The Arsenal-Delanne 10 was an experimental fighter aircraft of French origin. The plane had a rear cockpit and a distinctive tandem wing.
| Arsenal-Delanne 10 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Arsenal de l'Aéronautique |
| Designer | Maurice Delanne |
| First flight | October 1941 |
| Introduction | 1940– 41 |
| Number built | 1 |
Design and development
editThe Arsenal-Delanne 10-C2 two-seat fighter, designed by Maurice Delanne and built by the Arsenal de l'Aéronautique, was of so-called Nenadovich biplane or tandem wing configuration, the tandem-mounted wings providing a continuous slot effect and offering exceptional center of gravity range. The fighter was of all metal stressed-skin construction, which used a sandwich technique, with a smooth dural skin welded to a corrugated sheet. Pilot and gunner sat in tandem under a single canopy at the rear of the fuselage, which was level with the rear wing, which carried twin tailplanes. This arrangement gave the gunner a clear field of fire for his planned armament of two 7.5 mm machine guns, which was to be supplemented by a 20 mm cannon firing through the propeller hub and two more machine guns in the wing. The aircraft was fitted with a retractable tailwheel undercarriage and was powered by a single 860 hp (641 kW) Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs 12-cylinder liquid-cooled engine.[1]
The Arsenal-Delanne 10-C2 prototype was virtually complete at Villacoublay when German forces occupied the factory in June 1940. Work on the aircraft continued in a desultory fashion and the first flight test was made in October 1941. After completion of the initial test programme, the aircraft was ferried to Germany for further trials.[1]
Specifications
editData from War Planes of the Second World War: Volume One Fighters[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 7.328 m (24 ft 0.5 in)
- Wingspan: 10.11 m (33 ft 2 in)
- Height: 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 22.50 m2 (242.2 sq ft)
- Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs liquid-cooled v12 engine, 640 kW (860 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 550 km/h (342 mph, 297 kn) at 5,415 m (14,764 ft)
- Endurance: 1.5 hr
- Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,810 ft)
- Time to altitude: 6.5 min to 5,000 m (16,400 ft)
Armament
- Guns: (proposed)
- 1 × fixed forward firing 20 mm cannon and 2 × wing mounted 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine guns
- 2 × flexibly mounted 7.5 mm machine guns in rear cockpit
See also
editFootnotes
edit- ^ a b Green 1967, pp. 24–25.
- ^ Green 1967, p. 25.
Bibliography
edit- Cuny, Jean (January 1989). "Delanne: une certaine formule (2): le Delanne 10 C2" [Delanne: A Certain Formula, Part 2: The Delanne 10 C2]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (230): 14–20. ISSN 0757-4169.
- Cuny, Jean & Lebourg, J. (February 1989). "Delanne: une certaine formule (3): le Delanne 10 C2" [Delanne: A Certain Formula, Part 3: The Delanne 10 C2]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (231): 33–35. ISSN 0757-4169.
- Green, William (1967). War Planes of the Second World War: Fighters. Vol. I. London: Macdonald. ISBN 0-356-01445-2.
