Lioré et Olivier LeO H-13

Lioré et Olivier H-13
LeO H.135B3 no. 6-6 of Polish Navy
Role	Passenger and bomber flying boat Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Lioré et Olivier
First flight	July 1922
Primary users	French Navy French civil aviation Polish Navy
Number built	53

The Lioré et Olivier LéO H-13 was a French biplane two-engine flying boat of the 1920s, built in passenger and military variants.

The LeO H-13 was constructed by Lioré et Olivier in Levallois-Perret factory, for an order of the French Aeronavale airlines. The prototype was flown in July 1922. From 1923 23 passenger aircraft were built LeO H-13A.

Next, military variants were developed: reconnaissance-bomber LeO H-13B-3 and trainer LeO H-13E. They differed in fuselage configuration, because the H-13B-3 had an open cockpit for a pilot only behind a lower wing, while the H-13E had an open cockpit for a trainee and instructor seating side-by-side, in front of wings. Both had open machine gun positions in the nose and behind the wings. The H-13E could be also used as a reconnaissance aircraft. From late 1923 20 H-13B-3 were built (nos. 1-20) and 10 H-13E (nos. 21-30).

Data from: - Lioré et Olivier^[1]

LéO H-13

Prototype

LeO H-13bis

LéO H-13A

Passenger variant, 3 built

LéO H-13B-3

Reconnaissance-bomber variant, 20 built.

LéO H-13E

Trainer variant, 10 built.

LeO H-132

2 built, powered by 2x Hispano-Suiza 8Aa engines.

LeO H-133

4 built, powered by 2x 300 hp (223.7 kW) Renault 12F engines.

LeO H-134

2 built, powered by 1x 450 hp (335.6 kW) Lorraine 12Eb engines.

LeO H-135

7 built, powered by 2x 180 hp (134.2 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8Ab engines.

LeO H-136

12 built for Aeronavale

Leo H-14

Design studies for a 5-seat version of the H-13, not completed due to lack of interest from airlines.

Passenger H-13A were used over the Mediterranean Sea.

In the French Navy, H-13 were quickly withdrawn for training purpose, because of weak structure and low manufacturing quality.

In 1924-1925 two H-13B3 and two H-13E were sold to Poland and used in Naval Aviation Unit (MDLot) in Puck from mid-1925. One of H-13E was used for a short time in a River Flotilla in Pińsk. The first H-13B-3 no. 1-1 was withdrawn in 1929, next two (nos. 1-2 and 1-3) in 1931, while the last H-13E, no. 1-4, crashed on 29 July 1931 over the land near Puck.

Two-engine biplane flying boat of wooden construction. Wooden framed fuselage, plywood covered, rectangular in cross-section, with a flat bottom with a single step. Two-spar rectangular wings, covered with plywood (in front) and canvas. A lower wing attached to the fuselage, an upper wing above it, mounted on struts, with two engines between wings, driving tractor propellers. Two floats under a lower wing. Conventional braced empennage. Two 150 hp radial engines Hispano-Suiza 8E.

Armament: two twin 7.7 mm Lewis machine guns and 4 bombs up to 25 kg below a lower wing.

 France

• French Navy

 Poland

• Polish Navy

Data from Lioré et Olivier^[1]

General characteristics

• Length: 11 m (36 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 16 m (52 ft 6 in)
• Height: 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in)
• Wing area: 58 m² (620 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 1,620 kg (3,571 lb)
• Gross weight: 2,500 kg (5,512 lb)
• Fuel capacity: 250 kg (551.2 lb) (350 L (77.0 imp gal))
• Powerplant: 2 × Hispano-Suiza 8Aa V-8 water-cooled piston engine, 110 kW (150 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 170 km/h (110 mph, 92 kn) military aircraft, 160 km/h (99.4 mph; 86.4 kn)
• Range: 450 km (280 mi, 240 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 3,600 m (11,800 ft)
• Rate of climb: 3.1 m/s (610 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 38.8 kg/m² (7.9 lb/sq ft)

• Hartmann, Gerard (2002). Lioré et Olivier. Boulogne-Billancourt: E-T-A-I. ISBN 2-7268-8607-8.
• Nelcarz, Bartolomiej & Peczkowski, Robert (2001). White Eagles: The Aircraft, Men and Operations of the Polish Air Force 1918–1939. Ottringham, UK: Hikoki Publications. ISBN 1-902109-73-2.
• Sankowski, Wojciech: "Pierwsze Francuzy" in: Lotnictwo z szachownicą nr 20 (in Polish)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lioré et Olivier LeO H-135.

• Lioré et Olivier at Aviafrance