French Flying 75mm

[Felix C]

I recall from a magazine of the 1970s there was an article on the French Flying 75. IIRC it was an all metal trimotor monoplane fitted with a 75mm sideways firing cannon.
Anyone recall?
I did a search and see In 1932, French military designers installed a fixed side-firing Schneider P.D. 12 75 mm cannon in a four-engine Bordelaise A.B. 22 bomber.
That is not the one I remembered as in the photos it was a smaller three engined aircraft. had that corrugated exterior as used by the JU52.
It was in one of those aircraft enthusiast magazines.

[Babadas]

Could it be the Tellier 1000Hp? Hydroplane designed for anti submarine warfare in 1918. There was only one built and tested but never saw combat. Here’s a link (in French)

http://jnpassieux.fr/www/html/Tellier_1000.php

[Felix C]

Thanks for trying and no. I recall high wing, corrugated metal trimotor. Well it has been nearly 50years. Maybe my recollection is off. Usually it is spot on.

[Carl Schwamberger]

I keep seeing things turn up showing how the French concepts of 1936-1940 whereas advanced as anyones.

[OldBill]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/27862259@N02/6302417914

Is this it?

[Ironmachine]

No, that's the S.A.B. 22 he already mentioned.

[Felix C]

Hello Everyone. Thanks to this and other forums have resolution.
It was orginally a DB-70 based aircraft, Trimotor, corrugated metai, High wing.The design was changed to what became the four engined S.A.B. 22.
The photo I recall was of the DB70 concept.
Thanks to everyone for posting.

[gebhk]

Hi Felix

Sounds absolutely nuts in an awesome sort of way especially, if I understand correctly, the gun fired to the side. Did your researches reveal whether the thing was actually fired in anger or at all and what were the results? Presumably there are reasons why the idea wasn't taken up on a larger scale?

Bestest
K

[Felix C]

Five discharges during testing and then ceased due to strain on the aircraft.
Muzzle is above the strut in this photo.

main-qimg-28168b55bc89b1136ba2b0fea1dd79c3.jpg

[gebhk]

Thanks Felix

Do you know if the thing was fired in the air or did it not get that far?

Bestest
K

[Felix C]

Hello K.
Appears so From this article link there is this line: 'Avion quintuplace expérimental équipé d'un canon de 75 tirant latéralement. Premier vol en août 1934. 1 seul exemplaire construit le S.A.B. AB-20 modifié. Les essais de tir en vol eurent lieu en septembre 1934 à Cazaux. Après le départ de cinq obus, le tir dut être interrompu, l'onde de bouche ayant arraché une partie du revêtement de l'intrados de l'aile."
link: http://www.passionpourlaviation.fr/2016/03/17/sab-ab21/

The aircraft magazine I saw decades ago is Wings June 1982.

[gebhk]

I think that covers all the angles. Thanks again.

Can't help wondering why they didnt have the thing pointing forward, which would have eliminated these problems and presumably mnade it easier to aim. Judging by the cabin space in the DB 70 there should have been more than enough space?

[Felix C]

I recall that from the 1982 article. Intended for colonial warfare and so loiter over a target and box it with turns. Similar to the bucket drop Nate Saint developed just a few years later and USAF gunships became famous for in SE Asia.

[gebhk]

Thanks Felix

That makes imminent sense to me, my musings with regard to how this contraption might be used were on remarkably similar lines. My plans for a wargame (I can't resist anything unusual or bizarre) based on this sort of scenario (throw in Foreign Legion fort, a beleaguered FL garison and hordes of brave Arabs bent on evicting said garrison from their land) unfortunately ran into the onbvious buffer that there is no comemercial model of the aircraft or anything remotely similar in 1/72 that I am aware of. Still working on how to blag what will probably be three aircraft with scratched inner wings into one AB 22.