Which Bernard racing seaplane never flew despite its 2,200…

Which Bernard racing seaplane never flew despite its 2,200 hp?

Short answer

The Bernard H.V.220, a French racing seaplane from the 1930s fitted with a 2,200 hp (1,641 kW) Lorraine 12Rcr Radium engine, never managed to fly. The engine's problems were never solved, the aircraft was abandoned, and with it went France's hopes in the Schneider Trophy.

Published: November 5, 2026 · Updated: November 5, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Which Bernard racing seaplane never flew despite its 2,200 hp?

Bernard H V 220 plans

The last Bernard for the Schneider Trophy

The Bernard H.V.220 was a French racing seaplane from the 1930s and Bernard's last attempt to compete in the Schneider Trophy race. It was an all-metal cantilever monoplane for a single pilot, fitted with two floats, powered by a 2,200 hp (1,641 kW) Lorraine 12Rcr Radium inline piston engine. It measured 9.46 m (31 ft 0 in) in length and had a wingspan of 9.40 m (30 ft 10 in).

An engine that never worked properly

The aircraft was completed, but the problems with the Radium engine were never solved and the aircraft never flew, which ended French hopes of winning the Schneider Trophy. The delays caused by those engine problems led to it being abandoned without ever flying. An improved variant, powered by a Radium engine and designated the H.V.320, was planned but never built.