The SNCASO SO.1310 Farfadet was an experimental
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
convertiplane
A convertiplane is defined by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI or World Air Sports Federation) as an aircraft which uses rotor power for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and converts to fixed-wing lift in normal flight. In the ...
of the 1950s.
Design and development
The SO.1310 was a
compound gyroplane
A gyrodyne is a type of VTOL aircraft with a helicopter rotor-like system that needs to be driven by its engine only for takeoff and landing, and includes one or more conventional propeller or jet engines to provide thrust during cruising fligh ...
featuring a
tip-jet
A tip jet is a jet nozzle at the tip of some helicopter rotor blades, used to spin the rotor, much like a Catherine wheel firework. Tip jets replace the normal shaft drive and have the advantage of placing no torque on the airframe, thus not re ...
driven, three-bladed rotor, a fixed wing and a
turboprop
A turboprop is a Gas turbine, gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft Propeller (aeronautics), propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction drive, reduction gearbox, gas compressor, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propellin ...
engine driving a nose-mounted propeller. First flown on 8 May 1953 the aircraft achieved transition to forward flight on 1 July of that year.
[Taylor 1976, p.229.]
Specifications (SO.1310)
See also
Notes
Bibliography
* Taylor, John W.R. ''Jane's Pocket Book of Research and Experimental Aircraft'', London, Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd, 1976. .
*
External links
''Flight'', 12 March 1954"French Air Oddities"
''Popular Mechanics'', December 1953, p. 115.
{{SNCASO aircraft
1950s French experimental aircraft
Gyrodynes
Farfadet
Farfadets are creatures of French folklore. The word translates variously as "Sprite (creature), Sprite", "Imp", "Brownie (folklore), Brownie", or "Leprechaun", though they also resemble the Pixies of Britain's West Country. The term is in gener ...
Aircraft first flown in 1953
Single-engined turboprop aircraft
Tipjet-powered helicopters