Amiot 354

Fast Reconnaissance / Medium Bomber Aircraft

France | 1940

"The Amiot 354 proved itself a capable French design but it was not available in the numbers required during the Battle of France in 1940."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/17/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

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Firepower

Performance

Survivability

Versatility

Impact

The Amiot 354 (Model 354) had its origins in the Model 341 fast mail carrier transport. The bomber form appeared in the twin-tailed Model 351 which flew first in early 1940. Delays forced the French Air Force to order the related Model 354 offshoot as an interim measure and this form differed mainly in its use of a single vertical tail fin. The aircraft was taken on to fulfill bombing and fast reconnaissance roles just prior to the German invasion of France in World War 2 (1939-1945).

Its overall design was quite conventional for its time - though modern nonetheless. The crew of four (pilot, copilot, navigator and bombardier) all sat in the fuselage which lay at center, straddled by the engine installations fitted to each wing mainplane. The wings were near-elliptical in their general shape when viewed from above or below and the engine nacelles installed at their leading edges, each powerplant driving three-bladed propellers. The crew sections were held under a long-running greenhouse-style canopy featuring heavy framing. The nose was fully glazed for excellent vision over the upcoming terrain. A tail-dragger undercarriage was utilized which sat the main legs under each engine nacelle. The empennage made use of a single tail fin and low-mounted horizontal planes.

Power was served through 2 x Gnome Rhone 14N series 14-cylinder radial piston engines outputting 1,060 horsepower each. This provided the airframe with a maximum speed of 300 miles per hour, a cruising speed of 220 miles per hour, a range out to 1,900 miles and a service ceiling up to 32,800 feet. Rate-of-climb was 1,550 feet-per-minute.

Internally, the Model 354 could carry up to 2,650 lb of conventional drop ordnance for bomber sorties. It was defended through 1 x 20mm cannon and 2 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns. An alternative gun load out was 3 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns (the 20mm cannon being replaced).

Dimensions included a length of 37.6 feet, a height of 13.4 feet and a wingspan of 74.10 feet.

The Model 354 was formed from the existing Model 351, essentially a re-engined platform carrying either the Gnome-Rhone 14N-48 or 14N-49 radial. Over 40 of this model were eventually produced.

By the time of the German invasion of France in May of 1940, the Model 354 was available but only in limited numbers (at least three French factories were committed to the series' production). Nevertheless, it fought on as best it could, undertaking general bombing sorties as well as fast armed reconnaissance of German positions in the Netherlands. Additional deliveries came in June but this proved too late. Some of the stock was flown to Africa lest they fell in German hands (which some did, these reconstituted as fast transports). Others managed a meager existence through their original non-combat roles of mail delivery. This ended the airborne tenure of the Model 354 and her kind.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Amiot 354 Fast Reconnaissance / Medium Bomber Aircraft.

2 x Gnome-Rhone 14N-48/-49 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines developing 1,060 horsepower each.
Propulsion

298 mph
480 kph | 259 kts
Max Speed

32,808 ft
10,000 m | 6 miles
Service Ceiling

2,175 miles
3,500 km | 1,890 nm
Operational Range

1,500 ft/min
457 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Amiot 354 Fast Reconnaissance / Medium Bomber Aircraft.

4
(MANNED)
Crew

47.6 ft
14.50 m
O/A Length

74.9 ft
(22.83 m)
O/A Width

13.4 ft
(4.08 m)
O/A Height

10,417 lb
(4,725 kg)
Empty Weight

24,912 lb
(11,300 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Amiot 354 Fast Reconnaissance / Medium Bomber Aircraft .

STANDARD:
1 x 20mm cannon with 2 x 7.5mm MAC 1945 machine guns OR 3 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns (additional machine gun replaced the 20mm cannon installation.

OPTIONAL:
Maximum internal bomb load of up to 2,650 lb.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Amiot 354 family line.

Model 354 - Base Series Designation; based on the earlier Model 351, itself born from the Model 341 fast mail carrier; fitted with 2 x Gnome-Rhone 14N radial engines and featuring single vertical tail fin (as opposed to twin vertical tails).

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Amiot 354. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 56 Units
Contractor(s): Avions Amiot - France

[ France; Nazi Germany ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 300mph

Lo: 150mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (298mph).

Graph Average of 225 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

56

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

♦

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Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

GROUND ATTACK

RECONNAISSANCE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Going Further...
The Amiot 354 Fast Reconnaissance / Medium Bomber Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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