| PL.5 and PL.9 | |
|---|---|
| |
| PL.5 | |
| Role | Carrier-based fighter |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Levasseur |
| First flight | 1924 |
| Primary user | Aéronavale |
| Number built | 24 PL.5, plus 6 PL.9 |
The Levasseur PL.5 was a carrier-based fighter produced in France in the late 1920s, in response to the 1924 AMBC.2 (two seat carrier based fighter) specification issued by the Service Technique de l'Aéronautique (STAé).[1] It was a conventional, single-bay sesquiplane that carried a crew of two in tandem, open cockpits. Like other Levasseur naval designs of the day, it incorporated several safety features in case of ditching at sea. Apart from small floats attached directly to the undersides of the lower wing, the main units of the fixed, tail-skid undercarriage could be jettisoned in flight, and the underside of the fuselage was given a boat-like shape and made watertight.
Four prototypes were evaluated by the Aéronavale in 1924, and following successful trials, an order for 20 machines was placed to equip the aircraft carrier Béarn, enterring service in 1927.[1]
Six examples of a trainer version with a lower-powered engine were purchased as the PL.9.[1]
