Siebel Si-204

History of the Siebel Si-204

The Si 204 was planned as a small airliner for Lufthansa, with a crew of 2 and 8 passengers. Development of this all-metal aircraft began in 1938. As usual, the customer is RLM, but the development took place in close cooperation between Lufthansa and Siebel in Halle. After the war began, the aircraft was redesigned as a trainer with a fully "stepless" glass cockpit and no separate flat windshield for the pilot (similar to almost all German bombers of the time).

In the case of the Si 204, it seems to be more suitable for blind flying.

Only the first two prototypes were delivered as passenger aircraft with the old cockpit. The first flight of the first prototype was before September 1940, possibly May 25, 1940, and the first flight of the second prototype was before February 1941. The third prototype was converted into a blind-flying trainer.

Therefore, the first flight did not take place until late 1941 or early 1942. At the time, Siebel was licensing the Junkers Ju 88, which is why only 15 prototypes could be built at Harley. Thus, the French SNCAN (Societe Nationale de Constructions Aeronautiques du Nord) produced the A-1 passenger aircraft and the former series A-0 between April 1942 and November 1943. The Czech protectorate CKD/BMM delivered the first Blind D-0 flight trainer in January 1943, followed by 44 pre-production D-0 aircraft.

The D-1 series was launched in March 1943 by Aero, also located in the Czech protectorate, and in June 1943 by Aero. BMM company started or July 1943. In August 1943, SNCAN also supplied the first D-1.

Aero began production of the D-3 in October 1944. The D-3 had wooden wings and a wooden metal tail. In France, production of the D-1 ceased in August 1944 due to liberation. A total of 168 Si 204 were fabricated by SNCAN.

BMM produced the aircraft until October 1944, then switched to producing spare parts for the Si 204. The airline ceased production of the D-1 in March 1945 after building 486 aircraft, and then switched to only the D-3. However, the aircraft was not built until January 1945, with 541 prototypes completed.

So total production, including prototypes, was 1,216 units.

After the war, Czechoslovakia and France continued to produce the Si 204. In Czechoslovakia, Aero Vodochody produced 179 Si 204Ds, which by 1949 were developed into the Aero C-3A and C-3B military trainer variants (later used for Bombardier training), the C-103 passenger variant and the Aero D-44 Military transport variant.

In France, SNCAC, commonly known as Aerocentre, produced 240 transport NC-701 Martinets and a number (110?) passenger NC-702 Martinets. The NC-701 and NC-702 have three-bladed propellers and are powered by a 440 kW (590 hp) Renault 12S-00 engine.

The handpiece of the NC-702 is similar to the Si 204A.

Specification

BASIC

Year of Service

1942

Origins

Nazi Germany

Crew

2

Production

1,216

Manufacturer

Siebel - Nazi Germany

Carrier

Czechoslovakia; France; Nazi Germany; Netherlands; Hungary; Poland; Slovakia; Sweden; Switzerland; former Soviet Union

Roles

Transportation

General transport function for moving supplies/cargo or people (including casualties and VIPs) out of range.

Education (General)

Develop the ability to become a dedicated student pilot instructor (usually under the supervision of an instructor).

Dimensions and Weight

Length

42.7 feet

(13.00m)

Width/span

70. 0 feet

(21.35m)

Height

13.9 feet

(4.25m)

Cured weight

8,708 lbs

(3,950 kg)

MTOW

12,346 lbs

(5,600 kg)

Wgt Difference

+?3,638

(+1,650 kg)

Performance

Installed:

2 x Argus As 411-A1 V12 air-cooled radial piston engines, 592 hp each.

Maximum speed

227 km/h

(365 km/h | 197 knots)

Maximum

20,997 feet

(6,400 m | 4 km)

Range

870 mi

(1,400 km | 2,593 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

360 ft/min

(110 m/min)

RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: < 614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: > 19030

ARMAMENT

None.

VARIANTS

Fh-104 - Early developmental formSi-204 - Prototype aircraft; fifteen completed. Si-204A - Pre-production modelSi-204D - Trainer variantC-3 - Post-war variant for Czechoslovakiaby Aero. C-3A - Flight trainerC-3B - Crew trainerD-44 - Civilian passenger transportNC.

701 "Martinet" - Post-war French model built by SNCAC; military transport version. NC. 702 - Post-war French model by SNCAC; passenger transport version.