Photo Captured French Aircraft ID ?

[Stig Jarlevik]

Jean

A really, really excellent research from your part.
In spite of an almost non existent French language knowledge on my part, I checked the Aeroforums site and what is bothering to me is the time line.

The wind tunnel experiments done by ONERA is listed as taken place in 1937
The formation of the company, made by Farman according to one participant, in 1938.
The mention in Aerophile issue of Feb 1938 with a very rudimentary drawing and an even more odd "photo" (in reality a drawing as well).

Somehow the resumé produced by you here, implies (well, read make me feel) this aircraft did not fly until 1939 or so. Don't ask me to guess when....

As you can see this simply does not add up.
Whoever came up with the idea (design) of this aircraft must have had some official backing.
The ONERA tests must, in my opinion, have been done with a scale model (I doubt a real mock-up)
Someone "leaked" details to Aerophile but the aircraft was built much later.

The most interesting thing about this aircraft is rather why it was developed/built in the first place and what the designers hoped they would achieve.
I am not saying it was a "useless" aircraft, but I really cannot see where it could find its "raison d'être". There is nothing in the design which is obviously superior to any previous design around.

Aircraft seems quite undamaged after capture. Wonder if any photo will ever appear of it in German markings? Doubtful....

Cheers
Stig

[jschreiber]

Hello Stig

First, a drawing of the plane from mid - 1937 :



At this date, according to local newspapers, technical drawings were about complete, a wind tunnel model had been built, and the plane itself was "under way" (understand some wood has been cut...). So the wind tunnel tests were done with a model.

Then, why this plane ? As you say rightfully, not for technical reasons, despite the fact that qualified designers from Loire-Nieuport (SNCAO at this date) were leading the design team. The answer has to be searched on the political side.

At this date (1936-1937), the French government came from the left wing (Front Populaire), and the Air minister (Pierre Cot) had introduced the Aviation Populaire (people's aviation) with two purposes : allowing the working class to fly light planes (and not only the wealthy class), and give the opportunity to young people to train as pilots, proficient enough for advanced training later by the Armée de l'Air. Both objectives were only partially achieved, for a lot of reasons.

So, if the "proletarians" will learn how to fly, if the training plane has proletarian origins it would be perfect... And since the design team of the CAPRN 10 came from a "Aviation Populaire" group, full circle was closed.

But, in April 1938 the Front Populaire government exited, and such rethorics were not longer needed. The planes for the Aviation Populaire were purchased mainly by Salmson and Caudron (who had not the needed industrial capacity at this time) and the CAPRN 10 plane was only built in two exemplars : one to be destroyed on the static tests, and our F-AROR.

Regards

Jean

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks Jean

The drawing is the same as published in Aerophile Feb 1938

I had the Force Populaire in mind but never came up with the two reasons you give here.
Waste of both money and time, but I guess they never saw it that way.

Nothing against socialism.....as long as the brain remains connected.....

Cheers
Stig