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Hello everyone, and welcome to this new suggestion.
Today, I am presenting a new French bomber prototype: the Bloch M.B.135.
In the late 1930s, the French Air Force (Armée de l’Air) was looking to replace the M.B.131, which had become increasingly obsolete. Although the aircraft was still widely used for reconnaissance and bombing missions, its relatively low speed left it highly vulnerable to the increasingly capable fighters entering service abroad. The High Command therefore issued specifications for a new generation of faster bombers, calling for either a twin-engine aircraft equipped with powerful engines or a four-engine design—a configuration that was still relatively uncommon within the French Air Force.
Marcel Bloch responded to these requirements with two related designs. The first was the M.B.134, a new twin-engine aircraft featuring a completely redesigned fuselage and significantly improved performance. Bloch then used this new airframe as the basis for a larger four-engine aircraft, designated M.B.135.
Unlike the M.B.134, the M.B.135 was powered by four engines, giving it considerably greater potential as a long-range bomber. The aircraft made its maiden flight in 1939 and quickly demonstrated promising characteristics. During its test flights, it displayed excellent stability and impressive speed for an aircraft of its size, suggesting that the design had considerable potential.
Unfortunately, the M.B.135’s development was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II and the rapid German advance into France. The testing program was brought to a halt before the aircraft could be fully evaluated or considered for production.
Even without the war, however, the M.B.135 would probably have struggled to reach operational service. According to information preserved in the Bloch and Dassault archives, competing aircraft from other manufacturers were already considerably further along in their development, with some having already entered production or service. The French Air Force therefore had little reason to invest in another heavy bomber program.
Characteristics
Length : 15.44 m
Width : 21.28 m
Height : 3.91 m
Mass :
- Empty : 5,840 kg
- Full : 9,933 kg
The aircraft is powered by four 710 hp Gnome & Rhône 14 engines, enabling it to reach a top speed of 410 km/h—an impressive performance for the time. Its range when fully loaded, at a cruising speed of 350 km/h, is 2,000 km.
The crew consists of four personnel: a pilot, a rear gunner (positioned on top of the aircraft), a ventral gunner, and a forward observer/bombardier.
Weapons
The aircraft’s armament is very similar to that found on other aircraft of this type from the same era; it features the following weaponry:
Defensive armament:
- 1 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine gun (ventral hatch; the turret-mounted gun was abandoned)
- 1 x 20mm Hispano Suiza gun (dorsal position)
- 1 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns (nose)
Offensive armament:
- 1,350 kg of bombs (the fuselage is identical to that of the M.B.134 and M.B.135)
In-game, this aircraft would be a valuable addition to the French tree, introducing a new four-engine bomber—a type of aircraft rarely produced domestically in France.
