NORD VERAS

[Barrington Bond]

 

[Michel Van]

the german text say

Model of Third stage (reentry) of the Space Shuttle by Nord Aviation.

this part is a Rocket so a space project !

Barrington Bond, what is the source of pictures ?

 

[Barrington Bond]

Michel,

One was from Der Fleiger 7/69 Page 256 the other I think was Flug Revue I forgot to note that. I though VERAS was hypersonic research - perhaps the writer was wrong?!

Regards,
Barry

 

[Retrofit]

Indeed, VERAS stands for "Vehicule Experimental de Recherches Aerothermodynamiques et Structurales" / Aerothermodynamic and Structural Research Experimental Vehicle.
Nothing to do with a space shuttle project.

 

[Michel Van]

Thanks for info, Barrington Bond and Retrofit

The German text made mistake, it label it as Spacecraft
This is a hypersonic research vehicle launch by rocket

 

[Archibald]

found an old post of mine - http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,4096.msg32750.html#msg32750
I'll try to dug that Espace Magazine out of my huge collection of aerospace magazines...

 

[flateric]

...

 

[flateric]

http://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2891&context=space-congress-proceedings
http://www.anciensonera.fr/sites/default/files/fichiers%20pdf/Bulletin_AAO_Hors-Serie-Espace.pdf

 

[Barrington Bond]

I know the report says unmanned but if you look closely at the second picture there looks like cockpit windows ???

 

[antigravite]

Hi.

Here are some other info complementing Flaterics' great find:

http://www.anciensonera.fr/sites/default/files/fichiers%20pdf/Bulletin_AAO_Hors-Serie-Espace.pdf

VERAS was a French, experimenal hypersonic boost-glider project started in 1964 and managed by the DREM (Direction des Recherches des Moyens d'Essais) of the Ministere des Armées (French Department of Defense).

This project was actually built upon an earlier series of theoretical studies from three types of organizations: (1) the Service Technique de l'Aéronautique (also known as STA or STAé); (2) the "Bureau des Plans à Long Terme" du "Centre de Prospective et d''Evaluations" of the French armed forces; (3) in-house studies from advanced engineering teams within the industry. I have not been able to find / locate this last set of references yet which might have been trashed out, as often happens.

In 1965, DREM awarded NORD-AVIATION a contract to study VERAS.

The VERAS effort was an ambitious initiative as it both adressed, at least initially, the booster / launcher AND its payload (the BG vehicle). The launcher could have been a sounding rocket or Emeraude, i.e. the first stage of the Diamant space launcher also known as Diamant A). As time went by, the project name gradually came to only refer to the non-recoverable, experimental hypersonic glider… This experimental boost-glide vehicle was supposed to weight 1500 kg, fly at M=10 during 45s, with a max temperature of 1100°C on its lower surface. Several test articles (TA) were built along the way: the nose was made of pyrolized carbon. The vehicle structure was made of RENE 41. The body was made of refractory materials (TZM and P333).

The DREM oversaw and coordinated no less than a dozen organizations in this low-visibility or almost forgotten effort. In 1968, the VERAS program was scaled-down, i.e. limited to a laboratory, ground-effort testing. It is my understanding that it was terminated sometimes in around 1969 or early 1970 at the latest. I'll check that out and revise this post when a clearer answer surfaces.

In late 1970, VERAS program participants claimed that the knowledge and skills built during that project could be helpful to offer some sort of cooperation with the USA on their nascent Space Shuttle project and specifically refered to material sciences, oxydation prevention, structure computation, etc. Those insights were supposedly most helpful in the field of high-speed propulsion, as other follow-on spaceplane studies, which eventualy led to the Hermes project, experienced an even lower visibility.

Seeking international cooperation led team-member to market their skills and publish more information in open conferences such as:
Leroy, G. L.; N'Guyen; Perrais, M.; and Loiseau, H., "Thermal Ground Testing of Concorde and Veras or Improvement in French Test Methods and Facilities" (1971). The Space Congress, Proceedings, 1971 available from:
https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings/proceedings-1971-8th/session-7/2

Also see:
Perez, Syre, Billon, Pichoir, Guyot. Utilisation d'un alliage de niobium dans la réalisation d'un véhicule hypersonique
Revue de Physique Appliquée, Société française de physique / EDP, 1970, 5 (3), pp.455-465. ⟨10.1051/rphysap:0197000503045500⟩

Utilisation d'un alliage de niobium dans la réalisation d'un véhicule hypersonique

L'utilisation d'un alliage de Niobium pour une étude de structure d'un planeur hypersonique (projet VERAS) a nécessité des études spécifiques pour les divers participants. Le Groupe PECHINEY a mis au point la formulation et la transformation de l'alliage et en a déterminé les caractéristiques...

hal.archives-ouvertes.fr

A.

PS) I'll try to scan the picture of the nose and those of the leading edges which are not reproduced in this 1971 Space Congress proceedings.

PS2) See below

 

[antigravite]

Hi;

VERAS program mockup and test articles:
- nose
- leading edge elements

Enjoy.

A

 

[antigravite]

Additonal stuff for the sake of completion.

A

 

[antigravite]

Hi.

BTW, the logo on the mockup tells something about the project. If you pay a close attention, it is NOT Nord Aviation's logo but it looks a lot like it. I can't read through it, but the writing clearly is NOT a single "N" standing for "Nord"

Thus, quoting from wikipedia:

On 1 October 1954, Nord Aviation was created as a result of the acquisition of SFECMAS (Société française d'étude et de construction de matériels aéronautiques spéciaux) by SNCAN (Société nationale de constructions aéronautiques du Nord).

SNCAN, (abbreviated from Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du Nord), or commonly, Nord, was a state-owned French aircraft manufacturer in the pre- and post-World War II era. The company had been formed as one of six state-owned Société Nationales in the 1936 reorganization of military industries, and was created by the nationalization of several aircraft factories in the north of France. It survived until 1954 when it merged to form Nord Aviation.

On 1 March 1970, Nord Aviation merged with Sud Aviation to create Société nationale d'industrie aérospatiale (SNIAS), which was promptly renamed Aérospatiale. In 2000, this company merged into European Aerospace Corporation EADS, which was then renamed to the Airbus Group.

This is where we stand for better archival hunting.

A.

 

[TomTom]

Translated elements from french site Opex360:
Quand la France avait de l’avance dans la mise au point d’un planeur hypersonique avec le projet VERAS
When France was ahead in the development of a hypersonic glider with the VERAS project
In 1965, the DRME gave the Nord-Aviation company the task of carrying out a study to produce this hypersonic glider. Other companies and laboratories were involved, including Carbonne Lorraine, Pechiney, the National Institute of Applied Sciences [INSA], the University of Poitiers and the Toulouse Aerospace Test Centre [CEAT].
This alloy "presents interesting characteristics at high temperature, while remaining suitable for the production of thin sheets and retaining good forming capacity. Moreover, its oxidability remains within acceptable limits for short-term service, and its weldability is satisfactory.
The results of the feasibility study for this programme were presented to the Ministry of the Army in 1967. And it was decided to proceed. Officially unveiled in 1968 and presented at the Paris Air Show the following year, the VERAS was finally cancelled in 1971, a few months before its first flight, scheduled at the Landes test centre.

Jean-Christophe Carbonel also talks about VERAS in his book "French Secret Projects 3".

 

[Archibald]

Diamant's Emeraude first stage characteristics are here. http://www.capcomespace.net/dossiers/espace_europeen/espace_francais/diamant_A.htm
Even press-fed with low isp and no stage 2, it should be able to push that 1500 kg VERAS to quite high speeds. Will do the math later.

 

[Archibald]

For a 13000 kg stage, prop mass fraction 0.90 so 1300 kg empty, isp 260 seconds. Loaded with a 1500 kg VERAS I get 4200 m/s which is Mach 12. Optimistic calculations, wouldn't take much to cut that to Mach 10 (lower isp and prop fraction)
9.81*260*ln((13000+1500)/(1300+1500))
= 4219m/s.