Farman NC.470
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
|name = NC.470 |image = Farman F.470 photo L'Aerophile August 1938.jpg |caption = Farman F.470 }}{{Infobox aircraft type |type = Trainer floatplane |manufacturer = SNCAC |national origin = France |designer = |first flight = 27 December 1937 |introduced = |introduction= |retired = |status = |primary user = French Navy |more users = |produced = |number built = 35 |unit cost = |developed from = |variants with their own articles = }} |
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, propellers and engines left over from now retired Farman F.168 torpedo bombers.Green 1962, p.13.Lirons 1984, p. 203
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.
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.Green 1962, p.14.
The first order for 10 NC.470s was completed by mid-1939, together with a single example of the NC.471, powered by a different model of Gnome et Rhône radial engine. Further orders brought production of the NC.470 to a total of 34.{{cite web |last1=Parmentier |first1=Bruno |title=S.N.C.A.C. NC-470 |url=https://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=1128&ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=1141&ANNEE=0&ID_MISSION=0&MOTCLEF= |website=Aviafrance |access-date=5 January 2020 |language=fr |date=30 August 2003}}
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.Green 1968, p.19. 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.
Variants
;NC.470
:Main production aircraft. Powered by two {{cvt|358|kW|0}} Gnome-Rhône 9Akx radial engines; 34 built.
;NC.471
:Revised version, powered by {{cvt|373|kW|0}} Gnome-Rhône 9Kgr engines; 2 built.{{cite web |last1=Parmentier |first1=Bruno |title=S.N.C.A.C. NC-471 |url=https://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=1129&ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=1129&ANNEE=0&ID_MISSION=0&MOTCLEF= |website=Aviafrance |access-date=5 January 2020 |language=fr |date=30 August 2003}}
;NC.472
:Proposed version powered by {{cvt|447|kW|0}} Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp engines; unbuilt.
Operators
;{{FRA}}
Specifications (NC.471)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=War Planes of the Second World War Volume Six, Green 1962, p.15. and Aviafrance : S.N.C.A.C. NC-471
|prime units?=met
|crew=6
|length m=16.1
|length note=
|span m=24.45
|span note=
|height m=4.85
|height note=
|wing area sqft=1022.6
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=3717
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=6013
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name=Gnome-Rhône 9Kgr
|eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines
|eng1 kw=373
|eng1 note=
|prop blade number=3
|prop name=constant-speed propellers
|prop dia m=
|prop dia note=
|max speed kmh=230
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=190
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed kmh=
|minimum control speed note=
|range km=1140
|range note=Donald 1997, p.405
|combat range km=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=6 hours
|ceiling m=6000
|ceiling note=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude={{cvt|2000|m}} in 9 minutes 40 seconds
|wing loading kg/m2=63.3
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|power/mass={{cvt|0.12|kW/kg}}
|more performance=
|guns=1 × {{cvt|7.5|mm|3}} Darne machine gun firing the 7.5x54mm French cartridge
|bombs=4 × {{cvt|50|kg|0}} bombs
}}
See also
{{aircontent|
|related=
|similar aircraft=
|lists=
|see also=
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
{{commons category}}
- 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.
- {{cite book |last1=Liron |first1=Jean |title=Les avions Farman |year=1984 |publisher=Éditions Larivière |location=Paris |oclc=37146471|series=Collection Docavia|volume=21}}
{{Farman aircraft}}
{{SNCAC aircraft}}
Category:1930s French military trainer aircraft