Sud Aviation Vautour

The Sud-Ouest Aviation (SNCASO) S.O. 4050 Vautour (French for vulture) is a French jet-powered multirole aircraft. The Vautour served as a bomber, ground attack, reconnaissance and interceptor aircraft.

Developed and manufactured by aircraft company Sud Aviation, the Vautour was operated by France's Armée de l'Air, having been originally designed in response to a requirement for a jet aircraft for bombing, low-level attack and all-weather interception. The Vautour was used in the Force de frappe| under the Strategic Air Forces Command|; each aircraft was suitable for the carriage of a nuclear weapon. The shortcomings of the type as a bomber, such as its lack of radar or other advanced navigation/attack systems, led to the type being replaced by the more capable Dassault Mirage IV. The Vautour never saw combat with the French Air Force.

The only other user was the Israeli Air Force (IAF), for which the Vautour undertook various mission and roles, including combat. Vautours were used during the wars between Israel and its neighbors, including the Six-Day War and the War of Attrition. Only one air-to-air kill was recorded by a Vautour; the type was used more for bombing and ground strafing and was reportedly considered by Israel to be comparable to the Soviet-built Ilyushin Il-28 medium bombers used by its regional adversaries. During the early 1970s, the Israeli Vautours were replaced by Douglas A-4 Skyhawks.

Development

Origins

In the aftermath of the Second World War, France set about the rebuilding and modernisation of its armed forces. According to aviation authors Bill Gunston and Peter Gilchrist, "It would be fair to claim that in the early 1950s the Vautour was the most promising twin-jet warplane in Western Europe". An initial order for three prototypes was placed by the AdA.

The flight test programme proceeded relatively smoothly; during one early flight, a prototype was recorded as having exceeded Mach 1 during a shallow dive.

Production and further development

Vautour II, the aircraft was manufactured in three distinct variants. Reportedly, a major motivating factor in the Israeli decision to procure the Vautour was to make a political statement to the country's neighbours, viewing the aircraft as a counterpart, and a response, to the Soviet-built Ilyushin Il-28 medium bombers, which had been acquired by Egypt.

During 1956, two years prior to the Vautour even entering squadron service, France had issued a more demanding requirement for a supersonic replacement aircraft. The Vautour was used as a stop-gap measure as the airborne carrier of France's independent nuclear deterrent while the more capable follow-on aircraft was being selected and developed; its performance in this role was typically thought to be limited at best.

Design

thumb|A production Vautour bomber in French markings|alt=An aircraft parked with a tow bar attached to the forward landing gear. The aircraft is numbered "640".

thumb|The right-side cannon muzzles on a French Vautour interceptor|alt=A side view of an aircraft's nose, with an apparatus partially covering 2 recessed cannon muzzles.

The Sud Aviation Vautour was a jet-propelled mid-sized combat aircraft, typically employed as a bomber and attack aircraft, as well as having some usage as an interceptor.

The Vautour IIB bomber lacked any sort of radar arrangement or many of the contemporary navigational aids and attack systems that were installed upon several aircraft performing the same role during this era. Aiming of the armaments was performed by a bombardier, who would principally perform his bomb-aiming function using a Second World War-vintage American-built Norden bombsight. The navigator/bombardier position was within the nose section, which was glazed to provide external visibility. The Vautour IIB bomber could be used to carry nuclear weapons in addition to its conventional arsenal. The internal bomb bay of an aircraft could contain either one AN-11 or one AN-22 nuclear bomb; in AdA service, the primary carrier of nuclear weapons would quickly be changed to the newer and more capable Dassault Mirage IV, which supplemented and eventually replace the Vautour IIB bomber.

Operational history

Originally, the AdA had intended to order a total of 440 Vautours, comprising 300 of the IIA model and 140 of the IIN variant.

A fleet of 40 AdA-operated Vautour IIBs constituted the original air-based component of the French force de frappe, the Commandement des Forces Aériennes Stratégiques (CFAS) of the French Air Force, which had been established during 1955. However, their use in the strategic bomber role was determined to be less than optimal; allegedly, the Vautour's performance was commonly considered to be marginal and suitable for use as a stop gap measure at best. During early 1957, the type was officially selected to replace the British-built de Havilland Mosquito then in service with the Israeli Air Force (IAF). On 1 August 1957, the first Vautour arrived in Israel, delivered secretly via French air bases in Tunisia and with AdA markings. Deliveries of the type were completed in 1958. During August 1958, the existence of Israeli Vautours was publicly revealed in an air display. Overall, a total of 15 Vautours were recorded as lost in combat. Remaining examples of the type were retired in 1971 in favor of the American-built Douglas A-4 Skyhawk;

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General characteristics

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|height m=4.94

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|wing area sqm=45

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|empty weight kg=10000

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|gross weight kg=17500

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|max takeoff weight kg=21000

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Powerplant

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|eng1 number=2

|eng1 name=SNECMA Atar 101E-3

|eng1 type=turbojet engines

|eng1 kn=34.3

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Performance

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|max speed kmh=1106

|max speed note=at sea level

|max speed mach=0.9

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|range km=5400

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|ceiling m=15200

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|climb rate ms=60

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|wing loading kg/m2=403

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|thrust/weight=0.4

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Armament

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|guns=4 × 30 mm DEFA cannon, 100 rounds per gun

Internal weapons bay: Maximum of 2,725 kg (6,000 lb) of bombs (typically six 450 kg (1,000 lb) bombs), pack of 116 × 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

|hardpoint capacity=4,000 kg (8,800 lb); maximum practical total weapons load on external hard points 4,400 kg (9,700 lb) of bombs, rockets, missiles or napalm tanks

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Sud Aviation Vautour

Development

Origins

Production and further development

Design

Operational history

See also

References

Notes