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Caudron C.440 (Goeland)

1935 COLD WAR GOLDEN AGE WORLD WAR 2

Caudron C. 440 (Goeland) History

French aeronautical engineer Marcel Riffard, an employee of the Caudron Group, designed a new twin-engine light aircraft for the company in the early 1930s, later known as the Caudron C. 440 "Goeland". First flown in 1934, the six-seat, twin-engine, light multi-role platform with monoplane wings was sold to private airlines and later to the French Air Force and Navy (among others) - in the last two years of world aviation Served in World War II (1939 -1945).

About 1,702 samples were produced before the end of the production run. This model also served in the "Miracle of Dunkirk" in 1940.

A Goeland is a conventionally arranged aircraft with low-lying monoplane wings mounted forward amidships. The cockpit is located above and behind a short nose assembly. A rear towing unit is provided for ground operation. The fuselage tapers towards the tail and has a curved rudder attached. The horizontal plane at the stern is mounted low.

Crew number 2, dimensions include a length of 44.10 feet, a wingspan of 57.8 feet and a height of 11.1 feet. Curb weight is 5,055 lbs and maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is 7,715 lbs. Power comes from two Renault 6Q engines, each producing 220 horsepower.

Performance includes a top speed of 185 mph, a range of up to 620 miles, a service ceiling of 23,000 feet and a rate of climb approaching 650 feet per minute.

Three prototypes were built to the early C. 440 standard to justify the design. Four C. 441 aircraft followed, with Renault 6Q-01 engines and slightly V-shaped outer wings. Counter-rotating propellers were added to the C. 444, of which 17 were built. C. 445 is similar in form and function, but the dihedral angle seen on C. 441 is exaggerated in this variant - 114 examples follow, as are several sub-variants.

C. 446 "Super Goeland" appears in only one example. The C. 447 is an air ambulance model, 31 of which are built to standard. Seven C. 448s were built with superchargers on the engines.

The C. 449 marked the final production form of the Goeland line, numbered 349 examples, with various sub-variants added.

Global operators (except France) become Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany (Nazi), Slovakia, Spain and Yugoslavia.

Like many other aircraft after the start of World War II in September 1939, the Goeland was confiscated by the French army for use in the conflict. These ran until France fell in May/June 1940 and was taken over by the conquering Germans. The Germans used the line both civilian and military, while the Slovak Republic commissioned a dozen aircraft (C. 445M) in 1942.

After the war, the series went into series production again, although at this time the Caudron name was adopted under the SNCA du Nord brand label, making Goeland a Nord product ever since. Hundreds of them were built in the post-war period, all for the civilian market.