SNCASO SO.6020 Espadon

SNCASO Sun. 6020 Espadon Stories

After the end of World War II (1939-1945), the rebuilding French aviation industry began to function. In March 1946, the recovering French Air Force (Armee de l'Air) drafted an application for a new, state-of-the-art "interceptor". Among other things, the requirement calls for a speed of at least 560 miles per hour under jet propulsion, cockpit armor to protect against heavy small arms fire, and a 6 x 20mm autocannon as standard armor.

At this point in history, France, like the rest of the world's great powers, was actively studying the German wartime Messerschmitt Me 262 (Schwalbe) jet fighter for a while. By the time the jet age arrived, turbojets were the future of military fighter jets.

SNCASO, established in the prewar period in 1936, received a contract on June 28, 1946 to develop three prototypes of this type of aircraft. After the successful flight, the first 230 aircraft are planned. Tests under different conditions.

Hundreds will eventually add to the French Air Force fleet before the end.

So. The 6020-2 is the second prototype in the series, this time used to make beneficial design changes based on experience gained from flying the first prototype. Here, too, the first flight of this form was delayed from August 1948 to September 16, 1949.

Performance proved elusive despite the introduction of the embedded air intake, and this sample became the "SO. 2026" test item for evaluating rocket engines (SEPR-25 and SEPR-251). The first flight of the modified aircraft took place on January 4, 1952.

So. The 6020-3 was introduced as the third contracted prototype, ranking first in prototype 1. Because it was intended to demonstrate the production of a form of reconnaissance, SO. 6020-3 features a camera-equipped nose for the character.

However, it never flew with that component because it was modified to "SO. 6025" and was like SO. 6020. 2 Until then, SO. 6020-3/SO. The 6025 carries a SEPR-25 booster rocket motor for additional (albeit temporary) boost.

Proposed production interceptor based on SO. The 2030-3 design will be labeled "SO. 6021". To complete this design from 1947, the aircraft featured lighter construction to reduce operating weight, enlarged wings for improved stability, hydraulic auxiliary controls and a pilot's life-saving ejection seat.

All other qualities of SO. 2030-3 is reserved. This form was finally built and flown for the first time on June 3, 1950. Like other aircraft in the Espadon series, the SO. 6021 did not go any further, ending its days as a test bed for various engine modifications.

In order to get some results from this project, SNCASO engineers developed a work plan for an 18,408-pound ground attack version of this combat platform. Like the low-flying aircraft, this model will be armored in key locations, carry powerful artillery armament (2 x 30mm HS.

603) and support airborne missiles (SERAM T-10) to attack ground targets, and adjust rolls - with 7,715 The pound-thrust Royce "Tay" engine - and the afterburner type - exceeds the original Nene. The effort came to nothing.

All work on the Espadon aircraft design appears to have been completed by mid-1951.

Specification

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Performance

Armor

Changes