page_title: Bréguet 763 Deux-Ponts
section_title: Design and development
hierarchical_section_title: Bréguet 763 Deux-Ponts / Design and development
caption_attribution_description: English: Breguet Br761S No. 03 exhibited at the 1957 Paris Air Salon
context_page_description: The Bréguet 761/763/765 are a family of 1940s and 1950s French double-deck transport aircraft produced by Bréguet Aviation. The aircraft were normally called the Deux-Ponts but it was not an official name.
context_section_description: Bréguet began design work on the Bréguet 761 double-deck airliner even before the end of the Second World War, in 1944. It was decided that a medium-range airliner with seating for over 100 passengers would be built. The design envisaged using readily available engines with the aim of ease of manufacture and an early first-flight date. The design was known as Project 76-1. The aircraft was destined not to be the first French postwar design to fly, an honour which instead fell to the Sud-Est Languedoc, a civilianised Bloch MB161. The prototype Br.761, F-WASK, first flew at Villacoublay on 15 February 1949.
  The 761 featured a cantilever wing set at mid-height on the bulky fuselage. The retractable tricycle landing gear featured dual-wheel main units. The empennage had twin fins and rudders and a vestigial central fin.  The prototype was powered by four 1,580 hp (1,180 kW) SNECMA 14R-24 radial engines. The Bréguets serving with Air France had up to 107 seats and an elevator between the two floors.
  The prototype was followed by three Br.761S pre-production aircraft powered by 2,020 hp (1506 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-B31 radial engines. These were fitted with 12 ft 1½in (3.70 m) diameter Hamilton Standard propellers. The aircraft successfully completed their trials incident-free. Their first flights were in 1951 and 1952.
  The French Government ordered 12 production aircraft, the Bréguet 76-3, which was later redesignated Br.763. Six aircraft were to be operated by Air France and the other six by the Ministry of Transport. The 763 had more powerful engines, a 1.20 metres (3 ft 11 in) larger wingspan, strengthened wings and a three-crew flight deck (earlier aircraft had four crew).  The 763 first flew on 20 July 1951 and entered service with Air France during autumn 1952.
  The Air France aircraft had accommodation for 59 passengers on the top deck, and 48 on the lower deck, although the aircraft was capable of carrying 135 passengers in a high-density layout. During 1964 Air France transferred six Br.763s to the French Air Force.  The air force also acquired the three pre-production Br.761S aircraft and four new Br.765 Sahara freighter aircraft with removable cargo doors.
  Projects to build versions powered with British engines (for possible United Kingdom buyers) did not come to fruition.  The projects would have been the 766 (with the Bristol Hercules radial engine), and the 767 with British turboprop engines.
caption: The third Bréguet Br.761S at the 1957 Paris Air Show fitted with the early central fin shape
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