Bernard SIMB AB 15
Société Industrielle des Métaux et du Bois (SIMB) · France · first flew 1926 · fighter
The Bernard 15 C1, or Bernard SIMB AB 15, was a 1920s French single-seat sesquiplane fighter. It was designed and built by the Société Industrielle des Métaux et du Bois.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.5 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Sesquiplane layout with a greater-span upper wing
- Single Hispano-Suiza 12Hb inline engine in the nose
- Fixed tailskid landing gear
Look for a single-seat sesquiplane with a fixed tailskid undercarriage and a nose-mounted inline engine. Armament was two fixed synchronised Vickers .303 machine guns.
Specifications
- The Bernard SIMB AB 15 has a length of 7.5 m (25 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.4 m (37 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 270 km/h (168 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was an improved development of the Bernard AB 14, which had suffered a structural failure, and had an upper wing of greater span. It was powered by a 500 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Hb inline piston engine and flew in 1926.
Variants
Only the prototype was built.
Where you'll see it
Its performance was no improvement on the Bernard AB 14, and it did not go into production.
Related aircraft
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