin main wheels were mounted underneath each of the nacelles. The aircraft had a conventional fin and rudder assembly with a biplane horizontal stabilizer mounted high up on the fin.
  Unlike lhe Letord 7, the Type 9 was designed to carry a crew of only two. The Caudron C.23 was selected to meet the BN2 requirement, and the Letord 9 was not developed further.


Letord 9 Two-Seat Heavy Night Bomber with Two 400-hp Liberty 12 Engines
   Span 25.94 m; length 14.95 m; height 4.26 m; wing area 135.0 sq m
   Empty weight 1,24 3 kg: loaded weight 5.521 kg
   Maximum speed: 145 km/h at 2,000 meters; endurance six hours
   One built