Бреге 19: Французский бомбардировщик и самолет-разведчик

The Breguet 19 (Breguet XIX, Br.19 or Bre.19) was a sesquiplane bomber and reconnaissance aircraft which was also used for long distance flights and was designed by the French Breguet company and produced from 1924.

The Breguet 19 was designed as a successor to a highly successful World War I Breguet 14 bomber. Initially, it was to be powered by a Bugatti U 16 engine, driving a four blade propeller, and a prototype was shown on the 7th Paris Air Show in November 1921 with this engine. A revised design was flown in March 1922 with a single Renault 12Kb inline engine. After trials, the Breguet 19 was ordered by the French Armys Aéronautique Militaire in September 1923. Mass production, both for the Aéronautique Militaire and export, began in France in 1924.

The Breguet 19 had its baptism of fire in the Spanish Civil War where it was the mainstay of the Spanish Republican Air Force's (the Government's) bomber fleet.

In the Greco Italian War which took place during World War II, 18 Breguets were operational at the outbreak of war, with 1 Observation (or Army Cooperation) Mira, under I Corp Command, based at Perigiali, near Corinth and with 2 Observation Mira under II Corps command, based at Larissa and Kozani. On 4 November 1940, a Royal Hellenic Air Force Breguet from 2 Mira was sent looking for the attacking 3rd Julia Alpine Division, locating it in a mountain pass near Metsovo. Three more Breguets sent to bomb the Italian division were in turn attacked by three Fiat CR.42 fighters. A Breguet was shot down, one crash landed and the third returned to base, badly damaged.

Br.19.01 The first Breguet 19 prototype, which first flew in March 1922 which was later bought by the Spanish government. Br.19 TF Super BidonThe last and most advanced long distance variant, built in 1929, and designed for transatlantic flight. The French Super Bidon was the third Br.19 TR Hispano, named Point d'Interrogation, with a modified fuselage, a wingspan of , and total fuel capacity. It was powered by a Hispano Suiza 12Lb engine, later replaced by a Hispano Suiza 12NLb. Another aircraft, with a closed canopy, was built in Spain in 1933. Christened Cuatro Vientos, it flew from Sevilla to Cuba, and disappeared while attempting to reach Mexico. Br.19 terUtilizing the experience with long distance variants, this improved reconnaissance variant was developed in 1928, maybe for export purposes. It remained a prototype only (with civilian register F AIXP).

Both standard and modified Breguet 19s were used for numerous record breaking flights. The first was the Br.19 prototype, which won a military aircraft speed contest in Madrid on 17 February 1923. On 12 March 1923, it also set an international altitude record of carrying a load. It was later bought by the Spanish government. Many crews made long distance flights in Br.19s. In February 1925, Thieffry flew from Brussels to Leopoldville in central Africa, a distance of Two Br.19 A2s were bought by the Japanese Asahi Shimbun newspaper and fitted with additional fuel tanks. They were flown by H. Abe and K. Kawachi on the Tokyo Paris London route in July 1925, covering Between 27 August and 25 September 1926, the Polish crew of Boleslaw Orlinski flew the Warsaw Tokyo route and back, in a modified Br.19 A2, despite the fact that one of its lower wings was broken on the way. On 8 June 1928 a modified Greek Br. A2 ("ΕΛΛΑΣ" en: Hellas), flown by C. Adamides and E. Papadakos, embarked on a long distance tour around the Mediterranean landing without incident at Tatoi airfield, Athens, on 1 July. Between 1927 and 1930, Romanian, Yugoslavian and Polish Br.19s were often used in Little Entente air races. Breguet 19 GRs and TRs set several world records, mostly of long distance non stop flights, starting with Arrachart and Lemaitre's flight from Paris to Villa Cisneros in 24½ hours on 2–3 February 1925. On 14–15 July 1926, Girier and Dordilly set a new record of between Paris and Omsk, beaten on 31 August 1 September by Challe and Weiser's , and on 28 October by Dieudonne Costes and Rignot's From 10 October 1927 – 14 April 1928, Costes and Le Brix flew a Br.19 GR (named Nungesser Coli) around the world, covering though the journey between San Francisco and Tokyo was taken by ship. The Super Bidon was created especially for the purpose of a transatlantic flight. It was named Point d'Interrogation ("The Question Mark"). Dieudonne Costes and Maurice Bellonte set a non stop distance record of from Paris to Moullart on 27–29 September 1929 on this aircraft. Then on 1–2 September 1930, they flew from Paris to New York City, a distance of making the first non stop east west crossing of the North Atlantic by a fixed wing aircraft. The second Super Bidon, the Spanish Cuatro Vientos, vanished over Mexico with M. Barberan and J. Collar Serra, after a transatlantic flight from Seville to Cuba on 10–11 June 1933.

Breguet Br.19 GR no.1685 Nungesser et Coli, in the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace of Le Bourget, near Paris (not in public display as of 2009)
CASA Br.19 TR Bidon Jesús del Gran Poder, in the Museo del Aire, Cuatro Vientos, Madrid
Breguet Br.19 TF Super Bidon Point d'Interrogation, in the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (restored, on public display)