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From: Miloch <Miloch_member@newsguy.com>
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Subject: Sud Aviation Vautour
Date: 5 Jun 2017 07:28:57 -0700
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sud_Aviation_Vautour
The Sud-Ouest Aviation (SNCASO) S.O. 4050 Vautour II was a French bomber,
these aircraft were used by the Israeli Air Force. Vautour is the French word
for vulture.
aircraft capable of acting as a bomber, a low-level attack aircraft, or an
all-weather interceptor. SNCASO adapted its existing S.O. 4000 for this purpose,
the first prototype S.O. 4050 making its initial flight on 16 October 1952.
Subsequently named Vautour II, the aircraft was built in three versions. It
entered service with the AdA in 1958, with the last French aircraft leaving
frontline service in 1979. A few soldiered on in various duties into the early
1980s. The Vautour saw no combat in French service, and for much of its AdA
service life it was maligned as obsolete and underpowered. Although a moderately
good aircraft when originally produced, it never received sufficiently powerful
engines. As an interceptor it was outclassed by the Dassault Mirage III, and as
a bomber or attack aircraft its lack of an advanced navigation/attack system was
a crippling limitation.
The only export customer for the Vautour was Israel, which purchased 28 for the
IDF/AF. The Israeli Vautours also entered service in 1958. They saw combat
against Egypt beginning the following year and in a series of actions through
the Six Day War and War of Attrition. The Israeli Vautours took part in bombing,
strafing and air-to-air engagements. In the Six Day War, over three days
Vautours fought repeated combats with Iraqi Air Force fighters while raiding H-3
airfield in Western Iraq. On June 6, 1967, Captain Ben-Zion Zohar scored the
type's only aerial victory when he downed an Iraqi Hawker Hunter, although two
Vautours fell to the guns of Iraqi Hunters on the following day. In all 15
Vautours were lost. They were retired in 1971 in favor of the A-4 Skyhawk, and
the last aircraft left service in March 1972, serving as decoys in the Sinai.
The Israelis were pleased with the Vautour's range and versatility, and it was
well regarded in Israeli service.
Role
Fighter-bomber
Manufacturer
Sud Aviation
First flight
16 October 1952
Introduction
1958
Retired
1979
Primary users
French Air Force
Israeli Air Force
Produced
149
tail. Two SNECMA Atar 101 turbojet engines were carried in pods in the wings. It
had bicycle-type landing gear, with the main units in the fore and aft fuselage
and smaller stabilizing gear in the engine pods. The central fuselage carried a
large 5.0 meter (16 ft 5 in) weapons bay and substantial internal fuel tankage.
The IIB bomber lacked radar and other modern navigation and attack systems,
armaments were aimed by a bombardier housed in a glass nose section of the
aircraft with the aid of a World War II-vintage Norden bombsight. Both the IIB
and IIA were limited to clear-weather operations in daylight only. The IIN
interceptor had some capacity for night and adverse weather though the use of
its radar. In Israeli service, where the weather was generally favorable and
daylight missions commonplace, the Vautour's lack of advanced targeting and
navigation equipment was not a crippling limitation; however, in Europe it was
considered a major disadvantage. As a result, the French AdA did not use the
single-seat IIA in a frontline capacity, and most of its IIB bombers were
quickly converted to IIBR standard to perform photo reconnaissance missions
instead.
In French service, the Vantour IIB could carry either a single AN-11 or AN-22
nuclear weapon in its internal weapons bay; although the primary carrier of
those weapons would the Dassault Mirage IV, which would later replace the IIB. A
fleet of 40 Vautour IIBs constituted the original air-based component of the
(CFAS) of the French Air Force, established in 1955. Their performance were
considered marginal for the strategic bomber role; thus, a requirement for a
supersonic replacement aircraft was issued only a year later in 1956. The 1956
requirement would ultimately result in the selection and manufacturing of the
Dassault Mirage IV bomber; Sud Aviation had also responded to the requirement
with a proposal for a stretched Super Vautour. This unbuilt variant would have
had a combat radius of 1,700 miles while travelling at a speed of Mach 0.9.
Specifications (Vautour IIA)
General characteristics
Crew: One
Length: 15.57 m (51 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 15.10 m (49 ft 6.5 in)
Height: 4.94 m (16 ft 2.5 in)
Empty weight: 10,000 kg (22,000 lb)
Loaded weight: 17,500 kg (38,600 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 21,000 kg (46,300 lb)
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 0.9, 1,106 km/h (687 mph) at sea level
Range: 5,400 km (3,375 mi)
Service ceiling: 15,200 m (50,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 60 m/s (11,820 ft/min)
Thrust/weight: 0.4
Armament
Guns: 4x 30mm DEFA cannons with 100 rounds per gun
Internal weapons bay for maximum of 2,725 kg (6,000 lb) of bombs (typically six
450 kg (1,000 lb) bombs), pack of 116x 68 mm (2.7 in) rockets, camera pack, or
two 1,500 liter (400 U.S. gal) fuel tanks
Hardpoints: Four underwing pylons each rated at 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) inboard and
500 kg (1,100 lb) outboard with a capacity of 4,000 kg (8,800 lb); maximum
practical total weapons load 4,400 kg (9,700 lb) of bombs, rockets, missiles, or
napalm tanks
*
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