Caudron Simoun

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.

Simoun
Preserved C.630 at Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace.
Role Touring plane, mail plane, liaison plane
Manufacturer Caudron
Designer Marcel Riffard
First flight 1934
Introduction 1935
Produced 1930s
Number built 680 (estimated)

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
 Belgium
 France
 Germany
 Hungary
 United Kingdom
 United States

Specifications (C.630)
Caudron C.520 3-view drawing from NACA-SR-26

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1-2
  • Capacity: 2-3
  • Length: 8.7 m (28 ft 7 in)
  • Wingspan: 10.4 m (34 ft 1 in)
  • Height: 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
  • Wing area: 16 m2 (170 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 855 kg (1,885 lb)
  • Gross weight: 1,350 kg (2,976 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Renault 6Pri 6-cylinder ionverted air-cooled in-line piston engine, 160 kW (220 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed Ratier

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 310 km/h (190 mph, 170 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 280 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn)
  • Landing speed: 90 km/h (56 mph; 49 kn)
  • Range: 1,230 km (760 mi, 660 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 7,300 m (24,000 ft)
  • Wing loading: 84.3 kg/m2 (17.3 lb/sq ft)
  • Power/mass: 0.122 kW/kg (0.074 hp/lb)

See also

Related lists

Notes
  1. Ketley, Barry, and Rolfe, Mark. Luftwaffe Fledglings 1935–1945: Luftwaffe Training Units and their Aircraft (Aldershot, GB: Hikoki Publications, 1996), p.11.
  2. Grey, C.G.; Bridgman, Leonard, eds. (1938). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938. London: Sampson Low, Marston & company, ltd. pp. 124c–125c.

References
  • Lucchini, Carlo (April 1999). "Le meeting saharien de 1938" [The 1938 Sahara Air Meeting]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (73): 53–57. ISSN 1243-8650.
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). Orbis Publishing.
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