World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseFélix Amiot's 140 design was rather dated having first flown in 1931, but because the French lacked a replacement for a medium bomber, the manufacturing of the production model, 143M, continued until Mar 1937. The 143M bombers had a heavy two-tiered structure, making them slow and unmaneuverable. However, pilots who had experience with these aircraft generally like them for their sturdy construction. Between the German invasion of Poland in Sep 1939 and the invasion of France in May 1940, the 143M bombers were used in mostly night attacks on German lines of communications. They collectively dropped a total of 523 tons of bombs before the French surrender. After the fall of France, 78 143M bombers remained in Vichy-French service until they were replaced in Jul 1941. After being replaced, some of them became trainers and others were converted to transports. The converted transports were used by both Allied and German personnel as they were captured or commandeered.

ww2dbaseA total of 154, including prototypes, were built.

SPECIFICATIONS

143M

Machinery	Two Gnome et Rhône 14Kirs/jrs engines rated at 870hp each
Armament	4x or 6x7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine guns, 1,600kg of bombs
Crew	5
Span	24.53 m
Length	18.24 m
Height	5.70 m
Wing Area	100.00 m²
Weight, Empty	6,100 kg
Weight, Loaded	9,700 kg
Speed, Maximum	310 km/h
Service Ceiling	7,900 m
Range, Normal	1,200 km
Range, Maximum	2,000 km

Photographs