Bloch MB.200

[Milocat 4,849]

The Bloch MB.200 was designed in 1932 to provide a new bomber for the French Air Force.  A competitor to the Farman F.222, the Bloch MB.200 was granted a production contract even though its speed was 18% lower than the value required by the design competition.  It was decided to use it as a night bomber, a role in which speed was considered less important.  The aircraft was a twin-engined, high-wing monoplane with fixed landing gear, capable of carrying 1,200kg of bombs and defended by three turrets mounting single 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns.  MB.200s entered service in frontline combat squadrions in 1934, and experience in operating these machines allowed for modifications that improved engine power, stability, and allowed for a 200kg increase in maximum bombload.  Up to 800kg of bombs could be stored in the bomb bay, though it could not hold bombs larger than 100kg.  Bombs of up to 500kg could be carried on the external suspension.  The aircraft were liked by pilots, proving to be strong, stable, and reliable, though lacking substantially in speed and maneuverability.  124 aircraft were built in Czechoslovakia under license and were functionally identical to the French design but used Czechoslovakian machine guns, radio equipment, and the like.  32 Bloch MB.200s were used in the Spanish Civil War by Republican forces for bombing and reconaissance duties, though all of these aircraft were lost in the war.  They were still equipping multiple squadrons by the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, though they were soon relegated to secondary duties.  The aircraft saw some service during the Battle of France dropping propaganda leaflets by night.  The last combat service of the aircraft came during the 1941 Allied invasion of Syria, where they were used as light bombers by the Vichy Air Force against Allied ships.  Captured MB.200s were also used as training aircraft by the Germans, and some were transferred to Bulgaria.  

 

The MB.200 would be a great addition to French tier 1 air forces!  Its Spanish Civil War service will make it fit right in around planes like the Do 17E, Bf 109B, I-16, SB 2M, and He 51.  

 

Specifications: 

Engines:  Two Gnome-Rhone 14Kirs 14-cylinder radial engines, 870 hp each

Length:  16m

Wingspan:  22.45m

Height:  3.9m

Empty Weight:  4,300 kg (9,480 lb)

Loaded Weight:  7,480 kg (16,491 lb)

Maximum Speed:  285 kmh (177 mph)

Crew:  4-5 (Pilot, Bombardier/Navigator, Nose Gunner, Ventral Gunner, Dorsal Gunner)

Armament:  Three MAC 1934 7.5mm machine guns in single nose, dorsal, and ventral turrets (1,200 rpg); Czechosloviakian aircraft instead use three ZB vz. 30 7.92mm machine guns

Bombload:  Up to 1,400 kg of bombs

Number Built:  332 (France), 124 (Czechoslovakia)

 

Images (Swastika warning on captured aircraft):  

Spoiler

 

Sources:  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloch_MB.200 

https://www.dassault-aviation.com/en/passion/aircraft/military-bloch-aircraft/mb-200/ 

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_bloch_mb200.html 

http://www.aviastar.org/air/france/bloch_mb-200.php 

http://airwar.ru/enc/bww2/mb200.html

 

Support the suggestion for the related MB.210 here:  

 

Edited May 14, 2019 by Milocat

[SAUBER_KH7 3,326]

Open for Discussion.

[Milocat 4,849]

2 minutes ago, SAUBER_KH7 said:

Open for Discussion.

 

Thank you!  

[BrentD15@psn 1,116]

+1 from me!

It could replace the F.222.2 at 1.3, while the latter gets an uptier to 1.7

[Milocat 4,849]

7 hours ago, *BrentD15 said:

+1 from me!

It could replace the F.222.2 at 1.3, while the latter gets an uptier to 1.7

 

This would be a good idea.  The F.222.2 is quite powerful for its tier.  

 

My vision for the French bomber tree at Tier 1:  

 

1.0:  Potez 540/542 (either or both tabbed).

1.3:  Bloch MB.200 and MB.210, tabbed.

1.7:  Farman F.222.2.

2.0:  Breguet 462 Vultur

2.3:  N.C.223.3

 

And so on as normal from there.

Edited September 17, 2018 by Milocat

[Atomeur 529]

It could be good a tree like this one beacause the French tech tree lacks bombers and we have enought choice of bombers in reality to choose some aircraft to satified the players.

[Z3r0_ 4,127]

I'll support adding this.  Maybe giving it a Spanish Republican Air Force camo option could be nice too for any future events set in the Spanish Civil War.

 

There's also the matter of the Czech-produced model.  I'm normally against captured premiums if they weren't used in combat, but looking at how bare the Italian tree is after all this time, I could see them having one of the Czech-produced aircraft in Bulgarian markings as a premium.

Edited September 29, 2018 by Z3r0_

[onemax9000 1,242]

+1 i guess the french are trying to copy the Russians by making there own tb3.

[Milocat 4,849]

28 minutes ago, onemax9000 said:

+1 i guess the french are trying to copy the Russians by making there own tb3.

 

They did try, although I think this is more like their TB-3:  

 

[Atomeur 529]

Ths plane can be good to fly in war thunder! +1

 

[BrentD15@psn 1,116]

I'm surprised this hasn't been added yet.