The Bernard 18 was a prototype

airliner An airliner is a type of aircraft for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an ...

developed in France in the 1920s. One of the two

prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...

s built was used in an abortive transatlantic crossing attempt and a number of failed attempts for aerial records.

Development

The aircraft was originally developed in response to a specification for CIDNA for an eight-seat airliner, but the second incarnation of Bernard's aircraft manufacturing company went bankrupt before production could take place. When the company was revived in

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...

, it built a second example specifically for Paul Tarascon to make an attempt at the Orteig Prize. The space originally reserved for passenger seating was filled with fuel tanks to give the plane an expected range of . It was also fitted with

undercarriage Undercarriage is the part of a moving vehicle that is underneath the main body of the vehicle. The term originally applied to this part of a horse-drawn carriage, and usage has since broadened to include: *The landing gear of an aircraft. *The ch ...

that could be jettisoned after takeoff to save weight. Designated 18GR (for ''Grand Raid'') and christened ''Oiseau Tango'' ("Tango Bird", after its bright yellow colour, intended to assist rescue efforts in case of a ditching), it was discovered that with the necessary fuel load, the aircraft could not actually become airborne. After Charles Lindbergh successfully claimed the prize, the 18GR was converted back to standard 18T configuration and sold to an operator in Canada.

Variants

* 18T * 18GR

Specifications (18T)

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

aviafrance.com
*
Les avions de record français (1928-1932)
' {{Bernard aircraft

018 018 may refer to *Air Canada Flight 018, an airline flight from Hong Kong to Vancouver, Canada, illegally boarded by a Chinese man wearing a disguise in 2010 *Area code 018, a telephone area code in Uppsala, Sweden *BMW 018, an experimental turboje ...

1920s French airliners Single-engined tractor aircraft High-wing aircraft