View source for Aérospatiale Corvette

{{Short description|1970s French business jet}}
{{Infobox aircraft
  |name= SN 601 Corvette
  |image= File:Aérospatiale Corvette F-GILM (10674862323).jpg
  |caption= Aérospatiale Corvette
  |type= [[Business jet]]/[[Regional jet]] airliner
  |national_origin= France
  |manufacturer= [[Aérospatiale]]
  |designer=
  |first_flight= 16 July 1970 
  |introduction= 
  |retired=
  |status=
  |primary_user= 
  |more_users= <!-- "More users" field limited to THREE total-->
  |produced= 1974–1977
  |number_built= 40<ref name = "phil 86"/>
  |developed_from = 
  |variants= 
}}

The '''Aérospatiale SN 601 Corvette''' is a French [[business jet]] of the early 1970s developed and manufactured by aerospace manufacturer [[Aérospatiale]]. Sales of the type were disappointing, leading to only 40 Corvettes being constructed, including the prototypes, prior to production being terminated.<ref name="AL"/>

In response to an open request by the French government for a compact twin-[[turbofan]] engine-equipped [[liaison aircraft|liaison]]/[[trainer aircraft|trainer]] aircraft, aircraft manufacturers [[Sud Aviation]] and [[Nord Aviation]] decided to embark upon development of a new business jet that could also fulfil the government demand as well. The joint venture's design, initially designated as the ''SN 600 Diplomate'', was first publicly displayed at the 1968 [[Internationale Luft- und Raumfahrtausstellung|Hanover ILA Air Show]]. On 16 July 1970, the prototype SN 600 performed the type's [[maiden flight]]; on 23 March 1971, this prototype was lost during a test flight. A pair of improved ''SN 601'' prototypes were then constructed; on 20 December 1972, the first of these prototypes conducted its first flight.

In addition to its use as a [[VIP]] aircraft, a number of Corvettes were procured and operated by [[regional airline]]s, such as [[Air Alsace]], [[Air Alpes]], Air Champagne, [[TAT European Airlines|TAT]], and [[Sterling Airways]]. [[Airbus|Airbus Industrie]] also operated a small fleet of Corvettes for internal transportation of staff between its key sites across Europe. During late 1976, Aerospatiale, as a consequence of a low number of orders having been received during three years of production, decided to terminate production of the SN 601 Corvette. While an expanded model, known as the ''Corvette 200'', had been actively studied, development was abandoned following the end of manufacture.

==Design and development==
===Origins===
During the 1950s and 1960s, the French government, which had taken a significant interest in the re-establishment and growth of its national aviation industries in the aftermath of the [[World War II|Second World War]], developed a detailed request for a combined [[liaison aircraft|liaison]]/[[trainer aircraft|trainer]] aircraft, to be equipped with twin-[[turbofan]] engines.<ref name = "two jets 20"/> Among those companies that took interest in the government request were aircraft manufacturers [[Sud Aviation]] and [[Nord Aviation]]. Design work on such an aircraft commenced during the second half of the 1960s as a [[joint venture]] between Sud and Nord. In January 1968, Sud and Nord decided to proceed with the programme following an announcement by French engine company [[SNECMA]] announced that it was developing a suitable engine, the [[SNECMA Turbomeca Larzac|M49 Larzac]].<ref name="FI1">''[[Flight International]]'' 2 May 1968, p. 655.</ref> It was a conventional design for its class, a low-wing monoplane powered by a pair of [[turbofan]] engines, which were mounted upon [[nacelle]]s attached to the rear fuselage.<ref name = "two jets 20">Block, Thomas H. [https://books.google.com/books?id=PmpIf7Ji8zoC&pg=PA20 "Foreign Accent: Two French Jets to Go."] ''[[Flying (magazine)|Flying Magazine]]'', April 1973. Vol. 92, No. 4. ISSN 0015-4806. p. 20.</ref>

The joint venture's design, designated as the ''SN 600'', was first revealed to the public as a scale model, described as the ''SN 600 Diplomate'', which was displayed at the 1968 [[Internationale Luft- und Raumfahrtausstellung|Hanover ILA Air Show]].<ref>''Flight International'' 2 May 1968, p. 675.</ref><ref name = "phil 83">Phillips, Phillips and Phillips 2012, p. 83.</ref> The reveal roughly aligned with that of a reasonably comparable aircraft, the [[Cessna Citation I|Cessna Citation 500]]. While frequently contrasted with the Citation 500, the SN 600 is a larger aircraft capable of carrying more passengers, being equipped with [[swept wing]]s, and was envisioned to be cheaper during its launch year.<ref name = "phil 83 84">Phillips, Phillips and Phillips 2012, pp. 83-84.</ref> The joint venture's own forecasts for the SN 600 included, beyond an anticipated order from the French military services for 60 aircraft, a minimum of 400 of the type which were to be sold upon the global market of an anticipated demand for such a class of aircraft between 1974 and 1980 of 2,800 business jets.<ref name = "phil 83"/>

From a marketing perspective, the joint venture held ambitions to sell the type worldwide, particularly the [[North American]] market in which there was already an established demand for business jets; accordingly, elements of the in-development aircraft were refined towards appealing to American customers.<ref name = "two jets 20"/> A high-profile competitor to the SN 600 was in fact another French-built business jet, the [[Dassault Falcon 20]], that was developed by rival manufacturer [[Dassault Aviation]]. According to aerospace publication [[Flying (magazine)|Flying Magazine]], the competing Falcon 20 appeared to have gained the upper hand in the North American market over the joint venture by 1973, having gained the backing of American airliner [[Pan American World Airways]] to act as a distributor for the type.<ref name = "two jets 20"/> Years of discussions were held with the aim of securing a North American distributor to market the SN 600.<ref name = "two jets 20"/> At one point, a distributor arrangement was formed with [[Conglomerate (company)|conglomerate]] [[Ling-Temco-Vought]] (LTV) and subsequently with manufacturer [[Piper Aircraft]].<ref name = "phil 83 85">Phillips, Phillips and Phillips 2012, pp. 83, 85.</ref>

During 1970, Sud and Nord [[merger|merged]] to form [[Aerospatiale]], who continued work on the SN 600. The company was keen to promote the advantages of the design, observing the SN 600 to offer well below average operating costs, being better within its size range than any other turbojet-powered competitor along with some [[turboprop]]-powered designs as well.<ref name = "two jets 20"/> Furthermore, it was promoted as being a spacious and flexible aircraft that satisfied the needs of commuter airlines.<ref name = "two jets 20"/> On 16 July 1970, the prototype SN 600, powered by a pair of [[Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D]] engines installed, performed its maiden flight. However, the intended Larzac engine was never fitted to the prototype, having still been in development for over a year after the loss of the prototype, which had crashed during a test flight intended to explore the aircraft's [[Stall (fluid mechanics)|stall]] characteristics on 23 March 1971.<ref>"Larzac builds up hours." ''Flight International'', 1 June 1972. p. 797.</ref><ref name="AL"/><ref name = "two jets 20"/> The loss of the prototype, while quickly resolved from a technical perspective, has been claimed to have badly shaken the faith of prospective customers in the type.<ref name = "phil 85">Phillips, Phillips and Phillips 2012, p. 85.</ref>

===Redesign and disorder===
Following the loss of the SN 600, a pair of improved ''SN 601'' prototypes were constructed, which were shortly thereafter renamed as the ''Corvette 100''.<ref>''Flight International'' 28 March 1974, p. 405.</ref> The SN 601 featured a stretched fuselage, 3&nbsp;ft 5½ in (1.05 m) longer than the 41&nbsp;ft 11½ (12.79 m) in counterpart used on the earlier SN 600.<ref>SN 600 Specifications, "Private and Executive Aircraft 1971." ''Flight International'', 2 September 1971. p. 360.</ref> On 20 December 1972, the first SN 601 flew for the first time.<ref name="AL"/> Early flight tests found that the type still suffered from unfavourable stall characteristics.<ref name = "phil 85"/> By this point, the Corvette programme was three years behind the rival Citation 500 business jet, despite the two aircraft being originally revealed within months of one another. The French government had become sceptical of the programme's slow progress, to the point where, during 1974, the abandonment of work on the Corvette was seriously considered.<ref name = "phil 85"/>

During 1973, U.S. Corvette Incorporated, a dedicated North American-based distributor, was established in [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] to act as a sales and aircraft completion center for the region.<ref name = "phil 85"/> At this point, Aérospatiale was still circulating optimistic sales projects for the type, anticipating the delivery of 10 Corvettes to the North American market during 1974, along with 25 aircraft in 1975 and 35 more during 1976; this was despite being nearly a third more expensive than American rivals such as the Citation 500 and [[Learjet 24|Learjet 24D]]. Additionally, deliveries were scheduled to commence during March 1974, even as it was increasingly clear from flight tests that modifications were required.<ref name = "phil 85"/> Less than a year later, the U.S. Corvette Inc. initiative was abandoned prior to any deliveries; it was replaced by an exclusive distributor arrangement with [[Oklahoma]]-based company Air Center Inc.<ref>Baxter, Gordon. [https://books.google.com/books?id=k_9C2kEduw8C&pg=PA16 "Foreign Access: It's called a Corvette, Y'all."] ''Flying Magazine'', January 1974. Vol. 94, No. 1. ISSN 0015-4806. p. 14.</ref> Shortly thereafter, a new management team arrived at Aérospatiale in response to cost overruns on both the Corvette and [[Concorde]] programmes.<ref name = "phil 85 86">Phillips, Phillips and Phillips 2012, pp. 85-86.</ref>

[[File:Aerospatiale SN-600 Corvette, ASECNA AN0632982.jpg|thumb|left|A Corvette, September 1983]]
In May 1974, an [[airworthiness certificate]] for the Corvette was awarded by French authorities.<ref name = "phil 86">Phillips, Phillips and Phillips 2012, p. 86.</ref> However, deliveries were delayed until early 1974, partially as a result of [[industrial action]] at engine manufacturer [[Pratt & Whitney Canada|United Aircraft of Canada]]. In response to the lack of deliveries, Air Center Inc. [[Lawsuit|sued]] Aérospatiale for non-performance, having only received a single non-certified demonstrator aircraft out of a contracted fleet of 70 production Corvettes which had been due to be delivered by May 1974.<ref name = "phil 86"/> Ultimately, only six new Corvettes would be dispatched to Oklahoma, and there would be no sales of the type during or after 1975; in March 1976, the U.S. marketing programme was terminated by Aérospatiale.<ref name = "phil 86"/>

During late 1976, Aérospatiale decided to cease manufacture of the Corvette as a consequence of the company having only received orders for 27 production models during the two-and-a-half years following the aircraft's receipt of [[type certification]] against hopes that it would be able to sell six Corvettes per month.<ref name="AL"/><ref>''Flight International'' 27 November 1976, p. 1583.</ref> A report produced by the French government's [[Court of Audit (France)|Court of Audit]] found that losses accumulated by the Corvette programme amounted to roughly $190 million, or 66 per cent of Aerospatiale's fiscal deficits from 1972 to 1975. The same report noted that the company's management had lacked real appreciation of the risks involved in such a hotly competed niche role from existing British, American and French (the latter being in the form of [[Dassault Aviation]]'s [[Dassault Falcon 20|Falcon 20]]), and stated that: "It is certain that the Corvette programme is, and will remain, a major commercial and financial disaster".<ref name = "phil 86 87">Phillips, Phillips and Phillips 2012, pp. 86-87.</ref>

Aérospatiale had conducted a design study into a prospective improved version of the aircraft, which was referred to as the ''Corvette 200''. If developed as intended, this model would to have featured a further fuselage stretch which would have allowed it to accommodate up to 18 seats; however, production of the Corvette had been terminated prior to any having been constructed.<ref name="AL"/>

==Operational history==
A number of Corvettes were sold and operated by several French [[regional airline]]s, such as [[Air Alsace]], [[Air Alpes]], Air Champagne and [[TAT European Airlines|TAT]].<ref>"Feederliner Aircraft", ''Flight International'' 27 March 1975, p. 532.</ref><ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1977/1977%20-%200902.PDF "Aérospatiale Corvette - advertisement."] ''Flight International'', Retrieved: 17 January 2009.</ref> [[Sterling Airways]] of Denmark was another airliner that also operated the type. One Corvette was used as a VIP transport by the [[Congolese Air Force]].<ref>"Force Aerienne Congolaise - World's Air Forces 1998." ''Flight International'', 3 December 1988. p. 55.</ref> By January 2009, a small number of Corvettes remained active in Europe and Africa, including one (F-GPLA cn 28) in France that had been fitted out for [[aerial photography]] missions.<ref>[http://www.laasdata.com/corpjet/corpjet-by-type.php?t=4 "List of Registered SN-601s."] ''LAASdata.com'', Retrieved: 20 January 2009. Searches of the Airliners.net photo database show that some of the airframes listed are non-airworthy.</ref><ref>[http://www.aerovision.fr/en/prise-de-vue-aerienne "Aerovision aerial photography."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100720002635/http://www.aerovision.fr/en/prise-de-vue-aerienne |date=2010-07-20 }} ''Aerovision'', Retrieved: 20 June 2010.</ref> This Corvette was later used during high speed tests of the [[TGV]] [[high speed train]], serving as a [[chase aircraft]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

[[Airbus|Airbus Industrie]] operated a fleet of five Corvettes for internal transportation purposes between 1981 and 2009.<ref>[http://www.aerolia.com/fr/actualites/communique-de-presse/2009::dernier-vol-de-la-corvette-dans-le-ciel-d-aerolia.html "Aerolia Press Release (in French)."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023164547/http://www.aerolia.com/fr/actualites/communique-de-presse/2009::dernier-vol-de-la-corvette-dans-le-ciel-d-aerolia.html |date=2014-10-23 }} ''aerolia.com'', Retrieved: 20 June 2010.</ref>

==Variants==
;SN 600
:The first Corvette prototype, powered by two 2,200 lbf (9.8 kN) thrust [[Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D|Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-1]] turbofan engines.<ref name = "two jets 20"/>

;SN 601
:Production version with longer fuselage than SN 600 and 2,500 lb (11.10004 kN) thrust JT15D-4 engines.<ref>[http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library%5CrgMakeModel.nsf/0/B16CC7B002CD758385256724005C4324/$FILE/A37eu.pdf "FAA Type Certificate Number A37EU."]{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ''[[Federal Aviation Administration]]'', Retrieved: 19 January 2009.</ref> 39 built, including two prototypes.<ref name="AL">[http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=13 "Corvette."] ''Airliners.net'', Retrieved: 17 January 2009.</ref>

==Operators==
[[File:SN601 Corvette F-BVPE Alsace BRU 12.09.77 edited-3.jpg|thumb|An Air Alsace Corvette, 1977]]
[[File:Aerospatiale SN601 Corvette OY-SBR Sterling BRU 19.07.85 edited-2.jpg|thumb|A Sterling Airways Corvette at [[Brussels Airport]], 1985]]
[[File:Aerospatiale SN 601 Corvette, Uni Air JP5869431.jpg|thumb|A Uni Air Corvette]]

===Aerospatiale SN-601 Corvette===
;{{flag|Benin|1975}}
*Air Benin
*[[Benin Air Force|Force Aerienne Populaire de Benin]]
;{{flag|Republic of the Congo|1970}}
*[[Aero Service]]
;{{DNK}}
*[[Aalborg|Aalborg Airtaxi]]
*[[North Flying|North Flying AS]]
*[[Sterling Airways]]
*Air Marine
;{{ESP}}
*Drenair
*[[Gestair|Gestair Executive Jet]]
*Teire S.A.
*Mayoral
*Aeropublic
;{{FRA}}
*Aero Vision
*[[Air Alpes]]
*[[Air Alsace]]
*[[Airbus Industrie]]
*Continentale Air Service
*[[Eurocopter]]
*Gallic Aviation 
*[[Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace]]
*[[TAT European Airlines]]
*[[Transport Aerien Transregional|TAT Transport Aerien Transregional]]
*Uni-Air
;{{MLI}}
* [[Military of Mali|Republic of Mali Air Force]].<ref>Hatch ''Air Pictorial'' July 1984, p. 247.</ref>
;{{USA}}
*Air National Aircraft Sales & Service Inc.
*Midwest Air Charter (Airborne Express)
;{{flag|Netherlands|name=Netherlands}}
*Jetstar Holland
;{{flag|Libya|}}
*Libyan Air Ambulance
;{{flag|Gabon|}}
*Air Inter Gabon
;{{flag|Madagascar|}}
*Aeromarine
;{{flag|Sweden|}}
*Baltic Aviation Inc.

==Accidents==

Including the prototype SN 600, a total of eight Corvettes are recorded as having been written-off in crashes.<ref>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/dblist.php?field=typecode&var=AE-601%&cat=%1&sorteer=datekey&page=1 "List of Corvette crashes."] ''Aviation-Safety.net'', Retrieved: 20 January 2009.</ref> The worst loss of life in a Corvette crash was on 3 September 1979, when an SN 601 of [[Sterling Airlines|Sterling Airways]] crashed in the Mediterranean Sea off [[Nice]] following a double engine failure. All ten occupants were killed.<ref>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19790903-1 "OY-SBS accident description."] ''Aviation-Safety.net'', Retrieved: 20 January 2009.</ref>

==Specifications (SN 601)==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976-77<ref name="Janes 76 p38">Taylor 1976, p. 38.</ref>
|prime units?=met<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|genhide=

|crew=1–2
|capacity=6 to 14 passengers, depending on configuration
|length m=13.83
|length ft=
|length in=
|span m=12.87
|span ft=
|span in=
|height m=4.23
|height ft=
|height in=
|wing area sqm=22.00
|wing area sqft=
|aspect ratio=7.45:1
|empty weight kg=3510
|empty weight lb=
|max takeoff weight kg=6600
|gross weight lb=
|fuel capacity={{convert|1660|L|USgal impgal|abbr=on}} normal, additional {{convert|700|L|USgal impgal|abbr=on}} in optional tip tanks
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name=[[Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D]]-4
|eng1 type=[[turbofan]]s
|eng1 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng1 lbf=2500<!-- jet/rocket engines -->

<!--
        Performance
-->
|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=760
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=at {{convert|9000|m|ft|abbr=on}} (max cruise)
|cruise speed kmh=566
|cruise speed mph=<!-- if max speed unknown -->
|cruise speed note=(econ. cruise)
|stall speed kmh=168
|stall speed note=(wheels and flaps down)
|range km=2555
|range miles=
|range note=(econ cruise power, with tip tanks, 45 min reserves)
|ceiling m=12500
|ceiling ft=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=2700
|more performance=

|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Aviation|France}}
{{aircontent|
|related=
|similar aircraft=
* [[Cessna Citation II]]
* [[Dassault Falcon 10]]
* [[HFB 320 Hansa Jet]]
* [[Learjet 23]]
|lists=
* [[List of civil aircraft]]
|see also=
}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist|2}}

===Bibliography===
{{commons category|Aérospatiale Corvette}}
*{{cite book |last1=Chillon |first1=Jacques |last2=Dubois |first2=Jean-Pierre |last3=Wegg |first3=John |title=French Post-War Transport Aircraft |date=1980 |publisher=Air-Britain |location=Tonbridge, UK |isbn=0-85130-078-2|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Hatch |first=Paul F. |title=Air Forces of the World: Republic of Mali Air Force (Force Aérienne de la Republique du Mali) |journal=Air Pictorial |date=July 1984 |volume= 46 |issue= 7 |page=247}}
* Phillips, Almarin., A. Paul Phillips and Thomas R. Phillips. ''Biz Jets: Technology and Market Structure in the Corporate Jet Aircraft Industry.'' Springer Science & Business Media, 2012. {{ISBN|9-4011-0812-9}}.
* {{cite book |editor-last=Taylor |editor-first=John W R.  |title= Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976-77 |year=1976 |publisher=Jane's Yearbooks |location=London |isbn=0-354-00538-3}}
* {{cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |pages=38 }}

{{Sud/Aérospatiale aircraft}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aerospatiale Corvette}}
[[Category:1970s French business aircraft]]
[[Category:Aérospatiale aircraft|Corvette]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1970]]
[[Category:Twinjets]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Cruciform tail aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear]]