(Nord-Aviation) N.2501 Noratlas @·AIRCRAFTUBE

  • Nord 2501 Noratlas (1970) Nord 2501 Noratlas (1970)
    Nord 2501 Noratlas (1970)
  • At the Berlin-Gatow Airforce Museum At the Berlin-Gatow Airforce Museum
    At the Berlin-Gatow Airforce Museum
  • Nord 2501 Noratlas Nord 2501 Noratlas
    Nord 2501 Noratlas
  • Nord 2501<br>Noratlas at<br>the 2009 Paris<br>Air Show Nord 2501<br>Noratlas at<br>the 2009 Paris<br>Air Show
    Nord 2501
    Noratlas at
    the 2009 Paris
    Air Show
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    Nord 2501 Noratlas
  • Nord 2501 Noratlas Nord 2501 Noratlas
    Nord 2501 Noratlas
  • Cyprus - The Suez Expedition Cyprus - The Suez Expedition
    Cyprus - The Suez Expedition
  • Nord 2501 Noratlas Nord 2501 Noratlas
    Nord 2501 Noratlas
  • At the Berlin-Gatow Airforce Museum At the Berlin-Gatow Airforce Museum
    At the Berlin-Gatow Airforce Museum
  • The Aéromaritime N-2502 with the Wingtip Turboméca Marborés (1957) The Aéromaritime N-2502 with the Wingtip Turboméca Marborés (1957)
    The Aéromaritime N-2502 with the Wingtip Turboméca Marborés (1957)
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    Go!
  • Nord 2501 Nord 2501
    Nord 2501
  • Nord 2501 Nord 2501
    Nord 2501
  • Nord 2501 Noratlas Nord 2501 Noratlas
    Nord 2501 Noratlas
  • Nord 2501 Nord 2501
    Nord 2501
  • The Nord 2508 The Nord 2508
    The Nord 2508

Nord 2500 to 2510 Noratlas

The Nord Noratlas was a dedicated military transport aircraft, developed and manufactured by French aircraft manufacturer Nord Aviation.

Development commenced during the late 1940s with the aim of producing a suitable aircraft to replace the numerous older types that were in service with the Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) which dated back to the Second World War. In response to a competition organised by the Direction Technique Industrielle (DTI), Nord produced their Nord 2500 proposal, which was selected as the most promising. Experiences with the first prototype, powered by Gnome-Rhône 14R engines, did not impress, thus the design was revised as the Nord 2501, powered by the SNECMA-built Bristol Hercules 738/9 engines instead, which was found acceptable. Accordingly, the Noratlas was introduced to service by the Armée de l'Air on 6 December 1953.

Following its adoption by the Armée de l'Air, a number of other operators in both Europe and Africa chose to procure the Noratlas for their own military air services. Having found itself in a similar situation to France, the German Air Force of West Germany chose to adopt the same solution, procuring the type for their own purposes. The Israeli Air Force, the Hellenic Air Force, and the Portuguese Air Force all deployed the Noratlas under combat conditions. Furthermore, operators often found a wide variety of uses for the type, extensively adapting aircraft to suit secondary roles in some cases. The Noratlas was also adopted by a number of civil operators, although most aircraft were flown by military customers. As such, several hundred aircraft were produced during the Noratlas' production run, which lasted over a decade.

Development

Following the end of the Second World War, the French Armée de l'Air was left with two primary transport aircraft: the German Junkers Ju 52, which was produced for some time in France after the end of the conflict, and the American Douglas C-47, which had been received from US surplus. While both of these types were typically known for their good service levels, they were by no means modern or particularly large in comparison with newer contemporaries. Both aircraft had suffered from a common set of flaws, such as the traditional tailwheel landing gear configuration, which gave them a nose-up attitude when at rest that complicated the loading and unloading of cargo, relatively restrictive side-loading doors and a limited payload capacity.

In light of these apparent shortcomings, during 1947, the Direction Technique Industrielle (DTI) organized a design competition that sought a medium-weight cargo aircraft which would offer very high operational flexibility. In response to the competition, the Société Nationale de Construction Aéronautique du Nord (SNCAN) produced a response in the form of the proposed Nord 2500. Several other competing French aviation firms, such as Breguet and Sud-Ouest, offered their own designs, the BR-891R Mars and SO-30C, respectively. The Nord 2500, which was designed with rear-opening clamshell doors to allow for easy cargo handling, was considered to be the most promising of the submissions received; according, on 27 April 1948, DTI placed an order for a pair of prototypes to be constructed for evaluation.

On 10 September 1949, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight. It was powered by a pair of Gnome-Rhône 14R engines, each capable of genering 1,600 hp, which drove sets of three-bladed variable-pitch propellers. However, flight testing soon determined that the first prototype was simply too slow to be useful for most applications. As such, on the second prototype, the 14Rs were replaced by a pair of SNECMA-built Bristol Hercules 738/9 engines, capable of producing 2,040 hp, along with a new four-bladed Rotol propeller arrangement. The revised model was rechristened as the Nord 2501. Having been suitably impressed by its performing following the improvements, DTI decided to order three more pre-production aircraft to the Nord 2501 standard. These pre-production aircraft underwent extensive flight testing, which including a series of fly-offs against the similar American Fairchild C-82 Packet. From these, the N2501 was found to be superior, leading to an initial production order for a batch of 34 aircraft were ordered on 10 July 1951.

Tragedy struck the development effort during 1952 when the first Nord 2501 prototype was lost in an accident during a test flight. On 9 January 1953, the Nord 2501 was baptized as the Noratlas by the widow of the pilot killed in the first prototype's crash. Despite the setback of the first prototype's loss, Nord continued the programme to schedule, fulfilling its initial contract for 34 aircraft by 25 June 1953, and the Armée de l'Air went on to order another 174 Noratlases, for a total of 228 aircraft in French service.

Several different models were developed and were proposed, but ultimately were never built. Of those built, perhaps the most distinct was the civil-orientated 2502, which featured additional engines in the form of a pair of wing-tip mounted Turbomeca Marboré turbojets, giving it improved takeoff performance. The proposed 2506 was to have further built upon the 2502, having been intended to possess airbrakes, along with re-designed flaps and height-adjustable landing gear. Following an eventual production run of some 425 planes, the final Noratlas was constructed during 1961. It was succeeded and eventually replaced by the multinational Transall C-160.

Design

The Nord Noratlas was a purpose-built twin-engine, twin-boom transport aircraft. It featured a large pod-like fuselage that was slung in between the aircraft's twin booms and indirectly attached to them via its shoulder-mounted wing. The Noratlas was deliberately designed to be operated under austere conditions, featuring widely spaced landing gear, complete with wide low-pressure tyres, for additional stability and suitability to moving over rough terrain, while the propellers had sufficient clearance to accommodate such operations as well. It was powered by a pair of SNECMA-built Bristol Hercules 738/9 engines, each of which being capable of producing 2,040 hp and driving a four-bladed Rotol propeller.

The sizable cabin of the Noratlas was capable of accommodating up to 7.5 short tons of freight or a maximum of 40 passengers; when flown at a cruising speed of 200 mph, it could transport a 6-ton payload over a range of up to 750 miles. Cargo was typically loaded into and unloaded from the main cabin via the rear-facing clamshell doors, which were intentionally positioned close to ground level to ease freight handling.

Operational history

French Air Force

During its service life with the Armée de l'Air, the Noratlas was initially predominantly operated in it cargo-carrying role; however, 10 had been fitted out, as ordered, to facilitate performing passenger operations as well. However, following the conclusion of Algerian War of Independence in 1962 and the conclusion of French military operations in that theatre, many aircraft underwent conversion work to perform additional secondary roles. Of the various post-delivery customisations and modifications made to the Noratlas fleet, the eight Nord Gabriels, which were used in the electronic warfare role, was perhaps the most useful as well as being the longest serving aircraft. During 1989, the final Gabriel was finally phased out of operations with the Armée de l'Air, marking the complete retirement of the wider type as well.

The Noratlas had been able to attain particular recognition and notoriety amongst the general public as a consequence of its use during the Suez Crisis of 1956. During the opening phase of the Anglo-French operation, French paratroopers had been successfully air-dropped using the type to quickly deploy at various strategic locations, such as immediately south of Port Said and Port Fouad in Egypt.

German Air Force

During the post-war years, the newly formed nation of West Germany was faced with a similar situation to that which had prompted France to pursue development of the Noratlas. As such, the government decided to address the German Air Force's requirement for new transport aircraft in the same manner, eventually ordered a total of 187 Noratlases from 1956. Of these, the first 25 aircraft were manufactured in France, while the other 161 Noratlases were manufactured by the West German-based Flugzeugbau Nord company under contract; such aircraft were designated as N-2501D. Of these aircraft, only 173 were delivered. Flugzeugbau had been involved in the Noratlas programme from an early stage, which was the company's first post-war aviation project, having been responsible for the design and manufacture of the majority of the aircraft's fuselage.

According to author John P. Cann, if the Noratlas in German service had a weakness, it was that the fleet was furnished with four different sets of cockpit instrumentation and electronic systems as a result of its complex procurement arrangement. The favourable experience with the Noratlas gave enthusiasm for further Franko-German collaborative efforts, leading directly to the larger and more advanced Transall C-160 transport aircraft. As a result of the superior Transall becoming available, the German Air Force came to consider its Noratlas fleet to have been supplanted and rendered surplus to requirements. Accordingly, as early as 1964, the German Air Force began to offer individual Noratlases for resale; in this fashion, Germany became the primary source for the various smaller national operators that came to operate the type. Portugal was a major customer for the ex-German aircraft, purchasing many for their own military requirements.

Israel Air Force

During 1956, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) initially purchased three examples of the N-2501IS. However, this procurement had been made under duress—the French government would only allow Israel to purchase 12 of its Dassault Ouragan jet-powered fighters if the nation also acquired at least three Noratlases in the same deal. The Israelis were upset by the terms of the offer, however, at the time, France was one of only a few countries that were willing to sell modern armaments and combat platforms to Israel; eventually, the Israeli government agreed to France's terms. However, once in service, IAF personnel quickly came to realize the utility of the Noratlas following its performance during the Suez Crisis of 1956.

During 1959, having been suitably impressed by its use under combat conditions, the IAF purchased another three N-2501ISs; prior to the Six-Day War of 1967, an additional 16 ex-German Air Force N-2501Ds had also been acquired and put into service. The Noratlas fleet was primarily intended for cargo and paratroop transport, although several aircraft conducted more unconventional operations, being used as improvised bomber aircraft to perform long-range strike missions into Egypt (known as Operation Drought), much as the contemporary C-130s deployed the Daisy Cutter bomb in Vietnam. Amongst the other secondary roles that the IAF are known to have used their Noratlases for included maritime reconnaissance at the outset of the Six-Day War. It has been claimed that an IAF Noratlas had supposedly identified the USS Liberty prior to the USS Liberty Incident. During 1978, the IAF retired the last of their Noratlas fleet.

Hellenic Air Force

During 1970, the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) received 50 surplus Noratlases from Germany as part of a compensation package for events during the Second World War, as well as being an element of NATO-organised military assistance to Greece. The HAF Noratlases were operated by the 354th Tactical Airlift Squadron, based at Elefsis AFB on the outskirts of Athens. On the night of 21–22 July 1974, multiple HAF Noratlases played a role during the Operation Niki (meaning Victory in Greek), being used to airlift the 1st Greek Rangers Squadron from Souda, Crete to Nicosia, Cyprus, as part of Greece's response to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. In spite of the aircraft's age and the adverse flying conditions present throughout, 12 of the 15 aircraft which participated in Operation Niki had managed to arrive and land at Nicosia International Airport; at least one Noratlas is believed to have been shot down by friendly fire from Greek-aligned forces. Regardless, the operation had allowed the Greek 1st Rangers Squadron to help retain the Nicosia airport under the control of the United Nations and avoid its surrender to the Turkish Brigade that had attacked it.

Portuguese Air Force

The Portuguese Air Force operated a large number of Noratlases. During 1960, Portugal decided to purchase an initial batch of six militarized N-2502A (designated N-2502F) from French airline Union Aéromaritime de Transport (UAT). This purchase was quickly followed by other six of the same model, this time directly from Nord Aviation itself. Later on, an additional 19 N-2501Ds were purchased from the German Air Force. Overall, multiple units of the Portuguese Air Force operated by the Noratlas, including Esquadra 32, based at Tancos Air Base, from 1970 to 1977, Esquadra 92, based at Luanda Air Base in Portuguese Angola, from 1961 to 1975, Esquadra 102, based at Beira Air Base in Mozambique, from 1962 to 1975, and Esquadra 123, based at Bissalanca Air Base in Portuguese Guinea, from 1969 to 1974.

Between 1961 and 1975, the Portuguese Air Force extensively operated their Noratlas fleet across all three of the African theatres of operations of the lengthy Portuguese Colonial War. In this lengthy conflict, the Noratlas was primarily used to conduct the intra-theatre tactical transportation missions, as well as to transport and deliver Portuguese paratroopers during airborne assault operations. Shortly following the independence of Angola and Mozambique in 1975, a batch of six ex-Portuguese Noratlas were given to the governments of these two new countries. By September 1977, all of the remaining Noratlases had been withdrawn from Portuguese service. Civilian operations

By 1951, a civil-orientated version of the Noratlas, was under development and had received multiple orders from domestic and overseas customers. Known as the N-2502A/B, it was designed to be suitable for the transportation of both passenger and cargo payloads; the principal difference between the military models and the civil variant was the addition of a pair of small Turbomeca Marboré IIE turbojets, installed within the wingtips, for the purpose of improving the type's performance during the takeoff phase of flight only. The personnel doors normally used by paratroopers were also eliminated as it was seen as lacking value to the prospective civil customers it was aimed at.

The 2502 was used primarily by civil operators such as Aéromaritime du Transport (N-2502A) and CGTA-Air Algérie (N-2502B). However, the Noratlas never achieved the same level of success of the military versions in the civil market; only ten aircraft of this model were ever completed. However, this model would also often end up in military service via acquisitions from civil operators; as such, it saw relatively limited service with civilian customers.

Other Air Forces

Used French and German aircraft were bought by Niger (4), Nigeria (6) and Chad (10).

Civilian

The N-2502A/B, which added two small Turbomeca Marboré IIE turbojets at the wingtips, was used primarily by civil operators such as Aéromaritime du Transport (N-2502A) and CGTA-Air Algérie (N-2502B), but never found the success of the military versions, and only ten were built. There were also several variants of limited service that are mentioned below.

Variants

  • N2500 : Prototype powered by two Gnome et Rhône 14R 1600-hp engines, one built.
  • N2501 : Production version for the French Air Force, powered by SNECMA-manufactured Hercules 739 radial piston engines with 2,068 PS each (1521 kW), five prototypes and 208 production aircraft built.
  • Nord 2501A : Civil transport version for UTA, fitted with two 1,650-hp (1230-kW) SNECMA 758/759 Hercules radial piston engines, four built later converted to N2502.
  • Nord 2501D : Production version for the German Air Force, replaced some systems components of the N2501 with their equivalent from German manufacturers, 186 built (25 French built and 161 German built).
  • Nord 2501E : The redesignation of one standard Nord 2501 for flight testing, the aircraft was used to test two Turbomeca Marbore II auxiliary turbojet engines.
  • Nord 2501IS : Replaced some systems components of the N-2501, 6 produced, purchased by the Israeli Air Force
  • N-2501 Gabriel : SIGINT/electronic warfare platforms, 8 produced, probably modified N-2501s; operated by the Armée de l'Air
  • Nord 2501TC : Nord 2501 modified for civil use by Transvalair, 3 produced
  • Nord 2501 : Civil transport version for Air Algeria and Union Aéromaritime de Transport, powered by two 1650-hp Bristol Hercules 758/759 radial engines, plus two Turbomeca Marbore II auxiliary turbojet engines.
  • Nord 2502A : Civil transport version for Union Aéromaritime de Transport, powered by two Turbomeca Marboré II auxiliary turbojets and two 1650-hp Bristol Hercules 758/759 radial engines. Five built and two conversions from N2501A.
  • Nord 2502B : Civilian cargo transport version for Air Algeria, powered by two Turbomeca Marboré II auxiliary turbojets and two 1650-hp Bristol Hercules 758/759 radial engines. 2 conversions from N2501A and one built.
  • Nord 2502C : Civilian cargo transport version, similar to Nord 2502A/B. Intended for purchase by an Indian airline, only one prototype was built.
  • Nord 2502F : Militarized version of the Nord 2502 for Portuguese Air Force, 6 conversions.
  • Nord 2503 : Re-engined version with two 1864-kW (2,500-hp) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CB17 radial piston engines. One conversion from one of the Nord 2501 prototypes.
  • Nord 2504 : Modification of the Nord 2502 intended for antisubmarine warfare training role with the French Navy, 24 ordered but only one built.
  • Nord 2505 : Modified Nord 2502 intended for antisubmarine warfare, cancelled not built.
  • Nord 2506 : Special modification of Nord 2502 to improve STOL performance and performance under heavy load for use as an assault transport, one conversion and one built.
  • Nord 2507 : Modified Nord 2502 intended for search and rescue role, with 12-hour endurance or greater, never passed the planning stage.
  • Nord 2508 : Modified Nord 2503, powered by two 1864-kW (2,500-hp) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CB17 radial piston engines and two Turbomeca Marboré IIE auxiliary turbojets added; highly capable, but none were ordered; the prototypes were sold to German, one conversion and one built.
  • Nord 2508B : Cargo transport version of the N.2508.
  • Nord 2509 : Unbuilt version. Not built.
  • Nord 2510 : Unbuilt anti-submarine warfare version. Not built.
  • Nord 2520 : Enlarged Nord 2502 with better cargo capacity, never passed the planning stage.

Military operators

  • Angola : Angolan Air Force
  • Djibouti : Djibouti Air Force
  • France : Armée de l'Air
  • Germany : German Air Force
  • Greece : Hellenic Air Force
  • Israel : Israeli Air Force
  • Mozambique : Mozambique Air Force
  • Niger : Niger Air Force
  • Nigeria : Nigerian Air Force
  • Portugal : Portuguese Air Force
  • Rwanda : Rwandan Air Force
  • Uganda : Ugandan Air Force

Civilian operators

  • Algeria : Air Algérie
  • Dominican Republic : Cibao Cargo Airways
  • Ecuador : Aerotaxis Ecuatorianos
  • France : ACE/Transvalair, Union des Transports Aériens, Union Aéromaritime de Transport
  • Germany : Elbeflug
  • Zaire : Guila Air

Accidents

  • On July 6, 1952, the second prototype of the North 2501 crashes during a meeting at the airport of Lyon-Bron, killing five people (the crew and its passengers), including the aviator Maryse Bastié. According to Jacques Nœtinger, the aircraft was not in question, as the presentation was made at the extreme limit of its flight enveloppe
  • On December 29, 1953 at 22:19, a North 2501 crashes on the summit of the peak of Costabonne (province of Girona) Commune of Setcases. On board, 11 men (5 officers, 4 non-commissioned officers and 2 civilians of SNECMA). Departure from Algiers to Mont-de-Marsan.
  • November 8, 1954, Flight Collision No. 48 with No. 70.
  • November 25, 1954, crash of No. 3, because of icing.
  • On January 10, 1956, No. 71 hit a mountain near Miliana in Algeria.
  • On April 26, 1957, No. 40 crashed during approach tests on a very steep slope, based at Melun-Villaroche. The accident may be due to a propeller pitch problem.
  • On June 19, 1957, No. 68 crashed near Blida in Algeria. The cause remains unknown.
  • On August 12, 1957, No. 82 crashed as a result of an accidental reversion in flight over Bizerte, Tunisia.
  • On November 29, 1957, No. 26 crashed near Tiznit, Morocco (Ifrane of Antiatlas). The cause remains unknown.
  • On June 18, 1958, No. 73 crashed as a result of a collision with a group of storks near Blida, Algeria.
  • On 29 March 1959, on Easter Day, the UAT Noratlas Nord 2502 F-BGZB disappeared in mid-flight between Berberati and Bangui (Central African Republic), with its five crew members and five passengers, including the first president of the Central African Republic. Presumably, bad weather is responsible for the dislocation in flight of the plane, found in the bush on Tuesday, March 31, 1959, 100 km west of Bangui.
  • On January 15, 1960, No. 102 crashed in Beni Isguen (Ghardaia Oasis), officially in Algeria following icing, shortly after taking off from Algiers airport where he had spent the night. Version that never convinced families and investigation reports have mysteriously disappeared from the archives of Fort de Vincennes. In addition to the six crews, the aircraft from the Orléans-Bricy Air Base was carrying equipment for the nuclear experiments that France was conducting at Reggane in the Sahara. The first surface shot took place less than a month later.
  • On September 16, 1960, No. 22 crashed in the mountains. The aircraft was participating in a night exercise, in favor of radar protection and night hunting, northwest of Batna, Algeria.
  • On July 19, 1961, No. 67 was hit on the ground by a shell in Bizerte.
  • On March 20, 1962, No. 204 was destroyed near Algiers, at the level of the Deux Bassins pass. The cause of the accident remains unknown.
  • On April 30, 1962, No. 185 crashes at Oran-La Senia (Algeria)
  • On May 25, 1962, No. 62 was destroyed on the ground by an attack in Algiers.
  • On February 15, 1963, No. 45 was destroyed on the ground at Fort Lamy. A fire occurs during refueling.
  • On 21 April 1964, No. 178 crashed at takeoff in Bouar in the Central African Republic, victim of a microburst.
  • On April 29, 1964, No. 35 hit the peak of Jouels, Sentenac-de-Sérou in Ariège. There are no survivors among the five crew members.
  • On May 3, 1965, North 2501 No. 190, F-RABV, crashed at Blond, near Limoges, in Haute-Vienne, killing the five air force personnel it was carrying (transport squadron 2/63 Bigorre). The cause of the accident remains unknown.
  • On May 20, 1965, No. 34 was lost. The cause remains unknown.
  • On June 15, 1965, No. 152 was destroyed in Fort-Gouraud, Mauritania. The cause remains unknown.
  • On December 7, 1966, No. 59 crashed near Saverdun in Ariège, following a sudden icing.
  • On November 14, 1967, No. 74 collapsed after contact of a winged salmon with the ground, during a low-speed overflight of the Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal in a humanitarian mission.
  • On July 30, 1971, North 2501 No. 49, registered F-BABB, crashed in Pau. On board were 32 officers and non-commissioned officers, including 23 sub-lieutenants of the General Kœnig promotion of the Ecole Militaire Interarmes, on parachutist training. The accident was due to an electrical fire. A thermos bottle filled with coffee would have spilled onto the central part of the control console and caused a fire. The plane stalled while trying to evacuate the smoke through one of the side windows.
  • On October 19, 1971, No. 69 was lost in Épernay (France). The cause remains unknown.
  • On September 6, 1974, No. 43 was lost. The cause remains unknown.
  • On 25 November 1977, No. 2501 Noratlas No. 182, registered F-RABR, of the French Air Force 1/64 Béarn Transport Squadron from 118 Mont-de-Marsan Air Base to the Naval Air Base of Hyères Le Palyvestre, crashes at 2.30 am in the hamlet of Lignon Prémian (Hérault), killing 28 sailors and four airmen. The ensuing investigation revealed that the autopilot was incriminated, resulting in the removal of this equipment from the whole Noratlas fleet.
  • On January 8, 1980, No. 91 crashed in Toulouse. The cause remains unknown.
  • On February 3, 1982, the 4th Company of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, in a mission in Djibouti, was dropped in the east of the country. The North 2501 Noratlas No. 140 carrying 29 legionaries, hampered by bad weather, struck the relief of Mount Garbi. There were no survivors.

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This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Nord 2501 of Wikipedia ( authors )

Nord 2500 to 2510 Noratlas

  • Role : Military Transport.
  • National origin : France.
  • Manufacturer : Nord Aviation.
  • Designer : Jean Calvy.
  • First flight : 10 September 1949.
  • Introduction : 6 December 1953.
  • Retired : 1989 (France).
  • Primary users :
    • France.
    • Germany.
    • Greece.
    • Israel.
  • Produced : 1949-1961.
  • Number built : 425 .

    • Specifications (Nord 2500)

  • Crew : 6 (2 pilots, 1 flight engineer, 1 radio, 1 navigator, 1 loadmaster).
  • Capacity : 35 paratroopers, 18 stretchers, or 7,900 kg of cargo.
  • Length : 72 ft (or 21.95 m).
  • Height : 19 ft 8 in (or 6 m).
  • Wing span : 106 ft 7 in (or 32.49 m).
  • Wing area : 1,089 sq ft (101 m²).
  • Max take-off weight : 46,297 lb (or 21,000 kg).
  • Dry Operating weight : 28,826 lb (or 13,075 kg).
  • Max Speed : 252 mph (or 219 kts or 406 km/h).
  • Service ceiling : 24,606 ft (or 7,500 m).
  • Max range : 1,864 mi (or 1,620 nm or 3,000 km).
  • Engines : Two SNECMA Hercules 739 radials.
  • Power : 2,040 hp (or 1,500 kW).

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    Governing Law and Jurisdiction

    These general conditions are governed by Belgian law.

    In case of dispute regarding the interpretation and/or execution of the above terms, the parties agree that the courts of the district of Nivelles, Belgium shall have exclusive jurisdiction power.

    Credits page

    Wikipedia.org

    Wikipedia is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free Internet encyclopedia.

    Youtube

    YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, view and share videos.

    Special thanks to all Youtube quality aviation vids providers, specially (Those I forgot, please excuse me or report) :

    Airboyd
    Andys Video
    Aviation videos archives
    Bomberguy
    Classic Aviation TV
    Historical Aviation Film Unit
    Horsemoney
    Jaglavaksoldier
    Joluqa Malta
    Just Planes
    Koksy
    Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture
    Memorial Flight
    Octane130
    Okrajoe
    SDASM archives
    Spottydog4477
    The Aviators TV
    Valentin Izagirre Bengoetxea
    Vexed123
    VonBerlich
    Zenos Warbirds

    Bundesarchiv

    The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv are the National Archives of Germany.

    FAQ

    I don't see my comments any more!

    Please note that each page has it's own comment entry. So, if you enter a comment i.e. on the B-747, you will only see it on that related page.

    General comments are accessed via the "BLOG En" button.

    Comments are moderated, so please allow some delay before they appear, specially if you are outside Europe.

    Menus are developing below the page, because they are too long!

    But they remain accessible, for example by scrolling the mouse wheel, or with your finger (on the menu) on a smartphone or tablet.

    I see adds on all videos.

    Use a good free add remover software.

    The site is loading random pages at startup.

    We think it is a good way to bring back the memory of aircraft, persons or events sometimes quite forgotten.

    HELP PAGE

    Why this site?

    Discovery

    This website is dedicated to one's aeronautical passion (which I hope we share) and was realised mainly as an educationnal tool. Knowing that, you'll notice that each new visit brings random topics for the purpose of making new discoveries, some achievements or characters certainly not deserving the oblivion into which they have sometimes fallen.

    By these pages, we also want to pay tribute to all those who gave at one time or another, their lives or health in the name of freedom, aeronautical security or simply our comfort.

    Centralisation

    Internet is full of websites dedicated to aviation, but most are dedicated to subjects or periods that are very limited in space or time. The purpose of this site is to be as general as possible and thus treats all events as well as characters of all stripes and times while putting much emphasis on the most significant achievements.

    The same years saw birth of technologies like photography and cinema, thus permitting illustration of a large part of important aeronautical events from the start. Countless (and sometimes rare) media recently put online by enthousiasts finally give us access to these treasures, but the huge amount of information often makes things a little messy. A centralization effort is obviously most needed at this level.

    All persons who directly or indirectly contributed to the achievement or posting of such documents are here gratefully acknowledged.

    General

    Fluid website

    This site automatically fits the dimensions of your screen, whether you are on a desktop computer, a tablet or a smartphone.

    Bilingual website

    You can change the language by clicking on the flag in the upper left or via "Options" in the central menu. Of course, the videos remain in the language in which they were posted ...

    Browser compatibility

    The site is not optimized, or even designed to run on older browsers or those deliberately deviating from standards. You will most probably encounter display issues with Internet Explorer. In this case, it is strongly recommended installing a modern (and free!) browser that's respecting the standards, like Firefox, Opera, Chrome or Safari.

    Cookies and Javascript

    This site uses cookies and JavaScript to function properly. Please ensure that your browser is configured accordingly. Neither of these technologies, or other means shall in no case be used on the Site for the retention or disclosure of personal information about its Visitors. See the "Legal" page for more on this subject.

    Website layout

    Left menus

    Because of the lack of space on smartphones and small tablets, these menus are hidden. Everything is nevertheless accessible via the main menu option, located between the video and photo sections. This menu is placed there for compatibility reasons with some browsers, which play the videos over the menus.

    "Search" and "Latest" :
    The link "In Titles" restricts the search to the titles of different forms. Use this option if you are looking for a plane, a constructor, a pilot or a particular event that could have been treated as a subject.

    The link "In Stories" will bring you to a search in all texts (the "Story" tab) and will take more time. The search term will appear highlighted in green when opening the corresponding story.

    Would you believe, "Timeline" will show all subjects in chronological order.

    "Random" will reload the entire page with a new random topic.

    The bottom section keeps you abreast of the latest five entries. New topics are added regularly. Don't hesitate to come visit us often : add bookmark.

    Blogs and Comments central section

    Under the photos section comes the comments tabs window :

    You can enter general comments in your own language via one of the two buttons on the left (BLOG EN and BLOG FR). Note that these buttons are accessible regardless of the language to allow some participation in the other language.

    All comments are subject to moderation and will be published only if they comply with the basic rules of decorum, while remaining relevant to the purpose of this site.

    The third tab allows you to enter comments on the shown topic and is bilingual. Personal anecdotes, supplements and other information questions will take place here.

    The "Story" tab shows the explanatory texts. They are most often taken from Wikipedia, a site where we participate regularly.

    The "Data" tab is reserved for list of features and specifications.

    Right menus

    On a smartphone, the lack of space is growing and this menu is moved to the bottom of the page to give priority to videos and pictures.

    The top right icons are links to videos posted by third parties (on their own responsabilities) or by ourselves. The link below these icons will take you to the channel of the one who posted the video. Feel free to suggest other videos if you think they are of some interest (Use the BLOG button or the "Contact" link).