Romantic Technofreak
14th August 2006, 01:31
Hi friends, maybe you noticed that I do not join the discussion here any longer, or if, only in a very scattered way. I have a new profession, making me work on evenings, when I used to research for GOT topics or others, and learning new skills during days. In this situation, it is very hard to complete another GOT topic or something different of comparable quality. I also have to admit that I roam around in other forums that donīt strain me this way. Although, I still hope from time to time I can join in here hoping to please you with another of my products.
This time letīs take a look at Gregīs Caudron selection. He didnīt include the most known one, the C.714 serial fighter, but it is sufficiently described in books, or on wikipedia. He also included a C.340 or 341 mailplane, of which no trace could be found. Probably he was thinking of the C.640, but thatīs another label. One remark: The interpunctuation with dots or dahes is contradictory due to source. Let me use a dot for all. Common to all airplanes decribed in this topic is that teir career was very, very short, so there could not much to be written about any of them. Pictures and text had to be collected from various sources. Translation from French and Russian was done by using Babelfish, which produced results nearly directly transferable. All pictures are a little improved using XnView.
The C.670
Richard Ferriere has an on his website this little original article scanned:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/Caudron670Ferriere.jpg
Sorrily, it is not too informative. Translation gave the following (maybe Tophe feels the need to correct me here and there):
In 1936, it was great fashion to develop warplanes at least possible weight. But despite this tendency there still wasnīt any operational apparatus of this kind. During technical-tactical tests, the estimated weight usually was increased, and one needed more and more power, instead of aerodynamic quality, to reach the initially announced performances. Following this way, the aircraft became considered as heavy...
Derived from the famous "Typhon" (the C.640 fast light mailplane, RT), as well as the C-650 three-seater fighter, was ment to be an aircraft of retalliation (??, RT). Not more than two samples were built by the Renault workshop. In May 1937, firm pilot Franco reached a speed of 405 kph at 2000 m, despite feeble power. The crew consisted of three: a bomb-aimer placed in the center of gravity, operating the two cannons and launching 2 x 150 kg of bombs, a pilot and a radio operator-gunner together in tandem position under a glazed cabin.
In the end, the licence for the aircraft was sold to the USSR by Louis Renault, who expected a payment in dollars...
The C-670 was of wooden construction on a base of a two-longeron construction. The cross-section of the fuselage was rectangular and roundend by half-circles on the upper and lower side. The main undercarriage retracted into the engine nacelles, while the tailwheel remained fixed. Of course, more than any other part of the plane, the tail section wore the mark of the construction bureau.
Picture of the C.670 from airwar.ru. Do you see the bomb aimer?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/3e57c3e3.jpg
The C.710
About the C.710, there is nearly nothing to find. But the wikipedia articles about the C.714, differing in the English version, give some information. The following text is copied from the English wikipedia, sentence extracts from the German version are labeled.
The original specification that led to the C.710 series was offered in 1936 in order to quickly raise the number of modern aircraft in French service, by supplying a "light fighter" of wooden construction that could be built rapidly in large numbers without upsetting the production of existing types. The contract resulted in three designs, the Arsenal VG-30, the Bloch MB-700, and the C.710. Prototypes of all three were ordered.
The original C.710 model was an angular looking design developed from an earlier racing design series (from German wikipedia: basing on the C.690 trainer). One common feature to all of the Caudron line was an extremely long nose that set the cockpit far back on the aircraft. The profile was the result of using the 450 hp (336 kW) Renault 12R-01 12-cylinder inline engine, which had a small cross section and was fairly easy to streamline, but very long. The gear were fixed and spatted, and the vertical stabilizer was a seemingly WWI-era semi-circle instead of a more common triangular design. Armament consisted of a Hispano-Suiza 20 mm HS-9 cannon under each wing in a small pod, with an option for a third firing through the propeller spinner. From German wikipedia: Material used was mainly birchwood, only in some places reinforced by magnesium.
The C.710 prototype first flew on July 18th, 1936. Despite its small size, it showed great potential and was able to reach 470 km/h in testing. From German wikipedia: Flight test showed that powerplant and general construction were not optimally matching, so the design became reconsidered. Result after some steps in between was the C.714 lightweight fighter (resumee by myself, RT).
Picture from saunalaht.fi:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/51a067dd.jpg
The C.720
Short text from airwar. ru. C.720: Trainer aircraft especially for the training of fighter pilots. The first flight of prototype took place during January 1936. In spite of not bad flight performances the development of aircraft ended in favor that of more advanced C.690.
Two pictures from airwar.ru:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/76343460.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/ca509b0b.jpg
The C.760
From airwar.ru: C.760: A lightweight fighter, developed by the French firm Caudron. Aircraft was a further development of lightweight fighter C.714 Cyclone. To the new fighter it was planned to employ the powerful piston engine from Renault. however, delays with the engine led to the fact that on C.760 they installed Italian piston twelve-cylinder air-cooled engine Isotta-Fraschini Delta RC.40 with the power of 760 hp. The aircraft obtained the heavy armament consisting of six 7.5- mm machine guns Mac-34. The first flight of aircraft took place on 11 June, 1940. German intrusion into France prevented further works on the aircraft.
From German wikipedia: After the Italian engine, delivering more than 300 hp more than the French one before, was installed in a C.714 serial fighter, thus forming the C.715, it was soon noticed that the wooden construction would not be able to stand the far more power, and so the C.760 was a new prototype completely finished in duraluminium. This new variant was far more promising than the C.714, easy to handle and with a good power to weight relation. The prototype fell in German hands and was further used as target drone.
The original picture is from the still existing predecessor of aviafrance.com, membres.lycos.fr/ailesfrance, having no watermarks yet:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/9f4fbce2.jpg
There is a fine replica built of the C.760, built in 1999:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/602477d8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/23d70654.jpg
Hope in some years we can see Monatanamotorīs Dardo the same way!
The CR.770
I donīt know, but probably the "R" in the designation points on the cooperation with Renault, although somewhere also the C.760 is labeled as "CR.760".
From airwar.ru: CR.770: (nearly same initial text like about the C.760, RT). The works on the aircraft conducted since 1939 in parallel with development C.760. To the aircraft they installed the sixteen-cylinder air-cooled engine Renault 626 with a power of 800 hp. The first flight of aircraft took place during June 1940. German intrusion into France prevented further works on the aircraft.
From German wikipedia: Already the first flight ended by a serious engine failure. Although the test pilot managed to do an emergency landing and stay uninjured, the project was given up in favour of the C.760. When German troops were approaching, the prototype was destroyed at Guyancourt.
Picture from ww2photo.mimerswell.com:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/e4227da9.jpg
Too lazy to add sources! See original articles!
Hope you enjoyed, and regards, RT
This time letīs take a look at Gregīs Caudron selection. He didnīt include the most known one, the C.714 serial fighter, but it is sufficiently described in books, or on wikipedia. He also included a C.340 or 341 mailplane, of which no trace could be found. Probably he was thinking of the C.640, but thatīs another label. One remark: The interpunctuation with dots or dahes is contradictory due to source. Let me use a dot for all. Common to all airplanes decribed in this topic is that teir career was very, very short, so there could not much to be written about any of them. Pictures and text had to be collected from various sources. Translation from French and Russian was done by using Babelfish, which produced results nearly directly transferable. All pictures are a little improved using XnView.
The C.670
Richard Ferriere has an on his website this little original article scanned:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/Caudron670Ferriere.jpg
Sorrily, it is not too informative. Translation gave the following (maybe Tophe feels the need to correct me here and there):
In 1936, it was great fashion to develop warplanes at least possible weight. But despite this tendency there still wasnīt any operational apparatus of this kind. During technical-tactical tests, the estimated weight usually was increased, and one needed more and more power, instead of aerodynamic quality, to reach the initially announced performances. Following this way, the aircraft became considered as heavy...
Derived from the famous "Typhon" (the C.640 fast light mailplane, RT), as well as the C-650 three-seater fighter, was ment to be an aircraft of retalliation (??, RT). Not more than two samples were built by the Renault workshop. In May 1937, firm pilot Franco reached a speed of 405 kph at 2000 m, despite feeble power. The crew consisted of three: a bomb-aimer placed in the center of gravity, operating the two cannons and launching 2 x 150 kg of bombs, a pilot and a radio operator-gunner together in tandem position under a glazed cabin.
In the end, the licence for the aircraft was sold to the USSR by Louis Renault, who expected a payment in dollars...
The C-670 was of wooden construction on a base of a two-longeron construction. The cross-section of the fuselage was rectangular and roundend by half-circles on the upper and lower side. The main undercarriage retracted into the engine nacelles, while the tailwheel remained fixed. Of course, more than any other part of the plane, the tail section wore the mark of the construction bureau.
Picture of the C.670 from airwar.ru. Do you see the bomb aimer?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/3e57c3e3.jpg
The C.710
About the C.710, there is nearly nothing to find. But the wikipedia articles about the C.714, differing in the English version, give some information. The following text is copied from the English wikipedia, sentence extracts from the German version are labeled.
The original specification that led to the C.710 series was offered in 1936 in order to quickly raise the number of modern aircraft in French service, by supplying a "light fighter" of wooden construction that could be built rapidly in large numbers without upsetting the production of existing types. The contract resulted in three designs, the Arsenal VG-30, the Bloch MB-700, and the C.710. Prototypes of all three were ordered.
The original C.710 model was an angular looking design developed from an earlier racing design series (from German wikipedia: basing on the C.690 trainer). One common feature to all of the Caudron line was an extremely long nose that set the cockpit far back on the aircraft. The profile was the result of using the 450 hp (336 kW) Renault 12R-01 12-cylinder inline engine, which had a small cross section and was fairly easy to streamline, but very long. The gear were fixed and spatted, and the vertical stabilizer was a seemingly WWI-era semi-circle instead of a more common triangular design. Armament consisted of a Hispano-Suiza 20 mm HS-9 cannon under each wing in a small pod, with an option for a third firing through the propeller spinner. From German wikipedia: Material used was mainly birchwood, only in some places reinforced by magnesium.
The C.710 prototype first flew on July 18th, 1936. Despite its small size, it showed great potential and was able to reach 470 km/h in testing. From German wikipedia: Flight test showed that powerplant and general construction were not optimally matching, so the design became reconsidered. Result after some steps in between was the C.714 lightweight fighter (resumee by myself, RT).
Picture from saunalaht.fi:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/51a067dd.jpg
The C.720
Short text from airwar. ru. C.720: Trainer aircraft especially for the training of fighter pilots. The first flight of prototype took place during January 1936. In spite of not bad flight performances the development of aircraft ended in favor that of more advanced C.690.
Two pictures from airwar.ru:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/76343460.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/ca509b0b.jpg
The C.760
From airwar.ru: C.760: A lightweight fighter, developed by the French firm Caudron. Aircraft was a further development of lightweight fighter C.714 Cyclone. To the new fighter it was planned to employ the powerful piston engine from Renault. however, delays with the engine led to the fact that on C.760 they installed Italian piston twelve-cylinder air-cooled engine Isotta-Fraschini Delta RC.40 with the power of 760 hp. The aircraft obtained the heavy armament consisting of six 7.5- mm machine guns Mac-34. The first flight of aircraft took place on 11 June, 1940. German intrusion into France prevented further works on the aircraft.
From German wikipedia: After the Italian engine, delivering more than 300 hp more than the French one before, was installed in a C.714 serial fighter, thus forming the C.715, it was soon noticed that the wooden construction would not be able to stand the far more power, and so the C.760 was a new prototype completely finished in duraluminium. This new variant was far more promising than the C.714, easy to handle and with a good power to weight relation. The prototype fell in German hands and was further used as target drone.
The original picture is from the still existing predecessor of aviafrance.com, membres.lycos.fr/ailesfrance, having no watermarks yet:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/9f4fbce2.jpg
There is a fine replica built of the C.760, built in 1999:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/602477d8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/23d70654.jpg
Hope in some years we can see Monatanamotorīs Dardo the same way!
The CR.770
I donīt know, but probably the "R" in the designation points on the cooperation with Renault, although somewhere also the C.760 is labeled as "CR.760".
From airwar.ru: CR.770: (nearly same initial text like about the C.760, RT). The works on the aircraft conducted since 1939 in parallel with development C.760. To the aircraft they installed the sixteen-cylinder air-cooled engine Renault 626 with a power of 800 hp. The first flight of aircraft took place during June 1940. German intrusion into France prevented further works on the aircraft.
From German wikipedia: Already the first flight ended by a serious engine failure. Although the test pilot managed to do an emergency landing and stay uninjured, the project was given up in favour of the C.760. When German troops were approaching, the prototype was destroyed at Guyancourt.
Picture from ww2photo.mimerswell.com:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/e4227da9.jpg
Too lazy to add sources! See original articles!
Hope you enjoyed, and regards, RT