Bernard 15

The Bernard 15 C1 or Bernard SIMB AB 15 was a 1920s French single-seat sesquiplane fighter aircraft designed and built by the Société Industrielle des Métaux et du Bois (SIMB).^[1][2] With the structural failure of the earlier Bernard 14 the Bernard 15 was an improved variant with a greater span upper wing. It was powered by a Hispano-Suiza 12Hb inline piston engine and had a fixed tailskid landing gear. The performance was not an improvement on the Bernard SIMB AB 14 and only the prototype was built.^[1]

AB 15
Role	Single-seat sesquiplane fighter aircraft
National origin	France
Manufacturer	Société Industrielle des Métaux et du Bois (SIMB), sometimes referred to as Ferbois]]
Designer	Jean Hubert
First flight	1926
Number built	1
Developed from	Bernard SIMB AB 14

Specifications

Bernard 15 perspective drawing from L'Aéronautique January,1927

Data from ^[1]Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 7.50 m (24 ft 7 in)
• Wingspan: 11.40 m (37 ft 5 in)
• Height: 3.10 m (10 ft 2 in)
• Wing area: 24 m² (260 sq ft)
• Max takeoff weight: 1,790 kg (3,946 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 12Hb inline piston engine, 370 kW (500 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

• Maximum speed: 270 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn)
• Service ceiling: 7,500 m (24,600 ft)

Armament

• Guns: Two fixed Vickers .303 (7.7mm) synchronised machine-guns

See also

Related development

• Bernard 14