- Yes
- No
On June 1st, 1940, Lieutenant Philippart accepted the only completed Belgian Breguet at Villacoublay and flew it to Tours — the first and last operational flight of an aircraft type that never had the chance to prove its worth.
— Belgian Wings historical archive
I. Introduction
This suggestion proposes the addition of the Breguet Br.694 A3B2 to War Thunder as a historically documented aircraft operated — however briefly — by the Belgian Aéronautique Militaire in 1940. The Br.694 is a real, contracted, and delivered aircraft with verifiable operational history, making it a legitimate and unique candidate for the French tech tree’s Belgian subtree (or a future standalone Belgian tree).
The Br.694 is not a paper project or a concept vehicle. A single completed example was accepted by Belgian forces on June 1st, 1940, multiple flights were made, and its operational fate is documented. An order for 31 additional aircraft to be built by SABCA in Belgium was signed and funded but never fulfilled due to the German invasion.[1][2]
II. Development and Procurement History
Mid-1939
The Belgian government places Contract 39/363 for one completed prototype to be delivered from France, and Contract 39/450 licensing SABCA (Brussels) to produce 31 additional aircraft.[1]
January 20, 1940
First flight of the sole completed Br.694 A3B2 prototype. SABCA acquires a 1:20 scale model for 25,000 Belgian Francs to document the planned Belgian camouflage scheme.[1]
May 1940
Squadron 5/III/3Aé (“Egyptian Falcon”) is stationed at Tours, France, designated as the first unit to receive and train on the new type for both crew and ground personnel.[1]
June 1, 1940
Lt. Philippart formally accepts the aircraft at Villacoublay and ferries it to Tours. Several flights are logged. This is the aircraft’s only recorded operational service under Belgian colors.[1]
June 1940
The aircraft is transferred to the French Aéronavale. It sustains damage during a landing. Its final fate is unknown. The German occupation of Belgium halts all SABCA production — none of the 31 licensed aircraft are ever built.[1][2]
III. Technical Specifications
| Attribute | Data |
|---|---|
| Type | Three-seat tactical reconnaissance / light attack bomber |
| Engines | 2 × Gnome-Rhône 14M 4/5 air-cooled 14-cyl. radial, 700–710 hp (522–529 kW) each[3] |
| Crew | 3 — pilot, observer/navigator, rear gunner |
| Maximum speed | approx. 450 km/h (280 mph) at altitude (derived from Br.693 family data)[3][4] |
| Cruise speed | approx. 370 km/h (230 mph) |
| Wingspan | approx. 15.60 m (51 ft 2 in)[3] |
| Length | approx. 9.70 m (31 ft 10 in)[3] |
| Max. take-off weight | approx. 5,400 kg (11,905 lb)[3] |
| Offensive armament | 2 × fixed forward-firing 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine guns; limited bomb load (reduced vs. Br.693 to accommodate observer position) |
| Defensive armament | 1 × flexible rear-facing 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine gun (rear gunner position) |
| Primary role | Tactical reconnaissance |
| Secondary role | Light ground attack |
| Basis aircraft | Breguet Br.693 AB2 (modified with third crew station)[2] |
IV. Differences from the Breguet Br.693 AB2
The Br.694 is not a reskin of the Br.693. It represents a distinct variant with meaningful differences that would translate directly into War Thunder gameplay:
Crew configuration
The Br.693 AB2 operated with two crew members (pilot + rear gunner). The Br.694 adds a dedicated observer/navigator as a third crew member, improving crew survivability pool and adding historical authenticity to a three-seat crew module.
Armament and loadout
The French Br.693 could be fitted with a 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.9 cannon and heavier bomb loads. The Br.694 traded this offensive punch for the observer position — resulting in lighter armament but greater situational awareness capability, reflected in its reconnaissance-first role.
National identity and historical uniqueness
The Br.694 is the only aircraft of this designation ever to enter military service, under Belgian markings. It represents the Belgian Aéronautique Militaire’s modernization effort in 1939–1940 — a documented chapter of Belgian aviation history currently absent from the game entirely.
V. Suggested In-Game Implementation
| Parameter | Proposed value |
|---|---|
| Tech tree | France (Belgian subtree) — or future standalone Belgian tree |
| Rank | II |
| Battle rating | 2.0 – 2.3 (estimated, comparable to Br.693 AB2) |
| Vehicle type | Bomber / Strike aircraft |
| Suggested skin | Belgian Aéronautique Militaire camouflage based on documented SABCA scale model (Jan. 1940) |
| Crew slots | 3 (pilot, observer, gunner) |
| Premium / event | Either a subtree regular vehicle or a historical event vehicle |
The Br.694 would play as a capable but lightly armed tactical attacker — not as aggressive as the French Br.693, but with a more flexible crew setup and an interesting historical context. Its documented Belgian camouflage (from the SABCA scale model commissioned in January 1940) provides an authentic basis for the in-game skin without any speculation.
VI. Conclusion
The Breguet Br.694 A3B2 is a real, contracted, accepted, and flown aircraft with a fully documented — if tragically brief — operational history. It satisfies War Thunder’s requirements for vehicle suggestions: it is not a paper project, its performance data is derivable from the well-documented Br.693 family, and its national and historical identity is unique. The Belgian Aéronautique Militaire is presently unrepresented in War Thunder. The Br.694 offers a historically grounded and gameplay-viable starting point to change that.
Sources and references
- [1] Belgian Wings — Breguet Br.694 A3B2 — The Belgian Order · belgianwings.be (primary historical documentation, Contracts 39/363 & 39/450, Lt. Philippart delivery record)
- [2] SABCA corporate archive records — scale model acquisition January 1940, 25,000 BEF; production license Contract 39/450 (cited via Belgian Wings)
- [3] Green, William & Swanborough, Gordon — The Complete Book of Fighters, Salamander Books, 1994 — Breguet Br.693/694 family specifications, pp. 94–95
- [4] Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft 1940–41, Jane’s Publishing — Gnome-Rhône 14M engine series performance data
- [5] Danel, Raymond & Cuny, Jean — L’Aviation Française de Bombardement et de Renseignement 1918–1940, Larivière, 1977 — Breguet attack aircraft operational history
- [6] Murawski, Marek J. — Breguet 693/694/695, Kagero Publishing, 2013 — dedicated monograph on the Br.69x family