Nord NC.850
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| NC.850 | |
|---|---|
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| Nord NC.858S at St Cyr l'Ecole airfield, near Paris, in May 1957 | |
| Role | Civil utility aircraftTemplate:Short description |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | SNCAC, SNCAN |
| First flight | April 1947 |
| Status | still in service |
| Primary user | private owners and aero clubs |
The Nord NC.850 (originally produced as the Aérocentre NC.850) was a light aircraft developed in France in the late 1940s for use by French aeroclubs, but which also saw military use as an airborne observation post.[1][2]
Development
The NC.850 series was developed from the Aérocentre NC.840 in response to a competition sponsored by the French government under the auspices of the SALS movement to find a domestically produced machine for club use.[2][3] Aérocentre's entry was an ungainly high-wing, strut-braced monoplane with a fully enclosed cabin and fixed, tailwheel undercarriage. The fuselage construction was tubular, and the wings had a metal structure, the entire aircraft being skinned in fabric.[4]
The competition was won by the SIPA S.90, but SALS nevertheless also ordered 100 examples of this, the runner-up design.[2] These production examples, designated NC.853, differed from the prototypes in having twin tails, the fins mounted on the ends of the horizontal stabiliser.[2] Only 27 of the order had been completed, however, when Aérocentre was liquidated and its assets bought by Nord.[2] The new owners continued production, with their machines identified with designation NC.853S.
Military version
In March 1951, Nord flew a heavily modified version of the design for use as an observation aircraft by the French Army.[2] Known as the NC.856 Norvigie, this featured a more powerful engine and a lengthened and more extensively glazed cockpit.[2] The army ordered 112 examples which were mostly flown in the artillery spotting role,[5] and while a civil version was also offered, orders were not forthcoming[6] and only two were built.[5] The sole example of a floatplane version was presented as a gift to King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.[6]
Variants
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- NC.850 - prototype with single tail and Mathis G4F engine (one built)
- NC.851 - version with Minié 4.DA.28 engine (nine built)
- NC.852 - version with Regnier 4EO engine (two built)
- NC.853 - major production version with twin tails and Minié 4.DC.32 engine (29 built)
- NC.853S - NC.853 built by Nord (95 built)
- NC.853G - NC.853 fitted with aile flottante system (one converted)
- NC.854 - NC.853 with Continental A65 engine (two built, plus many converted from NC.853)
- NC.854SA - militarised NC.854 (two built)
- NC.856 - NC.853 with Walter Minor engine (one built)
- NC.856A - military production version with redesigned cockpit, extensive glazing, and Regnier 4LO-4 engine (112 built)
- NC.856B - four-seat version of NC.856 (one built)
- NC.856H - floatplane version of NC.856 with triple tail (one built)
- NC.856N - four-seat, civil version of NC.856A with Regnier 4LO-8 (two built)
- NC.858S - conversions of NC.853 with Continental C90 engine
- NC.859S - glider tug version of NC.853 with Walter Minor engine (nine built)
Operators
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- Private owners and Aero clubs
- Aviation légère de l'armée de terre
Specifications (NC.856A)
Notes
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References
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