[1][2] With a French Air Force requirement to replace the Douglas C-47 and Amiot AAC-1 Bréguet started development of the Breguet 890 as a medium-capacity military transport.
[2] The commercial transport prototype designated the Bréguet 890H Mercure was an all-metal cantilever high-wing monoplane powered by two 2,000 hp (1,491 kW) Bristol Hercules radial engines.
It had a retractable tricycle landing gear and, advanced for its day, a swing tail to allow access (using a loading ramp) into the fuselage for heavy equipment and vehicles.
A military prototype was also built under the designation Bréguet 891R Mars, it retained the swing tail but had provision for 20 paratroopers and was powered by two 1,600 hp (1,193 kW) Gnome-Rhône 14R-200 radial engines.
The Mars had parachute doors on each side of the fuselage, a floor chute for dropping containers and also a towing hook for a glider.