Flight, December 1926

The Paris Aero Show 1926

LIORE ET OLIVIER

   THE Etablissements Liore et Olivier will probably be the only French firm to have a stand devoid of any military aeroplane, their exhibit consisting of a LeO 21 Transport Aeroplane (two 420 h.p. Gnome-Rhone Jupiter engines) and a LeO H.190 Transport Seaplane (420 h.p. Gnome-Rhone Jupiter engine). A scale model of the LeO H.15 Transport Seaplane fitted with three Jupiter engines, which took part in the recent commercial seaplane competition at Saint-Raphael (Var), will also be shown.

   The LeO 21 Transport Aeroplane.- The LeO 21 Transport Aeroplane, several of which will shortly be placed on the Paris-London service of the Air Union, is a twin tractor biplane of conventional construction, but of high performance. This machine differs only in its equipment from the LeO 20 three-seater night bomber, which was recently adopted by the French Military Air Service after a competition in which several constructors participated.
   The framing of the LeO 21 is of duralumin. The cabin is particularly large and accommodates in a forward compartment six passengers, and in an after compartment twelve passengers. The pilot's cockpit, which is fitted with dual control and wireless telephony and telegraphy, is situated between the two passenger compartments. The freight holds have independent means of access.
   Both the tail plane and the vertical fin incorporate an adjustable incidence gear, which may be controlled in flight from the pilot's cockpit, to allow for different trimmings.
   The engine mounting takes either the 420 h.p. Jupiter or the 480 h.p. Renault engines. The engines are started by a Jupiter servo-motor.
   Specification.- Engines: two 420 h.p. Gnome-Rhone Jupiter. Span: 22-76 m. Length: 15-40 m. Height: 4-30 m. Wing area: 106-5 sq. m. Weight, empty: 2,690 kg. Fuel load: 800 kg. Crew: 160 kg. Wireless set: 50 kg. Commercial load: 1,800 kg. Weight, loaded: 5,500 kg. Maximum speed, sea level: 192 km. per hour. Range in still air: 800 km.
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   The second machine exhibited on this stand was the LeO 21 commercial aeroplane, which is fitted with two Jupiter engines. This machine is somewhat reminiscent of the Farman Goliaths, what with its square wing tips and its forward cabin projecting a long distance ahead of the wings. We understand that several of these machines will shortly be placed on the London-Paris service of the Air Union. It might here be mentioned that this machine is a slightly modified version of the LeO 20 three-seater night bomber, recently adopted by the French Military Air Service. An unusual feature of the machine is that the undercarriage consists of two entirely independent units, one being placed under each engine, in a forked structure with the wheel partially enclosed in a large mudguard. The cabin is divided by the pilot's cockpit into two separate compartments, of which the rear one accommodates 12 passengers and the forward one six passengers. This cabin arrangement is partly illustrated by a sketch.