Sud Aviation Caravelle

Sud Aviation Caravelle
source
Name	Sud Aviation Caravelle
Caption	An Air France Caravelle 6N in 1963
Type	Narrow-body jet airliner
National origin	France
Manufacturer	Sud Aviation
First flight	27 May 1955
Introduction	1959 with Air France
Retired	2005
Status	Retired from service
Primary user	Air France
Number built	282
Developed into	Sud Aviation Super-Caravelle (concept)

Sud Aviation Caravelle was a pioneering French short- to medium-range jet airliner. It was the first jetliner developed for the European market and the world's first jet airliner to feature rear-mounted turbofan engines, a configuration that became highly influential. The Caravelle entered service with Air France in 1959 and was operated by numerous airlines worldwide, establishing a strong reputation for its quiet cabin and performance on short runways.

Development and design

The Caravelle's development was initiated by the French government's Secretariat General for Civil and Commercial Aviation in 1951, seeking a domestic competitor in the emerging jet age. The design was heavily influenced by the pioneering work of the de Havilland Comet, particularly its forward fuselage and cockpit sections, which Sud Aviation licensed. The aircraft's most distinctive feature was the placement of its two Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engines on either side of the rear fuselage, a layout that reduced cabin noise and wing stress. This rear-engine configuration was later adopted by many successful aircraft, including the Douglas DC-9 and the BAC One-Eleven. The prototype, registered F-WHHH, made its maiden flight from Toulouse–Blagnac Airport on 27 May 1955, piloted by Pierre Nadot.

Operational history

Air France launched the Caravelle into commercial service on 12 May 1959 on the route between Paris-Orly and Istanbul. It quickly proved popular on European routes for carriers like SAS and Alitalia, offering a significant speed advantage over contemporary propeller-driven aircraft like the Douglas DC-6. The Caravelle also found success in the United States, with United Airlines becoming a major operator. It served reliably for decades with over 50 airlines across six continents, including in Africa with Air Afrique and in South America with VARIG. The type was gradually phased out of major airline service in the 1980s in favor of newer designs like the Boeing 727, but some remained in use for charter and cargo operations into the early 21st century.

Variants

The initial production model was the Caravelle I, followed by the improved Caravelle III with more powerful Rolls-Royce engines. The Caravelle VI series introduced a non-afterburning version of the Pratt & Whitney JT8D engine used on the Boeing 727. The Caravelle 10B and 11R were major developments; the 10B featured the definitive JT8D turbofans and a longer fuselage, while the 11R was a convertible passenger/freight model with a large forward cargo door. The final production variant was the Caravelle 12, a further stretched version with greater capacity. A proposed larger development, the Sud Aviation Super-Caravelle, ultimately evolved into the multinational Airbus A300 project.

Operators

Primary civil operators included Air France, SAS, Finnair, Iberia, Swissair, and Royal Air Maroc. In the United States, United Airlines was the largest customer, and Pan Am also operated the type through its subsidiary Panagra. Military operators included the French Air Force, which used it as a personnel transport and for calibration duties. Other government and corporate users included the Swedish Air Force and the Government of Venezuela.

Accidents and incidents

The Caravelle was involved in several notable accidents. On 19 May 1961, an Air France Caravelle III crashed near Rabat–Salé Airport during a training flight, killing all three crew. A significant accident occurred on 3 September 1967, when a SAS Caravelle overran the runway at Türkmenabat Airport in the Soviet Union. On 11 July 1973, Varig Flight 820 suffered an in-flight fire and crashed near Orly, resulting in 123 fatalities. The deadliest Caravelle accident was the crash of Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 1308 on 1 December 1981 near Ajaccio, Corsica, which killed all 180 people on board.

Specifications (Caravelle 10B)

* **Crew:** 3 (2 pilots, 1 flight engineer) * **Capacity:** 80–105 passengers * **Length:** 33.01 m (108 ft 4 in) * **Wingspan:** 34.30 m (112 ft 6 in) * **Height:** 8.72 m (28 ft 7 in) * **Empty weight:** 29,200 kg (64,374 lb) * **Max takeoff weight:** 52,000 kg (114,640 lb) * **Powerplant:** 2 × Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7 turbofan engines, 62.3 kN (14,000 lbf) thrust each * **Maximum speed:** 825 km/h (513 mph, 445 kn) * **Range:** 3,400 km (2,100 mi, 1,800 nmi) with max payload * **Service ceiling:** 12,000 m (39,000 ft)

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1955 Category:French airliners 1950–1959 Category:Twinjet aircraft