Caudron Simoun
{{Infobox aircraft
|name =Simoun
|image =Caudron Simoun Le Bourget 02.JPG
|caption=Preserved C.630 at Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace.
|type =Touring plane, mail plane, liaison plane
|manufacturer=Caudron
|designer= Marcel Riffard
|first_flight=1934
|introduction=1935
|retired=
|status=
|primary_user=
|more_users=
|produced=1930s
|number_built=680 (estimated)
|unit cost=
|variants=
}}
The Caudron Simoun was a 1930s French four-seat touring monoplane. It was used as a mail plane by Air Bleu, flew record-setting long-range flights, and was also used as a liaison aircraft by the Armée de l'Air during World War II. The aircraft later was used as an inspiration to the famous Mooney "M series" aircraft by Jacques "Strop" Carusoam.
Variants
;C.500 Simoun I:Experimental, one built.
;C.520 Simoun:Experimental, one built.
;C.620 Simoun IV:Experimental, one built.
;C.630 Simoun:Initial production version with Renault Bengali 6Pri engine, 20 built.
;C.631 Simoun:Modified version with a Renault 6Q-01 engine, three built.
;C.632 Simoun:Similar to C.631, one built.
;C.633 Simoun:Modified fuselage with a Renault 6Q-07 engine, 6 built.
;C.634 Simoun:Modified wing and take-off weight with either a Renault 6Q-01 or Renault 6Q-09 engine, 3 built.
;C.635 Simoun:Improved cabin layout and either a Renault 6Q-01 or Renault 6Q-09 engine, 46 built and conversions from earlier versions.
;C.635M Simoun:Military version with either a Renault 6Q-09 or Renault 6Q-19 engine, 489 built.
Operators
;{{BEL}}
;{{flag|France}}
;{{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}}
- Luftwaffe (small numbers)Ketley, Barry, and Rolfe, Mark. Luftwaffe Fledglings 1935–1945: Luftwaffe Training Units and their Aircraft (Aldershot, GB: Hikoki Publications, 1996), p.11.
;{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Hungary (1920–46)}}
;{{UK}}
;{{flag|United States|1912}}
Specifications (C.630)
File:Caudron_C.520_3-view_NACA-SR-26.jpg
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938{{cite book |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938 |editor1-last=Grey |editor1-first=C.G. |year=1938 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & company, ltd |location=London |editor2-last=Bridgman |editor2-first=Leonard |pages=124c–125c}}
|prime units?=met
|crew=1-2
|capacity=2-3
|length m=8.7
|length note=
|span m=10.4
|span note=
|height m=2.25
|height note=
|wing area sqm=16
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=855
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=1350
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Renault 6Pri
|eng1 type=6-cylinder ionverted air-cooled in-line piston engine
|eng1 hp=220
|eng1 note=
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=Ratier
|prop dia m=
|prop dia note=automatic 2-position variable-pitch propeller
|max speed kmh=310
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=280
|cruise speed note=
- Landing speed: {{cvt|90|km/h|mph kn}}
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=1230
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=7300
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading kg/m2=84.3
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|power/mass={{cvt|0.074|hp/lb|order=flip}}
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}
See also
{{Portal|Aviation}}
{{aircontent
|related=
|similar aircraft=
|lists=
}}
Notes
{{reflist}}
References
- {{cite magazine |last1=Cony |first1=Christophe |last2=Hauet |first2=André|title=Caudron "Simoun": La gloire des ailes Françaises |magazine=Avions |date=November–December 2006 |issue=154 |pages=4–23 |language=fr |issn=1253-5354}}
- {{cite magazine |last1=Cony |first1=Christophe |last2=Hauet |first2=André |title=Caudron "Simoun": La gloire des ailes Françaises: Deuxième partie |magazine=Avions |date=January–February 2006 |issue=154 |pages=35–54 |language=fr |issn=1253-5354}}
- {{cite magazine |last1=Lucchini|first1=Carlo|title=Le meeting saharien de 1938 |magazine=Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire |date=April 1999 |issue=73 |pages=53–57 |trans-title=The 1938 Sahara Air Meeting|language=French |issn=1243-8650}}
- {{cite book |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985)|publisher= Orbis Publishing}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20170324050259/http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/photo_albums/timeline/ww2/Caudron%20Sandstorm.htm Century of Flight – Caudron C.630 Simoun Sandstorm]
- [http://www.caudron-simoun.com WebSite for l'Association Renaissance du Caudron Simoun] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224044820/http://caudron-simoun.com/ |date=2012-12-24 }}
{{Caudron aircraft}}
{{Spanish liaison aircraft}}
Category:1930s French civil utility aircraft
Category:1930s French military utility aircraft
Category:1930s French mailplanes
Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft