Sud Aviation Caravelle

Origins On 12 October 1951, the Comité du matériel civil (civil aircraft committee) published a specification for a medium-range aircraft, which was later sent to the aviation industry by the Direction technique et industrielle. This called for an aircraft capable of carrying 55 to 65 passengers and of cargo on routes up to with a cruising speed of about . The type and number of engines were not specified. Since 1946, various design studies for aircraft in this category had already been underway at several of the leading French aircraft manufacturing organisations, and had resulted in some ambitious concepts being mooted. None of these firms possessed the financial power to independently embark on the substantial development work involved, let alone to establish a manufacturing line for the construction of such aircraft. while the rest of the airliner was locally designed. shortly thereafter, the type commenced operations with Air France as well. Aviation writer M.G. Douglas attributed the type's favourable early sales record to the effective marketing campaign of performing demonstrations to prospective customers using the two prototypes, as well to the Caravelle having effectively no jet-powered rivals, being the only short-haul jetliner for several years following its introduction. Several models of the Caravelle were developed and produced over the lifetime of the production run, often in response to the increasing power of the available engines, which allowed higher takeoff weights to be adopted. By 1963, there were a total of six different versions of the Caravelle in production, designated III, VI-N, VI-R, 10A, 10B, and X-BIR. Of these, the Caravelle III was considered to be the basic version of the airliner, while the other variants featured an increasing number of improvements. The Caravelle VI-N was equipped with more powerful Avon 531 engines and an additional heat exchanger for the air conditioning, while the Caravelle VI-R, which had come about as a result of demands by U.S. carrier United Airlines, was furnished with thrust reverser-equipped Avon 352s, a revised windscreen design, soundproofing, a new luggage compartment door, and wing spoilers. The Caravelle 10A and 10B, which differed only in the engines used and were commonly referred to as the Super Caravelle (not to be confused with the later supersonic transport design), featured the improvements of the VI-R in addition to a high degree of further design changes. The more high-profile modifications included a stretch of the fuselage by ; a highly altered wing; an aerodynamic fairing behind the fin of the tailplane; expanded cargo capacity via raised floor support struts; and higher cabin windows. Other changes included the adoption of variable-displacement pumps for the hydraulic system and the use of AC-based generators in place of earlier DC counterparts along with an auxiliary power unit (APU). The redesigned wing was equipped with double-slotted Fowler flaps, additional and repositioned stall vanes, aerodynamic improvements to the wing root and adjustments to the leading edge that improved the performance of the wing during the crucial takeoff and landing phases of flight. Despite its commercial success, however, the Caravelle was soon displaced from being the focus of Sud Aviation's development efforts as the majority of the company's design engineers were progressively reallocated onto an entirely new project that was intended to produce a successor to the Caravelle. The project was relatively ambitious, having the aim of producing a viable supersonic transport that possessed the same general size and range as the Caravelle. It was decided that the envisioned supersonic airliner should be naturally named after the firm's recent success, thus the Super-Caravelle name was applied to the design. Ultimately, the work on the Super-Caravelle would be merged with similar work that had been undertaken by Britain's Bristol Aeroplane Company, and would result in the development of Concorde. In total, 282 Caravelles of all types were manufactured (2 prototypes or pre-production aircraft and 280 production aircraft); reportedly, Sud Aviation's projected break-even point for the type had been forecast to be around the 200-unit mark. ==Design==

turbojet engine The Caravelle belongs to the first generation of passenger aircraft to use newly developed jet propulsion technology, and it was the first jet airliner developed specifically for the short/medium-range sector of the market. Early in the Caravelle's career, its chief competitors were propeller-driven aircraft, such as the British-built Vickers Viscount and the U.S.-built Convair CV-440. The final assembly line for the Caravelle was at Sud Aviation's factory at Blagnac Airport near Toulouse. Much of the aircraft was manufactured at other sites across France and in other countries, however. The production of large portions of the Caravelle had been subcontracted to other manufacturers; these included the Italian aircraft manufacturer Fiat Aviazione, which produced the aircraft's tailplane, fin, ailerons, and engine nacelles; and French aviation firm Breguet Aviation, which performed the outfitting of the rear fuselage; while much of the ancillary equipment of the Caravelle originated from either British or U.S. manufacturers. Sud Aviation constructed and outfitted the nose section, along with manufacturing the tailcone, rudder, Fowler flaps, both the leading edges and trailing edges of the wing, and the majority of the fuselage. ==Variants==

;Caravelle I : Similar to the original prototypes; first flew on 14 May 1958. This variant was powered by two Rolls-Royce RA-29 Avon Mk.522 with of unitary thrust and a capacity of 80 passengers. French certification was obtained on 2 April 1959, and U.S. certification was obtained six days later. The first revenue flight took place that year with Air France on the Paris-Rome-Athens–Istanbul route. Air France Caravelle registration F-BHRB "Lorraine" was introduced in the Paris-London route on 27 July 1959. : Sales: 20 were sold; to Air France (10), SAS (6), Air Algérie (2) and VARIG (2). One of the VARIG aircraft was leased by Sud to Air Vietnam and Middle East Airlines before delivery to Royal Air Maroc. In Australia, Trans Australia Airlines had planned to re-equip with the Caravelle but as Ansett felt this was too advanced at that stage for its own needs, under Australia's Two Airlines Policy both airlines were required to purchase the Ansett preference (the less-advanced turbo-prop Lockheed L-188 Electra). ;Caravelle IA : This variant had the same external configuration as variant I but with more powerful engines, the Rolls-Royce Avon RA-29/1 Mk.526 giving improved capabilities. The first flight took place on 11 February 1960. Caravelle I and IA aircraft were later converted to the III variant. : Sales: 12 built. Deliveries were to Air France, SAS, Air Algérie, Finnair, and Royal Air Maroc. Caravelle III, powered by Rolls-Royce Avon turbojets ;Caravelle III : Later improvements to the Avon led to the Caravelle III. It first flew on 30 December 1959, entering service with Alitalia in April 1960. The Caravelle III was powered by Rolls-Royce Avon RA-29/3 Mk.527 and RA-29/3 Mk.527B engines, both with of unitary thrust. : Sales: The Series III was the best-selling Caravelle with 78 built. All but one of the 32 Series Is built were upgraded to Series III standard. Air Inter used 16 of this type for its domestic routes. Major deliveries were to Air France, as well as aircraft for Swissair, Alitalia, SAS, and Royal Air Maroc. ;Caravelle VI-N : N standing for "normal". A version with more powerful Avon RA-29/6 Mk 531 and RA 29/6 Mk 531B engines producing of unitary thrust. The capabilities were improved and the weights increased; the actual payload was reduced. The Caravelle VI-N first flew on 10 September 1960, beginning service with Belgian airline Sabena in January 1961. Five of the 78 Series IIIs were upgraded to Series VI-N. :Sales: 53 built. Deliveries to Saeta, Corse Air, Europe A.S., Minerve, Indian Airlines and Yugoslav Airlines. ;Caravelle VI-R : First Caravelle with thrust reversers. The cockpit windows were made larger with redesigned layout and more powerful brakes were introduced. It first flew on 6 February 1961, obtaining U.S. certification on 5 June that same year. It began service with United Airlines on 14 July. The VI-R was powered by Avon Ra-29 Mk. 533R and Mk 535R (R, for Reverse) engines with a unitary thrust of . :Sales: 56 built, 20 for United Airlines. Other series VI customers included Indian Airlines (9), Panair do Brasil (4), Cruzeiro do Sul, Iberia Líneas Aéreas De España (4), LAN Chile (3), Aerolíneas Argentinas (3) and TAP Portugal (3). This model was also used by Filipinas Orient Airways Aerocesar, Airborne Express and SA Nacionales. ;Caravelle VII : This was a Series III (c/n 042) that was purchased by General Electric, ferried to the United States as Santa Marian 9 and equipped with General Electric CJ805 aft-fan engines, becoming, in effect, the engine test-bed for the Caravelle 10A. Flight tests with the new engines began on 29 December 1960 and a second aircraft was planned to be converted, but this aircraft became the sole Caravelle 10A. ;Caravelle 10A : Based on the Series VII, but intended for the U.S. market, the 10A was longer than the Series VI, with the windows located higher on the fuselage. The sole prototype was powered by two General Electric CJ-805-23C aft-fan engines and flew for the first time on 31 August 1962. A modified wing with improved flaps was fitted to meet U.S. certification requirements, as was an auxiliary power unit (APU) in the rear fuselage. Trans World Airlines (TWA) cancelled its order for 20 aircraft due to financial problems, however, and by the time TWA was in a position to purchase new aircraft, the Douglas DC-9 was preferred. After testing the prototype was scrapped. turbofans] ;Caravelle 10B (Super Caravelle) : Based on the Series 10A, this variant offered many modifications in respect to other series. It introduced a leading edge extension (a fillet added to the front of an aircraft wings in order to provide usable airflow at high angles of attack). The wing had plain flaps instead of the earlier models' double-slotted Fowler flaps and the fuselage was extended , with an increase in passenger capacity to 105. The engines used were the new Pratt & Whitney JT8D turbofan engines with of unitary thrust. The 10B first flew on August 31, 1964 and was produced as a run of 22 aircraft. : Launch customer and primary operator of the 10B was Finnair with 8 examples. Aviaco ordered 5 but this was cancelled, with those aircraft going to Sterling Airways, LTU, and Iberia Airlines. Alia and Union des Transports Aériens (UTA) also acquired aircraft. The last operational Caravelle was a Type 3 10B that flew with Waltair until 2005. ;Caravelle 10R : A combination of the 10B's engines on the Series VI-R fuselage, creating a smaller but higher powered aircraft. Maximum weight at take-off was increased to ( more than the Series I and more than the Series VI-R). It first flew on 8 January 1965 and received U.S. certification on 23 May of that same year. : A total of 20 were built, starting service with Alia on July 31, 1965. It also flew with Aero Lloyd, CTA, Hispania and SAT, among others. ;Caravelle 11R : The 11R had a fuselage length of ( more than other variants) and incorporated a cargo door in the port side. This enabled it to carry a mixed load of passengers and cargo. First flight of the series 11R was on 21 April 1967. : Only six were built, delivered to Air Afrique, Air Congo, and Transeuropa of Spain. , lengthened by ;Caravelle 12 (Super Caravelle) : This was the last version of the Caravelle to appear, first flying on 12 March 1971. The Series 12 was a 10B with a noticeably longer fuselage, stretched by , and a newer uprated version of the JT8D engines with of unitary thrust. This allowed for up to 140 passengers over a reduced range. The Caravelle 12 was aimed primarily at the charter market, produced to 12 examples starting in 1972. By this point Concorde was in production; this design was originally known in France as Sud Aviation Super-Caravelle. The Caravelle 12 was often also referred to by this name. : The launch customer for the Series 12 was Sterling Airways with seven delivered, while the remaining five went to Air Inter. Series 12s flew in Europe until October 1996, and in Africa until more recently. : The unit cost was US$5.5M. (1972) ==Operators==

The Caravelle served with airlines on every continent except Australia. In 1957, Trans-Australia Airlines (TAA) sought to order two Caravelles, to service its longest routes, Perth-Sydney and Perth-Melbourne, from 1960. However, the Australian government blocked the order, saying that any further diversity in full-size airliners used on domestic routes would have an adverse impact on aircraft servicing within Australia. Civil operators 1973 Military and government operators ==Incidents and accidents==

For 45 years of commercial operation, 67 Caravelles have been withdrawn from service as a result of destruction or for irreparable damage. None of these accidents and incidents are attributed to a design defect, only a few technical failures, human errors, or sabotage. The total loss of life in accidents in the Caravelle is more than 1,300. The accident rate per million flights is estimated at more than 5.5, compared with less than 1 for the most recent airliners. • 19 January 1960 – Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 871, a Caravelle I, crashed at Esenboga Airport, Turkey due to excessive descent for reasons unknown. Seven crew members and 35 passengers lost their lives. • 19 May 1960 — A Caravelle of Air Algérie, F-OBNI, collided with a Stampe single-engine biplane on approach to Paris-Orly and managed to land. The small aircraft was destroyed and its pilot was killed, as well as one passenger of the Caravelle, 18 other persons on board were injured. • 12 September 1961 – Air France Flight 2005, a Caravelle III, crashed near Rabat, Morocco after the crew misread instruments, killing all 77 on board. • 27 September 1961 – Varig Flight 592-J, a Caravelle III, crashed when landing at Brasília International Airport in Brazil, caught fire and was totally destroyed. Despite this, there were no casualties. Among the passengers were the governor of the Rio Grande do Sul state, Leonel Brizola, and three ministers of state of the newly sworn president João Goulart. This was the first air accident in the new Brazilian capital, founded only 16 months before. • 4 September 1963 – Swissair Flight 306 crashed shortly after take-off from Zürich following an in-flight fire, killing all 80 people on board. • 18 April 1964 – Middle East Airlines Flight 444 (registration OD-AEM) crashed at night into the Persian Gulf, 10 miles out from Dhahran Airport, Saudi Arabia, killing all 49 on board; the cause was never determined. • 15 February 1966 – an Indian Airlines Caravelle VI-N registered as VT-DPP crashed short of the runway at Palam Airport in poor visibility, killing two of 80 on board. • 4 September 1966 – an Indian Airlines Caravelle VI-N registered as VT-DSB struck a hill at 800 feet during a training flight, killing the four crew. • 30 June 1967 – Thai Airways International Flight 601, a Caravelle III, crashed into the sea while landing at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport during a tropical heavy rainstorm. Twenty-four people were killed. • 4 November 1967 – Iberia Airlines Flight 062, a Caravelle 10R, struck Blackdown Hill, Sussex, United Kingdom, killing all 37 passengers and crew. • 11 September 1968 – Air France Flight 1611, a Caravelle III en route from the island of Corsica to Nice, France, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off Nice following an in-flight fire, killing all 95 on board; in 2011 a report surfaced that a missile may have shot down the aircraft. • 28 December 1968 – two Middle East Airlines Caravelle VI-Ns (registrations OD-AEE and OD-AEF), along with 12 other aircraft, were destroyed at Beirut International Airport by Israeli commandos in retaliation for a terrorist attack on a Boeing aircraft in Athens. • 26 July 1969 – an Air Algérie Caravelle VI-N (registration 7T-VAK) crashed at near Hassi Messaoud Airport, Algeria killing 33 passengers and crew out of 37. The aircraft crashed onto the runway while attempting an emergency landing due to an in-flight fire. • 8 October 1969 – A Cruzeiro do Sul Caravelle VI-R en route from Belém-Val de Cães to Manaus-Ponta Pelada in Brazil was hijacked by four people who demanded to be flown to Cuba. The hijacking lasted less than a day and there were no casualties. • 1 April 1970 – a Royal Air Maroc Caravelle III registered as CN-CCV crashed on approach to Casablanca following a loss of control, killing 61 of 72 on board. • 20 November 1971 – China Airlines Flight 825, a Caravelle III (registration B-1852), crashed near Penghu, Taiwan due to a possible bomb explosion, killing all 25 passengers and crew on board. • 7 January 1972 – Iberia Airlines Flight 602 crashed into a mountain while on approach to Ibiza Airport, Spain. All 104 passengers and crew were killed. • 14 March 1972 – Sterling Airways Flight 296 crashed 20 mi west of Kalba, United Arab Emirates due to pilot error, killing all 112 passengers and crew in the worst ever accident involving the Caravelle. The accident is also the deadliest in the United Arab Emirates. • 1 June 1973 – Cruzeiro do Sul Flight 109, a Caravelle VI-N (registration PP-PDX) operating from Belém-Val de Cans to São Luís crashed on approach to São Luís. The left engine lost power and the aircraft attained an extreme nose-up attitude. It stalled and crashed 760m to the right of the runway. All 23 passengers and crew died. • 13 August 1973 – Aviaco Flight 118 crashed near A Coruña, Spain, killing all 85 passengers and crew, while attempting to land at Alvedro Airport (now A Coruña Airport) in heavy fog. • 11 September 1973 – JAT Airways Flight 769, a Caravelle VI-N, struck Babin Zub Peak while on approach to Titograd Airport, killing all 41 passengers and crew on board. The accident remains the worst in Montenegro. • 22 December 1973 – A Sobelair Caravelle VI-N operating for Royal Air Maroc) Caravelle VI-N (OO-SRD) struck Mount Mellaline while on approach to Tangier Airport, killing all 106 passengers and crew on board. • 15 March 1974 – A Sterling Airways Caravelle 10B3 experienced a landing gear failure as it was taxiing for take-off at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport leading to 15 passengers being killed and 37 passengers and crew injured. • 12 October 1976 – Indian Airlines Flight 171, a Caravelle VI-N, crashed at Santacruz Airport following a loss of control caused by an uncontained engine failure and in-flight fire, killing all 95 on board. • 18 December 1977 – SA de Transport Aérien Flight 730 crashed into the sea while on final approach to Madeira Airport due to pilot error, killing 36 of 52 on board; the wreckage was found in 2011. • 30 September 1978 – A Finnair Caravelle was hijacked by an unemployed home building contractor carrying a gun. With 44 passengers and 5 crew on board the aircraft flew to Amsterdam, Netherlands. After that it flew to Helsinki, where the hijacker released his hostages and received his demanded money. It then flew to Oulu, where he was arrested at his house the following day. • 19 June 1980 - An Airborne Express Caravelle VI-R registered as N905MW crashed at Atlanta Hartsfield Airport on approach to runway 26. The probable cause was listed as a poorly planned approach, vortex turbulence, and failure to follow approved procedures, directives, etc. • 21 December 1980 – A Transportes Aereos del César (Aerocésar) Caravelle VIR (registration HK-1810) crashed near Riohacha, Colombia due to an explosion and in-flight fire, killing all 70 on board. The cause of the explosion was unknown. (1980 Riohacha Transportes Aéreos del Cesar Caravelle crash) • 29 April 1983, SAN Ecuador Flight 832, a Caravelle VI-R (reg. HC-BAJ, sn. 125) crashed near the southern end of the runway of the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Guayaquil, Ecuador after attempting to execute an emergency landing. The plane had suffered an engine failure shortly after taking off from Guayaquil on a flight to Quito, and the crew was returning to the airport. However, the second engine failed while overflying the city and the plane stalled just as it approached the airport. Cap. Germán Cruz crash-landed the plane in a muddy puddle, produced by recent El Niño rains, near the end of the runway, with the fuselage breaking in three parts but without causing a fire. The accident killed 8 of the 100 people on board and injured several others, but the fact that the puddle acted as a form of cushion to the plane helped avoid more fatalities. The pilot had previously reported engine issues and had tested the plane the previous day, after which it was subjected to maintenance and was later reported as fit to fly shortly before the ill-fated flight. • 2 July 1983 - An Altair Caravelle III registered as F-BHRS experienced an uncontained engine failure while accelerating for takeoff at Milan Malpensa Airport, Italy. Takeoff was quickly aborted and all 89 occupants survived but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The derelict aircraft remained at Milan Malpensa Airport for years afterward. • 18 January 1986 – An Aerovias Caravelle temporarily leased from Ecuador's SAETA crashed in the jungle after missing its first approach, killing all 93 occupants. The flight had originated in Guatemala City and was to land at Mundo Maya International Airport in the northern department of Petén. ==Aircraft on display==

in Brussels Museum at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, France ;Europe • F-BHRA Caravelle III (msn. 1) originally delivered to Air France as Alsace. Preserved at the Piet Smedts Autobedrijf in Baarlo, Netherlands. • F-BHHI Caravelle III (msn. 2) second prototype – briefly appeared in Air France color scheme but never flew with the airline. Forward fuselage preserved at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace in Paris. • LN-KLH Caravelle III (msn. 3) originally delivered to SAS as Finn Viking. Preserved at the Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology, Oslo, Norway. • SE-DAA Caravelle III (msn. 4) originally delivered to SAS as Eskil Viking. The nose section is in poor condition at the Finnish Aviation Museum, Helsinki. • PH-TRO Caravelle III (msn. 33) originally delivered to Transavia Holland. Nose section preserved at the Aviodome, Lelystad, Netherlands. • OY-KRD Caravelle III (msn. 47) originally delivered to SAS as Ulf Viking. Entire aircraft on display at the Danish Museum of Science & Technology, Helsingør, Denmark. • F-BHRT Caravelle III (msn. 55) originally delivered to Air France as Picardie. Preserved as instructional airframe at Merville-Colonnes airfield, France • CN-CCX Caravelle III (msn. 57) originally delivered to Royal Air Maroc. in use as a training aircraft at the Mohammedia School of Hospitality and Tourism, Mohammedia, Morocco. • F-BHRY Caravelle III (msn. 61) originally delivered to Air France as Touraine. On display at the Musée de l'Epopée et de l'Aéronautique in Albert, France. • OO-SRA Caravelle VI-N (msn. 64) originally delivered to Sabena. Entire aircraft preserved at the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History, Brussels, Belgium. • SE-DAF Caravelle III (msn. 112) originally delivered to SAS as Sven Viking. On display at Turku Airport, Finland. Painted in Finnair 1963 livery with registration OH-LEA. • F-ZACE Caravelle III (msn. 116) originally delivered to Finnair as OH-LED and flown by the French Air Force as 116/CE. On display at Musée Européen de l'Aviation de Chasse, Montélimar, France. • YU-AHB Caravelle VI-N (msn. 135) originally delivered to JAT Yugoslav Airlines as Bled. On display at the Museum of Yugoslav Aviation, near the Nikola Tesla International Airport. • SE-DAG Caravelle III (msn. 172) originally delivered to SAS as Dag Viking. Currently on display at the Swedish Air Force Museum, Linköping. The aircraft served with the Swedish Air Force (tail number 851) for signal reconnaissance. • F-BJEN Caravelle 10R Super B (msn. 185) originally delivered to Finnair as OH-LSC Turku. Forward fuselage section preserved Corlier, France, as "Aeroclub du Haut-Bugey". • SE-DAI Caravelle III (msn. 210) originally delivered to SAS as Alrik Viking. Fully restored in taxiable condition and preserved by Le Caravelle Club at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Sweden. • F-BYCY Caravelle 12 (msn. 233) originally delivered to JAT Yugoslav Airlines as YU-AHG and flown by Aerotur and Corse Air. Preserved at Moyenpal, France and was renovated into a hotel • F-BOHA Caravelle III (msn. 242) originally delivered to Air France as Guyane. On display at Avignon – Provence Airport, France. • F-GHMU Caravelle 12 (msn. 249) originally delivered to Sterling Airways as OY-STE before being sold to Air Toulouse International; also flew for Air City as HB-IKD and the government of the Central African Republic as TL-ABB and European Air Service as F-GCJT. Preserved and on display at the Ailes Anciennes de Toulouse Museum at Toulouse-Blagnac, France. • • F-GCVL Caravelle 12 (msn. 273) originally delivered to Sterling Airways as OY-SAE and later flown by Air Inter and Air Provence. Preserved and on display at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, Paris. • F-GCVK Caravelle 12 (msn. 276) originally delivered to Sterling Airways as OY-SAG and flown by Air Inter. In use as instructional airframe in Air Inter colours at Merville-Colonnes airfield, France • F-BTOE Caravelle 12 (msn. 280) originally delivered to Air Inter. Preserved and on display at the Aeroscopia Museum at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, France. ;North America • N1001U Caravelle VI-R (msn. 86) originally delivered to United Air Lines. Preserved at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, in Aero Service markings. • HK-2836 Caravelle 10R (msn. 211) originally delivered to Finnair as Kuopio. Also flew for Air Charter and EAS - Europe Aero Service as F-GDFZ before being sold to SEC Colombia as HK-3836 and LAS - Lineas Aereas Suramericanas as HK-3836X, going on to serve with the Fuerza Aerea Mexicana, serial 10506. On display inside Parque Aviacuatico Los Manantiales, Jilotepec–Ixtlahuaca Highway at km 39. • N901MW Caravelle VI-R (msn. 62) originally delivered to Serviços Aéreos Cruzeiro do Sul. Later flew for Airborne Express. Currently preserved on the apron of John Glenn International Airport in Columbus, Ohio as a firefighting training aid. ;Africa • I-DABA Caravelle VI-N (msn. 71) originally with Alitalia, before being sold to the Congo as 9Q-CRU. Repainted and on display at the "Aero Beach Craft" park and buffet near Entebbe, Uganda. == Specifications ==