SNCASE S.E.116 (Fonceur)

History of SNCASE S.E. 116 (Fonceur)

After the end of World War II (1939-1945) in 1945, the rebuilt French Air Force - like every other country - due to the Republic P-47 A surplus of former American fighter jets such as the Thunderbolt and the Vought F4U Corsair. For their time in the air and well-equipped, these designs were useful (at least for now) for the French to maintain control over their various overseas territories.

Nonetheless, consideration has been given to increasing the aging fighter fleet into a more capable type better suited for close air support (CAS) and insurgent (COIN) missions.

The main threat to France itself was the Soviet Union, which developed into a military power during and immediately after World War II. This means that if Germany were to split on its borders, the country could soon be drawn into wars near or within the borders.

The Soviet advance was likely to focus on dense formations of troops and tanks - leading to the French need for suitable airborne attackers to respond. Added to this, the general unrest in the various overseas colonies, the demands of France proved enormous.

In August 1955, the French Air Force authorities issued a new requirement for an attack platform centered on a twin-engine layout and a 2-3 crew to share the workload. The ferry has an expected range of 1,245 miles and the vehicle maintains a top speed of nearly 255 mph. The aircraft is designed to fly "slowly and slowly" while carrying a variety of munitions, including air-to-surface missiles (ASM), conventionally thrown bombs, rockets and automatic cannons (2 x 30mm guns). become).

Hovering over contested areas to support ground forces will also be part of the new aircraft's design, and the airframe can double as reconnaissance, training and liaison roles if needed - so the aircraft needs to be flexible enough to accept this installation of camera equipment or other related system to meet all requirements. Training and liaison roles are ultimately detailed in separate requirements.

SE 116 "Fonceur" (or "Charger"), also known as "X-116", is one of many entries considered for this attacker request. Introduced by Sud Est engineers in 1955 (as the SNCASE SE X-116B project), this stylish aircraft included the required twin-engine arrangement with three crew members in tandem on the nose/forward fuselage. The crew was divided into three distinct workplaces - the pilot in the middle under the "bubble" canopy, one crew member directly aft, and the third managing the defensive abdominal machine gun position. The low-mounted main aircraft made the SE 116 the first French aircraft with a laminar flow wing.

The rear wing is a traditional single-fin design.

While a plethora of engine options were considered throughout the SE 116 design cycle, the aircraft was originally intended to be powered by 2 Turbomeca 'Bastan' 650hp small bore light turboprop engines, which were under development at the time. These were eventually replaced by off-the-shelf 800hp Wright 'Cyclone 7' air-cooled Meridians, and the first airworthy prototype was completed.

However, a second airworthy prototype soon appeared alongside the planned Bastan unit.

Specification

Basics

Years of Service

1958

Origins

France

Status

Cancel

Development ended.

Crew

3

Production

3

Manufacturer

SNCASE / Sud-Est France

Carrier

France (removed)

Roles

Ground attack (bombing, strafing)

The ability to conduct air strikes against ground targets using (but not limited to) artillery, bombs, rockets, rockets, etc.

Disable support (CAS)

Designed to operate near active ground elements with a wide range of air-to-surface weapon and ammunition options.

Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR), reconnaissance

Monitor ground targets/target areas to assess surrounding threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

X-Plane (development, prototype, tech demo)

Aircraft designed for prototyping, technology demonstration, or research/data collection.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

40. 1 ft

(12.22m)

Width/span

59. 0 feet

(17.97m)

Height

18.7 feet

(5.71m)

Cured weight

9,259 lbs

(4,200 kg)

MTOW

12,544 lbs

(5,690 kg)

Wgt Difference

+3,285 lbs

(+1,490 kg)

Performance

Installed:

2 Wright Cyclone 7 air-cooled radial piston engines, 800 hp each, or 2 Turbomeca Bastan turboprops, 650 hp each, driving 2 3-blade propeller units.

Maximum speed

277 km/h

(445 km/h | 240 knots)

Maximum

39,370 feet

(12,000 m | 7 km)

Area

1,243 km

(2,000 km | 3,704 nautical miles)

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

Weapons

Standard: 2 x 30mm DEFA 552 autocannons in removable fanny packs (fixed, forward firing). Optional: Supports SS11 or SS12 Wire-Based Anti-Tank Missiles (ATGMs), rockets, or conventionally thrown bombs via a total of six underwing hardpoints (three per wing).

The ventral weapon pack can also be replaced with a camera scout pack.