Wibault 220
Societe des Avions Michel Wibault · France · first flew 1930 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Wibault 220, or R.N.3 220, was a twin-engined French night reconnaissance aircraft.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 12 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- All-metal high cantilever wing with a rectangular centre section and trapezoidal outer panels
- Two radial engines under the outer centre section in teardrop cowlings
- Longitudinally corrugated duralumin skin
The pilot sat in an open cockpit built into the wing leading edge, the navigator in the nose and the gunner behind the trailing edge. The 450 hp engines were Gnome-Rhone Jupiter radials.
Specifications
- The Wibault 220 has a length of 12 m (39 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 18.22 m (60 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 197 km/h (122 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed for the night reconnaissance role by Michel Wibault, one of the pioneers of all-metal aircraft. By late May 1930 one was being tested at Villacoublay.
Variants
Two were built to a government contract in 1930. The R.N.3 in the designation indicates the crew of three.
Where you'll see it
After early flights in June 1930, nothing more about the 220 appears in the French aviation journals.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.