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Farman NC.470

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NC.470
Role Trainer floatplane
National origin France
Manufacturer SNCAC
First flight 27 December 1937
Primary user French Navy
Number built 35

The Farman NC.470 (also known as the Centre N.C-470 when Farman was nationalised to form SNCAC) was a French twin-engined floatplane designed as a crew trainer for the French Navy. It was used in small numbers for both its intended role as a trainer and as a coastal reconnaissance aircraft at the start of World War II.

Development and design

In 1935, the Farman Aviation Works designed as a private venture the F-470, a twin-engined floatplane intended to be used as a crew trainer by the French Navy. A production order for ten aircraft was placed on 8 March 1936, it being intended that these aircraft would use spare floats left over from now retired Farman F.168 torpedo bombers.[1]

In 1936, Farman was nationalised, and merged with Hanriot to form the Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Centre or SNCAC. The prototype, now redesignated NC-470, first flew, with a temporary wheeled undercarriage, on 27 December 1937.[1]

The NC.470 was a twin-engined high-winged monoplane of mixed metal and wood construction, with two radial engines mounted on low mounted stub wings. It had a slab sided fuselage, housing the crew of two pilots in a tandem cockpit, a navigator/bombardier in the nose and a radio operator, flight engineer and gunner in the rear fuselage. The aircraft was designed to carry an armament of a single Darne machine gun on an open dorsal cockpit, together with up to 200 kg (440 lb) of bombs.[2][3]

The first order for 10 NC.470s was completed by mid-1939,[3] together with a single example of the NC.471, powered by a different model of Gnome et Rhône radial engine.[2] Further orders brought production of the NC.470 to a total of 34.[4]

Operational history

While intended as a crew trainer, a shortage of coastal reconnaissance aircraft resulted in NC.470s being drafted into this role, with three NC-470s and the sole NC-471 being used together with three CAMS 55 flying boats to equip Escadrille 3S4 at Berre in August 1939.[2][5] The NC-470 was also used by the aircrew training school at Hourtin. Fourteen aircraft were captured by Germany during the occupation of Southern France in November 1942.[6]

Variants

NC.470
Main production aircraft. Powered by two 358 kW (480 hp) Gnome-Rhône 9Akx radial engines. 34 built.
NC.471
Revised version, powered by 373 kW (500 hp) Gnome-Rhône 9Kgr engine. One built.[2]
NC.472
Proposed version powered by 447 kW (600 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp. Unbuilt.[2]

Operators

 France

Specifications (NC.471)

Data from War Planes of the Second World War Volume Six [6]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 6

Performance

  • Endurance: 6 hours
  • Climb to 2000 m (6,600 ft): 9 min 40 sec

Armament

See also

Related lists

References

Notes
  1. ^ a b Green 1962, p.13.
  2. ^ a b c d e Green 1962, p.14.
  3. ^ a b c Donald 1997, p.405
  4. ^ S.N.C.A.C. NC-470 Aviafrance. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
  5. ^ Green 1968, p.19.
  6. ^ a b Green 1962, p.15.
Bibliography
  • Donald, David (editor). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Leicester, UK:Blitz, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
  • Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Five Flying Boats. London:Macdonald,1968. ISBN 0-356-01449-5.
  • Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Six Floatplanes. London:Macdonald, 1962.