View source for Caudron Simoun

{{Infobox aircraft
 |name        =Simoun
 |image       =Caudron Simoun Le Bourget 02.JPG
 |caption=Preserved C.630 at [[Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace]].
 |type        =Touring plane, mail plane, liaison plane
 |manufacturer=[[Caudron]]
 |designer= [[Marcel Riffard]]
 |first_flight=1934
 |introduction=1935
 |retired=
 |status=
 |primary_user=<!--please list only one-->
 |more_users=<!--up to three more. please separate with <br/>.-->
 |produced=1930s<!--years in production, e.g. 1970-1999, if still in active use but no longer built-->
 |number_built=680 (estimated)
 |unit cost=
 |variants=
}}

The '''Caudron Simoun''' was a 1930s [[France|French]] four-seat touring [[monoplane]]. It was used as a [[mail plane]] by [[Air Bleu]], flew record-setting long-range flights, and was also used as a [[liaison aircraft]] by the ''[[Armée de l'Air]]'' during [[World War II]]. The aircraft later was used as an inspiration to the famous Mooney "M series" aircraft by Jacques "Strop" Carusoam.

==Variants==
;C.500 Simoun I:Experimental, one built.
;C.520 Simoun:Experimental, one built.
;C.620 Simoun IV:Experimental, one built.
;C.630 Simoun:Initial production version with [[Renault Bengali 6Pri]] engine, 20 built. 
;C.631 Simoun:Modified version with a [[Renault 6Q-01]] engine, three built.
;C.632 Simoun:Similar to C.631, one built.
;C.633 Simoun:Modified fuselage with a [[Renault 6Q-07]] engine, 6 built.
;C.634 Simoun:Modified wing and take-off weight with either a Renault 6Q-01 or Renault 6Q-09 engine, 3 built.
;C.635 Simoun:Improved cabin layout and either a [[Renault 6Q-01]] or [[Renault 6Q-09]] engine, 46 built and conversions from earlier versions.
;C.635M Simoun:Military version with either a Renault 6Q-09 or [[Renault 6Q-19]] engine, 489 built.

==Operators==
;{{BEL}}
*[[Belgian Air Force]]
;{{flag|France}}
*[[Air Bleu]]
*''[[Armée de l'Air]]''
*[[Aeronavale]]
;{{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}}
*''[[Luftwaffe]]'' (small numbers)<ref>Ketley, Barry, and Rolfe, Mark. ''Luftwaffe Fledglings 1935–1945: Luftwaffe Training Units and their Aircraft'' (Aldershot, GB: Hikoki Publications, 1996), p.11.</ref>
;{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Hungary (1920–46)}}
*[[Royal Hungarian Air Force]]
;{{UK}}
*[[Royal Air Force]]
**[[No. 267 Squadron RAF]]
;{{flag|United States|1912}}
*[[United States Navy]]

==Specifications (C.630)==
[[File:Caudron_C.520_3-view_NACA-SR-26.jpg|thumb|Caudron C.520 3-view drawing from NACA-SR-26]]

{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938<ref name=JAWA1938>{{cite book |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938 |editor1-last=Grey |editor1-first=C.G. |year=1938 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & company, ltd |location=London |editor2-last=Bridgman |editor2-first=Leonard |pages=124c–125c}}</ref>
|prime units?=met
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=1-2
|capacity=2-3
|length m=8.7
|length note=
|span m=10.4
|span note=
|height m=2.25
|height note=
|wing area sqm=16
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=855
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=1350
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Renault 6Pri]]
|eng1 type=6-cylinder ionverted air-cooled in-line piston engine
|eng1 hp=220
|eng1 note=
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=[[Ratier]]
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=automatic 2-position variable-pitch propeller
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed kmh=310
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=280
|cruise speed note=<br>
*'''Landing speed:''' {{cvt|90|km/h|mph kn}}
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=1230
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=7300
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading kg/m2=84.3
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|power/mass={{cvt|0.074|hp/lb|order=flip}}
|more performance=<!--<br />
*'''Take-off run:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Take-off distance to {{cvt|15|m|0}}:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Landing run:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Landing distance from {{cvt|15|m|0}}:''' {{cvt||m|0}}-->

|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Aviation}}
* [[Antoine de Saint-Exupéry#Desert crash|Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's desert crash]]

{{aircontent
|related=
|similar aircraft=
|lists=
* [[List of aircraft of World War II]]
* [[List of interwar military aircraft]]
}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite magazine |last1=Cony |first1=Christophe |last2=Hauet |first2=André|title=Caudron "Simoun": La gloire des ailes Françaises |magazine=Avions |date=November–December 2006 |issue=154 |pages=4–23 |language=fr |issn=1253-5354}}
* {{cite magazine |last1=Cony |first1=Christophe |last2=Hauet |first2=André |title=Caudron "Simoun": La gloire des ailes Françaises: Deuxième partie |magazine=Avions |date=January–February 2006 |issue=154 |pages=35–54 |language=fr |issn=1253-5354}}
*{{cite magazine |last1=Lucchini|first1=Carlo|title=Le meeting saharien de 1938 |magazine=Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire |date=April 1999 |issue=73 |pages=53–57 |trans-title=The 1938 Sahara Air Meeting|language=French |issn=1243-8650}}
* {{cite book |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985)|publisher= Orbis Publishing}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170324050259/http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/photo_albums/timeline/ww2/Caudron%20Sandstorm.htm Century of Flight – Caudron C.630 Simoun Sandstorm]
* [http://www.caudron-simoun.com WebSite for l'Association Renaissance du Caudron Simoun] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224044820/http://caudron-simoun.com/ |date=2012-12-24 }}

{{Caudron aircraft}}
{{Spanish liaison aircraft}}

[[Category:1930s French civil utility aircraft]]
[[Category:1930s French military utility aircraft]]
[[Category:1930s French mailplanes]]
[[Category:Caudron aircraft|C.630]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1934]]
[[Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear]]