Farman NC.470

infobox Aircraft
name = NC.470
type = Trainer floatplane
manufacturer = SNCAC
national origin = France


caption =
designer =
first flight = 1937
introduced =
introduction=
retired =
status =
primary user = French Navy
more users =
produced =
number built = 35
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles =

The Farman NC.470 (also known as the Centre N.C-470 when Farman was nationalised to form SNCAC) was a French twin engined floatplane designed as a crew trainer for the French Navy. It was used in small numbers for both its intended role as a trainer and as a coastal reconaissance aircraft at the start of the Second World War.

Development and design

In 1935, the Farman Aviation Works designed as a private venture the F-470, a twin engined floatplane intended to be used as a crew trainer by the French Navy. A production order for ten aircraft was placed on 8 March 1936, it being intended that these aircraft would use spare floats left over from now retired Farman F.168 torpedo bombers. Green 1962, p.13.]

In 1936, Farman was nationalised, and merged with Hanriot to form the Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Centre or SNCAC. The prototype, now redesignated NC-470, first flew, with a temporary wheeled undercarriage, on 27 December 1937.

The NC.470 was a twin engined high winged monoplane of mixed metal and wood construction, with two radial engines mounted on low mounted stub wings. It had a slab sided fuselage, housing the crew of two pilots in a tandem cockpit, a navigator/bombadier in the noseand a radio operator, flight engineerer and gunner in the rear fusealge. The aircraft was designed to carry an armament of a single Darne machine gun on an open dorsal cockpit, together with up to 200 kg (440 lb) of bombs.Green 1962, p.14.]

The first order for 10 NC.470s was completed by mid-1939, together with a single example of the NC.471, powered by a different model of Gnome et Rhône radial engine. Further orders brought production of the NC.470 to a total of 34. [ [http://www.aviafrance.com/1128.htm S.N.C.A.C. NC-470] "Aviafrance". Retrieved 30 August 2008.]

Operational history

While intended as a crew trainer, a shortage of coastal reconaissance aircraft resulted in NC.470s being drafted into this role, with three NC-470s and the sole NC-471 being used together with three CAMS 55 flying boats to equip "Escadrille 3S4" at Berre in August 1939. Green 1968, p.19.] The NC-470 was also used by the aircrew training shool at Hourtin. Fourteen aircraft were captured by Germany during the occupation of Southern France in November 1942.

Variants

;NC.470:Main production aircraft. Powered by two 480 hp (358 kW) Gnome-Rhône 9Akx radial engines. 34 built.;NC.471:Revised version, powered by 500 hp (373 kW) Gnome-Rhône 9Kgr engine. One built.;NC.472:Proposed version powered by 600 hp (448 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp. Unbuilt.

Operators

;FRA
*French Navy

pecifications (NC.471)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=War Planes of the Second World War Volume Six Green 1962, p.15.]

crew=6
capacity=
length main= 16.10 m
length alt= 52 ft 9⅞ in
span main= 24.45 m
span alt= 80 ft 2½ in
height main= 4.85 m
height alt= 15 ft 11 in
area main=95.0 m²
area alt= 1,022.6 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 3,717 kg
empty weight alt= 8,179 lb
loaded weight main= 6,013 kg
loaded weight alt= 13,228 lb
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Gnome-Rhône 9Kgr
type of prop=9 cylinder radial engine
number of props=2
power main= 373 kW
power alt= 500 hp
power original=

max speed main= 230 km/h
max speed alt= 124 knots, 143 mph
cruise speed main= 190 km/h
cruise speed alt= 103 knots, 118 mph
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 1,140 km Donald 1997, p.405]
range alt= 616 nm, 708 mi
ceiling main=6,000 m
ceiling alt= 19,685 ft
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 63.3 kg/m²
loading alt= 12.9 lb/ft²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.12 kW/kg
power/mass alt= 0.076 hp/lb
more performance=*Endurance: 6 hours
*Climb to 2000 m (6,600 ft): 9 min 40 sec

guns=One 7.5 mm Darne machine gun
bombs=Four 50 kg (110 lb) bombs

avionics=

See also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=

sequence=

lists=*List of seaplanes and flying boats

see also=

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Donald, David (editor). "The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft". Leicester, UK:Blitz, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
* Green, William. "War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Five Flying Boats". London:Macdonald,1968. ISBN 356 01449 5.
* Green, William. "War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Six Floatplanes". London:Macdonald, 1962.

External links