Levasseur PL.5
Levasseur · France · first flew 1924 · fighter
The Levasseur PL.5 was a carrier-based fighter produced in France in the late 1920s. It answered the 1924 AMBC.2 specification for a two-seat carrier-based fighter.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Boat-like watertight underside of the fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-bay sesquiplane with two crew in tandem open cockpits
- Small floats attached directly under the lower wing
- Boat-like watertight underside of the fuselage
It is a conventional single-bay sesquiplane with a fixed tail-skid undercarriage. It has small floats under the lower wing and a boat-shaped fuselage underside.
Specifications
- The Levasseur PL.5 has a length of 8.615 m (28 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.366 m (41 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 200 km/h (124 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Four prototypes were evaluated by the Aeronavale in 1924. After successful trials an order for 20 machines was placed to equip the aircraft carrier Bearn.
Variants
The PL.5 production version used a 450 hp Lorraine-Dietrich 12Eb engine and 20 were built. Six PL.9 trainers with a lower-powered Hispano-Suiza 8Se engine were also purchased.
Where you'll see it
The type entered service in 1927 to equip the carrier Bearn. Escadrille 7C1 of the Aeronavale was among the units that flew it.
Related aircraft
- Levasseur PL.3
- Levasseur PL.1
- Levasseur PL.2
- Levasseur PL.4
- Avia BH-17
- Avia BH-19
- Bernard SIMB AB 10
- Blériot 117
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