| Noralpha | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nord 1101 Noralpha, in French Air Force markings, taking off from Coventry Airport, England, in 2000 | |
| Role | Communications and liaison monoplane |
| Manufacturer | Nord Aviation |
| First flight | 1944 |
| Number built | 200 |
| Developed from | Messerschmitt Bf 108 |
The Nord 1100 Noralpha is a French-built and re-engined Messerschmitt Bf 108 produced by Nord Aviation.
Construction of the Messerschmitt Bf 108 was transferred to the Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Nord (usually known simply as Nord) at Les Mureaux, to the West of Paris, in occupied France in 1942. The company built two prototypes of the Messerschmitt Me 208 during 1943/44. One survived the liberation and was redesignated Nord 1100.
The company then produced a re-engined version of the Nord Pingouin with a Renault 6Q-10 engine as the Nord 1101. The 1101 was designated the Ramier by the French military. One Nord 1104 Noralpha was fitted with a 180 kW (240 hp) Potez 6D-0 for trials and two earlier 1101 Noralphas were converted with a Turbomeca Astazou II turboshaft engine as the S.F.E.R.M.A.-Nord 1100 Noralpha (S.F.E.R.M.A. - Société Française d'Entretien et de Réparation de Matériel Aéronautique) in 1959.
The Noralpha was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a braced horizontal tail surface and single rudder. It had a retractable tricycle landing gear. The engine was nose-mounted and it had an enclosed cabin with side-by-side seating for two and room behind for a further two passengers.
Nord built 200 production examples of the Noralpha and these served as communications aircraft with the French Air Force and French Navy. Later, many examples were civilianised. The final Air Force Noralphas were replaced in service with the Centre d'essais en vol (CEV) at Bretigny-sur-Orge during 1974-75, whilst a few naval examples continued for a further brief period. [1]
France Data from Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft [2]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
The Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun is a single-engine sport and touring aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Bayerische Flugzeugwerke. It featured all-metal construction.
The C.710 were a series of light fighter aircraft developed by Caudron-Renault for the French Air Force just prior to the start of World War II. One version, the C.714, saw limited production, and were assigned to Polish pilots flying in France after the fall of Poland in 1939. A small number was also supplied to Finland.
The Aérospatiale Alouette II is a French light helicopter originally manufactured by Sud Aviation and later Aérospatiale. It was the first production helicopter powered by a gas turbine engine instead of the heavier conventional piston powerplant.
The Nord Noratlas is a dedicated military transport aircraft, developed and manufactured by French aircraft manufacturer Nord Aviation.
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.
The Turbomeca Astazou is a highly successful series of turboprop and turboshaft engines, first run in 1957. The original version weighed 110 kg (243 lb) and developed 240 kW (320 shp) at 40,000 rpm. It was admitted for aviation service on May 29, 1961, after a 150-hour test run. The main developing engineer was G. Sporer. It was named after two summits of the Pyrenees.
The Dassault M.D.320 Hirondelle was a French 14-seat utility transport aircraft of the 1960s, designed and built by Dassault Aviation, in prototype form only.
The Farman F.430 was a 1930s French light transport designed and built by the Farman Aviation Works. Two variants with different engines were known as the F.431 and F.432.
The Nord Pingouin is a French-built, re-engined Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun produced by SNCAN.
The Potez 840 was a 1960s French four-engined 18-passenger executive monoplane, the last aircraft to use the Potez name.
The Potez 661 was a four-engined metal low-wing monoplane airliner developed in France just before World War II. The single example flew with Air Afrique on French colonial routes.
The Morane-Saulnier MS.560 was a French civil aerobatic monoplane designed and built by Morane-Saulnier.
The Renault 6Q, also called the Renault Bengali 6, is an air-cooled inverted in-line six-cylinder, aircraft piston engine, producing about 160 kW (220 hp) continuous power. It was designed and built in France and produced for more than ten years after its homologation in 1936, with large numbers built during World War II.
The Morane-Saulnier MS.350 was a French aerobatic trainer flown in 1936. Only one was built but it had a long career, flying post-war until the 1960s.
The Caudron C.860 was a single engine, single seat monoplane ordered by the French government as a long distance communications aircraft. First flown in 1938, it was also expected to set speed and altitude records but the outbreak of World War II ended developments.
The Dewoitine D.720 T3 was a French reconnaissance/cooperation aircraft built by Dewoitine in the late 1930s.
The Levasseur PL.400 was an artillery observation / liaison aircraft built by Société Pierre Levasseur Aéronautique in the late 1930s.
