Breguet Bre 280 T

02/08/2026. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "In 1928 Breguet built a successor to the Bre 26 T. This was the Bre 280 T, and was generally similar to the earlier type but of cleaner appearance, heavier and slightly larger. It was a biplane of unequal span with unbalanced ailerons on the upper wing and, like the Breguet Bre 26 T, had single I-type interplane struts. The structure was of metal, the forward fuselage metal covered, and the wings, main fuselage and tail unit were fabric-covered. There was a two-seat enclosed cockpit forward of the leading edge, and the main cabin had eight seats. The landing gear was similar to that on the Breguet Bre 26 T. The fuel was carried in tanks below the floor and these could be dumped in an emergency.

The prototype, F-AIVU (c/n 2), was delivered to Air Union in November 1928 and at the same time the prototype Bre 281 T, F-AIXD (c/n 1), was also delivered. A further batch of four or five Bre 280 Ts was delivered to the airline during 1929 and were used on the Paris-Lyons-Marseilles and Lyons-Geneva services and occasionally flew on the Paris-London route.

The Bre 280 T had a 500 hp Renault 12Jb twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled V-engine, and the variants of the type were the Bre 281 T with 450 hp Lorraine 12Ed Courlis twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled W-engine, Bre 282 T with 480 hp Gnome & Rhône Jupiter 9Akn nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, Bre 283 T with 420 hp Gnome Rhone Jupiter 9Ab, and Bre 284 T with 580 hp Hispano Suiza 12Lbrx twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled V-engine.

Nine Bre 280 Ts are known, all were delivered to Air Union; two Bre 281 Ts were used by Air Union, but one was converted to a Bre 280 T and the other to a Bre 284 T. (No Bre 282 T or Bre 283 T aircraft are known to be built). The prototype Bre 284 T was the Breguet-owned F-AIYB.

In addition to the converted Bre 281 T there were seven production Bre 284 Ts of which five were bought by Air Union and two by Air Orient. Eight Breguet Bre 280 Ts, the two converted Bre 281 Ts and all the production Bre 284 Ts passed to Air France when it was formed in 1933. Some Bre 284 Ts were based in Indo-China at least until 1938.

The Air Union Bre 280 T series had their lower wings, tailplanes and much of the fuselage painted in medium blue, and were operated under the class name 'Rapid Azur'. Some of these Breguets could be used for ambulance duties, carrying as many as six stretchers, and two Bre 280 Ts and three Bre 284 Ts were convertible for this work."

The following data refers to the Bre 280 T.