Sud-Ouest Bretagne

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S.O.30 Bretagne
SO.30P Bretagne No.40 Aeronavale Palas jets BLA 09.55.jpg
SO.30P of the Aeronavale equipped with under-wing Palas auxiliary jets at Blackbushe Airport in 1955
RoleAirliner and military transport
Manufacturer Sud-Ouest
First flight26 February 1945
Primary users Air France
French Air Force
Number built45

The Sud-Ouest S.O.30 Bretagne was a 1940s French airliner built by Sud-Ouest.

Contents

Design and development

The Bretagne (Engl. "Brittany") was designed by a group of designers and engineers who were based at Cannes from May 1941 following the invasion of France. The design was for a medium capacity civil transport, a twin-engined mid-wing cantilever all-metal monoplane. The prototype (designated the S.O.30N) first flew on 26 February 1945.

Operational history

The initial production version was designated the S.O.30P Bretagne with two versions with different engines. The aircraft operated with a crew of five and could carry between 30 and 43 passengers. A cargo version (the S.O.30C) was produced, with a revised interior and strengthened floor and large cargo door. The aircraft was operated as an airliner, but mainly by the French military forces as a medium transport.

Some aircraft were fitted with two underwing Turbomeca Palas turbojet engines for auxiliary power. Other aircraft were used for engine-trials fitted with the SNECMA Atar 101 and licence-built Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets.

Variants

S.O.30N
Tailwheel undercarriage prototype, c/n 01 built after the 1940 armistice and stored till after the war. The second S.O.30R c/n 02 was built in 1946 and later converted to the S.O.30 Nene, jet powered airliner test-bed.
S.O.30R Bellatrix
Two prototypes of the nosewheel undercarriage production model.
S.O.30C
cargo version, one built with belly loading hatches.
S.O.30P-1
production version with Pratt & Whitney R-2800-B43 engines.
S.O.30P-2
production version with Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CA13 engines.
S.O.30 Nene
One aircraft converted from S.O.30R c/n 02 for use as a testbed, powered by two Rolls-Royce Nenes.

Operators

Military operators

Flag of France.svg  France

Civil operators

Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria
Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco

Specifications (S.O.30P-2)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1953–54, [4] French Post-War Transport Aircraft [5]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

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References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Stroud 1966, p. 203.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Stroud 1966, p. 202.
  3. Stroud 1966, pp. 202–203.
  4. Bridgman 1953, pp. 152–153.
  5. Chillon, Dubois & Wegg 1980, pp. 23–25

Bibliography

Further reading