Bernard 70

The Bernard 70 was a 1920s design for a French single-seat monoplane fighter aircraft by the Société des Avions Bernard. It was not built but was developed into a racing monoplane designated the Bernard S-72, (later Bernard S-73). It was further developed into single-seat fighters, the Bernard 74 and Bernard 74, although only two of the fighters were built.

Design and development
The Bernard S-72 was a wooden stressed skin constructed cantilever low-wing monoplane powered by a Gnome-Rhône 5Bc radial engine and had a fixed tailskid landing gear. Flown by Paillard the Bernard S-72 participated in the 1930 Coupe Michelin race. On 29 June he took off from Le Bourget, landed successively in Reims, Nancy, Strasbourg, Dijon and Clermont-Ferrand, but unfortunately had to retire near Lyon as a result of engine failure. The S-72 was re-engined with a Gnome-Rhône 7Kb and re-designated the Bernard S-73. The S-73 was then developed into the Bernard 74 single-seat fighter and retained the Titan-Major engine. Two prototypes were built with the first flying in February 1931, powered by a 280 hp (kw) Gnome-Rhône 7Kbs radial engine, the second was fitted with a 360 hp Gnome-Rhône 7Kd engine and first flew in October 1931. The first prototype 74 was re-engined with a Gnome-Rhône 9Kbrs radial engine and re-designated the Bernard 75 it was later used as a pilot-trainer. No further aircraft were built.

Variants

 * Bernard 70
 * Unbuilt design for a single-seat fighter.


 * Bernard S-72
 * Single-seater racing monoplane powered by a 240 hp Gnome-Rhône 5Bc radial engine, first flight in May 1930. Later converted to the Bernard S-73.


 * Bernard S-73
 * The Bernard 72 re-engined with a 300 hp Gnome-Rhône 7Kb radial engine, first flown in May 1930.


 * Bernard 74-01
 * Single-seat fighter variant, powered by a 280 hp Gnome-Rhône 7Kbs radial engine, later converted to the Bernard 75.


 * Bernard 74-02
 * A second prototype powered by a 360 hp Gnome-Rhône 7Kd, first flown on 21 October 1931


 * Bernard 75
 * Prototype Bernard 74-01 fighter re-engined with a 500 hp Gnome-Rhône 9Kbrs radial engine and later used as a pilot-trainer.