Levasseur Aircraft Designations (France)

[Cy-27]

Pierre Levasseur was a French aircraft designer born in 1871.

His company was called Sociéte Pierre Levasseur Aéronautique and thay produced aircraft mainly for the French Navy in the inter-war period. As a subsidiary, Levasseur also ran a successful flying school. The chief pilot of his school was François Denhaut who designed one of the first first flying boats.

Georges Abrial a French aerodynamicist, also worked with Levasseur to produce the Levasseur-Abrial A-1.

The LB designs by Jean Biche had the first example built by Constructions Aéronautiques J Levy and production machines by Etablissements P. Levasseur.





Levasseur Landeroin-Robert Monoplan
1913
Three-seat experimental triple wing monoplane with distinctine rollover frame-come forward wing support.

Levasseur-Abrial A-1
1922
High-wing monoplane glider.

Levasseur-Biche (Levy-Biche) LB 2
1925
Single-seat single bay sesquiplane fighter. At least one fitted with floats. 21 built in total with twenty production Levasseur examples designated LB 2 AMBC1.
see also http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,15809.msg100637.html#msg100637

Levasseur-Biche (Levy-Biche) LB 4
1927
Sesquiplane observation aircraft. Carried on board ships and was fitted with a single central float. Gnome-Rhone Jupiter 9Ab engine.
see also http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,15809.msg100637.html#msg100637

Levasseur-Biche (Levy-Biche) LB 6
1928
Single-seat sesquiplane fighter project. Engines selected from Hispano Suiza 12Lb, Gnome Rhone Jupiter 9Ab or Salmson 18 Ab.
see also http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,15809.msg100637.html#msg100637

Levasseur PL 1 T-O-3
1921
Three-seat touring aircraft. First flight April 1921. One example built. Biplane of a wooden construction.

Levasseur PL 2 AT 1
1921
Single-seat biplane of a wooden construction. The first French torpedo bomber, only the prototype completed.

Levasseur PL 2 AT 2
1922
Single seat torpedo Bomber. One example constructed. Biplane of a wooden construction.
 
Levasseur PL 2
1923
Two seat biplane carrier torpedo bomber, nine units built for the French Navy.

Levasseur PL 3 AM3
1924
Three seater reconnaissance biplane. First flew in March 1924. One example constructed. Marine body to allow sea landings and to aide ditching. This became a feature of early Levasseur naval types.

Levasseur PL 4 A3 R3b
1926
Three-seat shipborne reconnaissance aircraft. One example of this biplane completed. It had a wooden fuselage construction.

Levasseur PL 4
1926
Three-seat carrier reconnaissance. 40 examples built for l'Aéronautique Navale Française. A biplane with a wooden fuselage.

Levasseur PL 5 C2B
1926
Two-seater biplane naval fighter. 3 examples constructed.Sesquiplane wing layout . Fuselage wooden, but with a marine hull design.

Levasseur PL 5 AMBC2
1926
Shipboard fighter.One example constructed if this two-seat sesquiplane design. Fuselage of a wooden construction.

Levasseur PL 5
1926
Naval carrier fighter with two seats. 20 examples constructed for l'Aéronautique Navale Française. Sesquiplane with wooden fuselage. Some fitted with floats.

Levasseur PL 6
1926
Two seat fighter-reconnaissane biplane. Only one example constructed. Presented at the Paris Salon in December 1926.

Levasseur PL 7
1926
Three-seat shipboard torpedo bomber. One example constructed. A sesquiplane with wooden fuselage. Developed as the PL.14.

Levasseur PL 7T
1926
Limousine transport with a single engine, derived from the PL 4. One example constructed exhibited at the Paris Salon in December 1926. Two crew in open cockpit and six passengers in cabin with six large windows.Abandoned due to lack of commercial interest.

Levasseur PL 7 17m25
1928
Torpedo bomber- one example constructed.

Levasseur PL 7 16m50
1929
Three-seat torpedo bomber development. 40 examples made for l'Aéronautique Navale Française, modified from the PL 7 18m

Levasseur PL 7 18m
1928
Three-seat torpedo bomber. 9 examples for l'Aéronautique Navale Française.Another sesquiplane with Hispano-Suiza engine.

Levasseur PL 8 'Oiseau Blanc'
1927
Two seat long distance aircraft which first flew April 1927. On 8 May 1927, Charles Nungesser and François Coli flew 'The White Bird' in an unsuccessful attempt to fly from Le Bourget to New-York. A biplane of mixed construction. This example had three large fuel tanks fitted in front of the pilot. Powered by one Lorraine 12 Ebr.

Levasseur PL 8
1928
Transport mail biplane with three crew. Maiden flight 18 September 1928. One example constructed with a Hispano-Suiza 12 Mbr.

Levasseur PL 9
1928
Two seat training biplane. 6 examples made for the French Navy.

 

[Cy-27]

Levasseur PL 10
1929
Reconnaissance three-seater. Also used as a recce-bomber. 30 examples of the biplane made for the French Navy.

Levasseur PL 11
1931
Observation biplane with twin floats. One example constructed.

Levasseur PL 12
1930
Observation flying boat. One example constructed of this single radial engine parasol monoplane.

Levasseur PL 14
1929
Three-seat torpedo-bomber floatplane. Developed from the earlier PL 7. Sesquiplane flying boat with a wooden and metal construction. Also fitted with wheels.

Levasseur PL 15
1932
Three-seat torpedo-bomber floatplane. First flew in October 1932. 17 examples ordered for the French Navy.

Levasseur PL 101
1933
Reconnaissance three-seat biplane. Also used as a recce-bomber. Examples of the biplane made for l'Aéronautique Navale Française.

Levasseur PL 104
1935
Armed reconnaissance three-seat biplane project with a Hispano-Suiza 12 Xbr engine.

Levasseur PL 105
1935
Armed reconnaissance three-seat biplane project with a Hispano-Suiza 9 V engine.

Levasseur PL 106
1935
Armed reconnaissance three-seat biplane project with a Hispano-Suiza 12 Xbr engine with PL 15 radiator layout.

Levasseur PL 107
1937
Developed from the PL 101 for the Naval command observation role. Enclosed cockpit and fixed undercarriage. Used as a torpedo bomber three-seat biplane. Maiden flight 10 November 1937 and 2 produced.
Levasseur PL 108
1939
Torpedo Bomber. Maiden flight 26 September 1939 and one example produced. All-metal construction.

Levasseur PL 109
1939
No details. see also http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,18617.msg179187.html#msg179187

Levasseur PL 151
1932
Experimental floatplane. One example constructed. Constructed from a PL 15 and modified. Shown at Paris Air Salon December 1932.

 
Levasseur PL 154
1934
Torpedo bomber aeroplane. One example constructed. Constructed from a PL 15 and modified as a landplane.

Levasseur PL 200
1935
Floatplane from February 1935. One example constructed. Floats blended into the tail section
see also http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,8595.msg76392.html#msg76392

Levasseur PL 201
1935
Observation two-seater, similar to the PL 200.. One example constructed and it first flew in October 1935.
see also http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,8595.msg76392.html#msg76392

Levasseur PL 300
1935
Biplane single engine torpedo bomber. Project only with enclosed cockpit and folding wings. Powered by Hispano-Suiza 12 Ybrg. Two seater as a bomber and three seat in the reconnaissance role.

Levasseur PL 301
1935
Biplane single engine torpedo bomber floatplane. Project only with enclosed cockpit and exposed rear-gunner position. Powered by Hispano-Suiza 12 Ybrg.

Levasseur PL 400
1939
Observation two-seater with a high-wing. One example constructed and it first flew on 19 December 1939. Powered by a Potez engine.

Levasseur PL 401
1939
Observation two-seater. One example constructed and it first flew on 19 December 1939. Similar in layout to the Feisler Storch STOL aircraft. Fitted with a Renault 6Q-09 engine.


Source:
Air International Volume 27, Issue 2, 1984
Les Avions de Pierre Levasseur - Histoire de l'Aviation Lo 16 (Ledet/Morareau) Lela Presse, 2004 ISBN (ISBN 2914017170)
http://www.aviafrance.com/constructeur.php?ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=816

 

[hesham]

Great work my dear Cy-27,

there was also PL 153,an experimental floatplane which powered by one
engine,but maybe remained a Project only.

 

[fabulousfour]

Found a photo of the Levasseur PL 7T.

Source:

https://plus.google.com/photos/109575688071884573185/albums/6467213224540548977/6467213224029929330

 

[hesham]

Hi,

also there was a PL-152,which developed from PL-151,but no more details are known.

 

[toura]

hi Fabulousfour

From an old "aviation magazine"

 

[Bazinga]

1920 Levasseur Gastambide Variable Wing .... or is this not a typo and is there a designer called "Levavasseur" ?

 

[hesham]

My dear Bazinga,

there was two designers,very closed in their names; Mr. Léon Levavasseur and Mr. Pierre Levasseur,
no relationship was between them.

 

[Bazinga]

Thank you so much master Hesham

 

[hesham]

From Aviation magazine 1965.

 

[Stargazer]

Two designations I have found that do not appear in the list:

• Levasseur (P.L.)45 (a version of the P.L.4)
• Levasseur P.L.75 (a version of the P.L.7)

I found these in the Revue Technique Hispano-Suiza, but there are mentions of these in other sources too.

 

[hesham]

Two designations I have found that do not appear in the list:

• Levasseur (P.L.)45 (a version of the P.L.4)
• Levasseur P.L.75 (a version of the P.L.7)

I found these in the Revue Technique Hispano-Suiza, but there are mentions of these in other sources too.

There is nothing about them in the book about Levasseur,and definitely they are the
serial numbers of the two aircraft,not a designations.

 

[Stargazer]

There is nothing about them in the book about Levasseur,and definitely they are the serial numbers of the two aircraft,not a designations.

What you are saying is not consistent with the photos, which show no serial numbers. Besides, these designations appear in the photos' captions, in publications that were contemporary to the aircraft in question, AND reliable.
Which book are you talking about? Could you provide the reference, please? Thanks.

 

[hesham]

What you are saying is not consistent with the photos, which show no serial numbers. Besides, these designations appear in the photos' captions, in publications that were contemporary to the aircraft in question, AND reliable.
Which book are you talking about? Could you provide the reference, please? Thanks.

Of course they are not a designations,but also may they are the numbers of the aircraft,which built.

Les Avions de Pierre Levasseur.

 

[Stargazer]

Of course they are not a designations,but also may they are the numbers of the aircraft,which built.

I really don't know how you can be so positive about it... Just because the book didn't mention them?
Do you think authors never make mistakes or omissions? If so, you are naive.
As I said, the designations were found in publications emanating from the engine manufacturers... There is absolutely NO reason why they'd have used an aircraft's serial number to designate an aircraft type!

 

[Apophenia]

The distinction between Levasseur P.L.4 and Levasseur P.L.45 was in the engine type fitted. The P.L.4 was powered by a 450 hp Lorraine-Dietrich 12Eb Courlis W-12 while the P.L.45 had a 580-600 hp Hispano-Suiza 12L V12.

Both P.L.7 (excluding the P.L.7-01 in original form) and P.L.75 were powered by 600 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Lbr V12s. So whatever differences existed between the two types must have lay elsewhere. Might it be something as simple as the 1932 revision to fit stronger interwing struts to in-service P.L.7s? Who knows?

I guess the bigger question was who was making these distinctions. Was it Levasseur itself or the Aéronavale?

 

[Stargazer]

The distinction between Levasseur P.L.4 and Levasseur P.L.45 was in the engine type fitted. The P.L.4 was powered by a 450 hp Lorraine-Dietrich 12Eb Courlis W-12 while the P.L.45 had a 580-600 hp Hispano-Suiza 12L V12.

Both P.L.7 (excluding the P.L.7-01 in original form) and P.L.75 were powered by 600 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Lbr V12s. So whatever differences existed between the two types must have lay elsewhere. Might it be something as simple as the 1932 revision to fit stronger interwing struts to in-service P.L.7s? Who knows?

I guess the bigger question was who was making these distinctions. Was it Levasseur itself or the Aéronavale?

Now, THANK YOU my friend for shedding light on those two designations!
I just LOVE this forum!