Amiot 354

The Amiot 354 was the last in a series of fast, twin-engine bombers which fought with the French Air Force in limited numbers during the Battle of France.

Though 130 machines were ordered by the French government that year, production delays and modifications ensured that by September 1939 none had been delivered.

Due to technical problems with the armament installation, many aircraft went to operational units with only a rifle-calibre machine-gun in the dorsal position.

On 16 May 1940, the Amiot 351/354s carried out armed reconnaissance sorties over Maastricht in the Netherlands - the first operation conducted by planes of this type.

As their numbers were too few to engage the Italians, the aircraft were sent back to Metropolitan France and their groupes disbanded in August 1940.

Amiot 340 prototype
Amiot 350 with Hispano-Suiza 12Y 28/29 engines.
Amiot 351 with Gnome-Rhône 14N engines.
Amiot 356 with Rolls-Royce Merlin X engines.
Amiot 370 with Hispano-Suiza 12 Yirs/Yjrs engines.