Nord Norécrin

1200 Norécrin
Nord 1203 Norécrin
Role	Cabin monoplane
Manufacturer	Nord Aviation
First flight	1945
Number built	378

The Nord 1200 Norécrin is a French two or three-seat (later four-seat) cabin monoplane designed and built by Nord Aviation.

Development

The Norécrin was developed to meet a French ministry of transport sponsored design competition. The Norécrin is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a retractable tri-cycle landing gear and the prototype (Nord 1200) was designed to receive a nose-mounted 100hp (75kW) Mathis G4R piston engine but flew only with a 140 hp Renault 4 Pei (first flight on December 15 1945 with Georges Detre as test pilot). The production version had three-seats and was designated the Nord 1201 Norécrin I. A number of variants were produced with different engines fitted. Later variants had four-seats and the Norécrin V was a two-seat military variant with machine-guns and rockets. It was a successful design and 378 aircraft were built.

Variants

1200 Norécrin

Prototype with a 140hp (104kW) Renault 4Pei engine.

1201 Norécrin I

Three-seat production variant with a 140hp (104kW) Renault 4P01 engine (22 built)

1202 Norécrin

Prototype four-seat variant with a 160 hp Potez LEM 4D01 engine

Nord 1203 Norecrin II at Sherburn-in-Elmet airfield, Yorkshire, in July 1951

1203 Norécrin II

Production variant with 135hp (101kW) Regnier 4L00 engine.

1203 Norécrin III

Norécrin II with modified landing gear.

1203 Norécrin IV

Powered by a 170hp (127kW) Regnier 4L02 engine.

1203 Norécrin V

Armed military variant.

1203 Norécrin VI

1955 production variant with a 160hp (119kW) Regnier 4L14 engine.

1203 Norécrin M1

1955 prototype with a 180 hp derated to 160hp (119kW) Lycoming 0360 engine.

1204 Norécrin

Powered by a 125hp (93kW) Continental C125 flat-four engine.

1204/II Norécrin

Powered by a 145hp (108kW) Continental C145-2 flat-four engine.

Operators

 Brazil

• OMTA - One aircraft only.

 Israel

• Israeli Air Force - Two aircraft only.

Specifications (1203 Norécrin II)

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. pp. 2616. 

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 3 passengers
• Length: 7.21 m (23 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan: 10.22 m (33 ft 6¼ in)
• Height: 2.90 m (9 ft 6 in)
• Wing area: 13 m² (139.93 ft²)
• Empty weight: 652 kg (1437 lb)
• Gross weight: 1050 kg (2315 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Regnier 4L00 inline piston-engine, 101 kW (135 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 280 km/h (174 mph)
• Range: 900 km (559 miles)
• Service ceiling: 5000 m (16,405 ft)

References

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. 
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. pp. 2616. 
• Le Trait d'Union (The Norecrin serie by Claude Salaun issue 109 to 121 1986-1988). French branch of Air Britain.