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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 1643.PDF
796 FLIGHT THE FRENCH INDUSTRY.. . to mention the Flamant variants, has established the Dassaultreputation for rapid and efficient production of relatively complex modern aircraft. But it seems that the Super Mystere programmewas cut off in its prime in the general retrenchment of defence orders, and is not regarded as having been a commercial success.As Super Mystere production draws to a close, Dassault have an order for 100 Mirage Ills for the French Air Force, but effortsto export the type have not yet been successful. Four pre-produc- tion Mirages are now flying. As a development of the Etendardseries, the Etendard IVM is now in the pre-production stage as a carrier-borne strike aircraft. The powerful-looking Mirage IVsupersonic bomber was left behind by the ever changing official specification, but it is Europe's only supersonic bomber and largeresearch aircraft. In view of France's nuclear weapon policy, an enlarged operational version, powered by P. & W. J75s built bySNECMA, looks like a certain runner. In addition to airframes, Dassault have produced turbojetengines, propellers, and fire-control radars, although their Aida and Super Aida seem to have been dropped in favour of the C.S.F.Cyrano. A Dassault entry is usually a pretty powerful competitor in any competition and the 415 Communaute which has nowflown at Bordeaux promises well in this respect. Its brother, Spirale, is a totally war-like aircraft, while the Communautecould rapidly become something of a Gulfstream for business use. Holste The future is definitely bright for this small butenergetic company. The factory at Rheims has now turned out several hundred MH.1521 Broussards, and there is still a bigbacklog of orders. Bright new hope is the Super Broussard, which was described in Flight for March 27. The prototype, powered bytwo 600 h.p. P. & W. engines, made its first flight on May 20, with Max Holste himself on board. In five days it made seven flights,totalling 10 hr; each engine was feathered and stalls were explored. The Super Broussard will be at Paris, and some firm orders wouldcause no surprise. (Capital, Fr.61,330,000.) Morane Saulnier Executive sales of the outstanding four-seater,twin-jet MS.760 Paris are slowly mounting. The Shah of Persia has one, three have been sold in America, and about 40 are beingsupplied to the Argentine, as well as 50 to the French Air Force. Flight recently sampled the Paris now being used to teach flight-testing at Cranfield. The aircraft was delightful to handle, is greatly liked at Cranfield, and is proving to be a very economicaland useful machine. Flight-testing of the Bastan-powered MS.1500 Epervier is continuing, though nothing has yet beenannounced about production orders. The clubs are to be tempted with the all-metal light Rallye two-seater. (Capital, Fr.316,800,000.) Nord Aviation Annual turnover for 1958 was 22X109 francs,of which 26 per cent represented exports; half of these were in SS-10 and SS-11 wire-guided missiles. Nord is thus one ofFrance's most important exporters. Production of the 2501 Noratlas is tailing off in France, but continuing in Germany; the2504 anti-submarine trainer is being built, the 2506 assault trans- port has flown, and the 2508 high-powered transport has flown at35,000ft and re-lit its Marbori boosters at 24,000ft. Reading from top to bottom, the first production Breguet Alize to leave the Biarritz factory; Breguet's blown-wing 940 prototype taking off at Toulouse; Dassault Mirage III Mach 2 intercepter/ ground-attack aircraft; and Dassault Mirage IV supersonic bomber at Melun HI&PANO SUIZAmcteur 280O At far left, the distribution of personnel amongst the airframe manufacturers, the shaded segment being nationalized. The right-hand diagram shows the manpower of the nationalized and private engine manu- -• facturers in the same way . _ \ , .-•• -
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