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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0637.PDF
FLIGHT, 25 May 1956 637 4 CT-10 on its ramp, with starting connections carried through a multi- core cable. Booster rockets are being made ready for firing. Production Version of the Nord Recoverable Pilotless Aircraft THE CT-10 GUIDED TARGET THE French S.N.C.A. du Nord CT-10, originally known asthe Arsenal 5501, is more than a development of the GermanV-l unguided missile—the resemblance is, in fact, purely superficial. Apart from the change of role, a long programme ofdevelopment work has evolved from the crude expendable original a relatively long-life, refined aircraft. Yet during thisrefinement the designers have never lost sight of the importance of retaining simplicity for rapid and economic manufacture. The fundamental change is, of course, the substitution of radioguidance and control for fully automatic piloting. In addition, the pulsejet powerplant has been made more efficient and reliableby an improved intake valve, while the pressurized fuel system has been completely re-designed. The airframe structure has beenmodernized and simplified in the interests of production. The flying controls are still of the two-axis type, but now there iselevator plus lateral spoilers instead of elevator and rudder (it may be recalled that R.A.F. pilots sometimes destroyed the V-lsimply by tipping it a few degrees with their wing-tips or slip- stream). The change in control system emphasizes the changefrom a stable, aimed missile to a manoeuvrable aircraft. As well as being in general use as an anti-aircraft target ofmodern performance with the French armed forces, the Nord CT-10 is currently being used by the Royal Navy from itsMediterranean bases. The Aircraft. The airframe consists of a three-piece body withdetachable wings and tail. The central part of the fuselage is a welded mild-steel fueltank, which is pressurized to 100 lb/sq in through a regulating valve by an internal air cylinder charged to 2,100 lb/sq in. Thiscentral portion incorporates the engine pylon and the tubular steel wing-support. The nose section is also of mild steel andhouses the autopilot, radio and recovery parachute. It has been made completely watertight, so that it can be immersed six orseven times without damage to the instruments. The nose probe contains the pressure head but has been reinforced to act alsoas a landing spike; the upper whip aerial is for the I.F.F. (identi- fication signal) and the lower for the radio-control receiver. Thelight-alloy rear body carries the jet-pipe support and the tail unit. The latter consists of tailplane, elevator and end-plate SOME ingenious features characterize the French target aircraftdescribed here, and the little machines have proved themselves in service. They are being used for anti-aircraft practice by the Frenchand are employed by the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean. fins, of bonded wood and metal construction. The elevator, atab-like inset in the trailing edge of the fixed tailplane, is operated by an electric actuator.The wing, which is in two sections, is of simple light-alloy construction with pierced, flanged ribs, folded-sheet spars, andwrapped skin. The lateral control system consists of electro- magnetically operated spoiler plates mounted in a special unit.This latter is a bulged section of the rear half of the aerofoil, and it causes the airflow to accelerate locally. Fences isolate the bulge,and the accelerated airflow, from the rest of the wing. The spoiler plates are slightly deeper than the thickened wing; so,instead of having a neutral setting, they are made to vibrate rapidly, thereby causing no permanent disturbance of the airflow.When a control impulse is imparted to the operating solenoids, the spoiler plates lock in their extreme position, one up and one down. The small size of the flying controls is due to the small speedrange of the CT-10. It is rocket-launched at 230 m.p.h. and has an operating speed of 280 m.p.h. Powerplant. The S.N.C.A.N. pulsejet is an extremely simpleengine: a sheet-steel duct with a thick-lipped intake, wide com- bustion chamber and long, narrow jet-pipe tuned to give a pulsefrequency of 45 c.p.s. The intake grid consists of six rows of spring-steel valves which lead the air into two rectangular Venturis.Four downstream fuel injectors feed into the Venturis at pressures of between 14 and 42 lb/sq in, according to the aerodynamic head,i.e., pressures dependent upon airspeed and altitude. As the spring valves open under ram air pressure this air-intake/fuel-injection system admits the mixture into the combustion chamber, where the sudden widening both reduces the velocity of the airand causes turbulence for satisfactory combustion. An igniter plug, operated from the ground for starting only, is fitted at thetop of the combustion chamber. The engine is mounted on a vertical tubular spigot, whichis set deep into the tank portion of the fuselage. The rear steady- Lateral stabilizer and flight- control arrangement of the Nord CT-10 target. Com- ponents are as follows: A, Der- veaux R41 radio receiver; B, roll rate-gyro; C, attitude gyro; D, gyro-platform limit switches; E, gyro-platform tilting motor; F, roll relay; G, electro-mag- netic lateral control spoilers; HI, "turn right" relay; H2, "turn left" relay; Jl, dive relay; 12, climb relay; K, electric screw-jack actuating elevators. J1 J2
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