RAM Jets - 1950s era

[Chris C]

Hi,

I'm preparing a feature article covering the French series of RAM jet aircraft, in particular, the Leduc 010 from the 1950s. If it's possible I would like to interview someone who has a working experience with RAM engines and also an understanding of SCRAM jets too.

The advantages of RAM jets compared to regular turbine engines and the difficulties designers faced when constructing them back in 195Os would be particularly interesting.

Any help will be appreciated.

Kind regards

Chris Cook

 

[Justo Miranda]

Matra R.130

 

[Justo Miranda]

S.O. 6020

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-2

 

[Justo Miranda]

S.O. Trident

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-2

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-3

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-4

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-5

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-6

 

[Justo Miranda]

Leduc

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-2

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-3

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-4

 

[Justo Miranda]

Griffon

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-2

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-3

 

[Chris C]

Good evening Justo,

Thank so much for the information you have supplied. That's most kind. I will certainly be busy going through the articles.

Regards

Chris

 

[Arjen]

Website with information about René Leduc:

Leduc, the difficult begenning

aerostories, des avions et des hommes.<br>aerostories, planes and people.

aerostories.free.fr

If you read French, highly recommended:
RENÉ LEDUC Pionnier de la propulsion à reaction by Jean Lacroze & Philippe Rico
One available at www.amazon.fr , alternatively from other sellers.

René Leduc - Pionnier de la propulsion à réaction

L’aventure de la propulsion à réaction française et l’incroyable histoire d’un jeune ingénieur, René Leduc, qui sut concrétiser ses rêves les plus fous.

bouquinage.com

 

[Antonio]

If you read French, highly recommended

Also that one:

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/la-qu%C3%AAte-du-haut-supersonique-chez-sud-aviation-le-trident-from-artipresse.28333/

 

[Archibald]

Just for the record, SNCASO Trident wasn't ramjets but rockets. Minor that - splendid effort by @Justo Miranda

 

[Chris C]

Many thanks Antonio.

From reading about the Leduc series of aircraft I'm now particularly interested in the Nord Aviation Griffon. That seems so far advanced, considering it came out in the 1950s.

 

[Arjen]

Du Gerfaut au Griffon: Conquêtes du Statoréacteur et de l'aile Delta en France, André Turcat et Armand Jacquet témoignent by Serge Kaplan and Philippe Ricco, Avia Editions 2006.
Some very expensive copies can be found occasionally.

Gerfaut et Griffon - Conquête du Statoréacteur et de l'aile delta en France - Serge Kaplan et Philippe Ricco

Livre épuisé - 1 exemplaire neuf.En plus des monographies des Gerfaut et Griffon, cet ouvrage se penche sur le renouveau de la recherche aéronautique française après la Seconde Guerre mondiale à l’Arsenal et chez Nord-Aviation. Cet ouvrage contient de nombreux hors-texte signés André Turcat ou...

www.laportedelhistoire.fr

@Chris C - PM coming your way.

 

[Justo Miranda]

Just for the record, SNCASO Trident wasn't ramjets but rockets. Minor that - splendid effort by @Justo Miranda

wasn't ramjets but rockets and turbojets

 

[Antonio]

Some very expensive copies can be found occasionally.

One of them in my bookshelf

 

[scautomoton]

I think its fair to say only the French eclipse the British in the sheer lunacy and ambition of some of their fighter concepts. Vive le France!

 

[Archibald]

The Leduc 022 was spectacular looking but unfortunately had a severe drag issue and never went supersonic. Nord Aviation started much later that Leduc's 010/021 - but "stole their thunder" in 1958 with the Griffon II. It accelerated and climbed like crazy but its duralumin structure stopped it at Mach 2.19 : the heat barrier needed titanium or steel structures.
France had a crapton of supersonic prototypes from 1956 but by 1959 the combined financial burden of the Mirage III (NATO interceptor), Force de Frappe's Mirage IVA and Algerian (ugly) bush war led to drastic cuts.

 

[pathology_doc]

I think its fair to say only the French eclipse the British in the sheer lunacy and ambition of some of their fighter concepts. Vive le France!

They LOOK like aircraft that are pushing the edge and giving up every semblance of aesthetics to do so, which is what makes them so interesting and exciting.

Yet science marches on, and the aesthetically more beautiful F-15 will show them a clean pair of heels every time, especially when stripped down for a speed or altitude record. Somehow, in that time, aircraft designers found a way to make Mach 2-2.5 fighters sexy again.