Breguet Vultur
Encyclopedia
The Breguet Br.960 Vultur was a French
prototype
carrier-based
attack aircraft that first flew on 3 August 1951. Only two examples were built, but the work done on them later proved useful in the development of the Alizé
ASW aircraft.
The Vultur was a mixed-power design, combining an Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop
in the nose with a Rolls-Royce Nene
turbojet in the tail. It was a low-wing aircraft, with the wing featuring a swept leading edge and a straight trailing edge, and folding at the middle. The aircraft had tricycle landing gear, with the main gear hinged in the wings just inside the wing fold and retracting towards the fuselage
, and the nose gear retracting backwards.
The Vultur accommodated a pilot and copilot sitting side-by-side in a framed canopy. A typical payload was a single 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) bomb and eight rockets. It was fitted with radar
in a pod on the right wingtip, balanced by a fuel tank on the left wingtip. A large search radar could also be attached under the fuselage.
When the Aéronavale lost interest in a turboprop attack aircraft, but was keen to purchase a new anti-submarine warfare
platform, Breguet modified the second prototype as a demonstrator. Now known as the Br.965 Épaulard ("Killer Whale"), this aircraft was the immediate fore-runner of the Alizé.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
carrier-based
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
attack aircraft that first flew on 3 August 1951. Only two examples were built, but the work done on them later proved useful in the development of the Alizé
Breguet Alizé
|-See also:-References:*Michell, Simon. . Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 1994. ISBN 0-7106-1208-7.-External links:*...
ASW aircraft.
The Vultur was a mixed-power design, combining an Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
in the nose with a Rolls-Royce Nene
Rolls-Royce Nene
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgman, L, Jane's fighting aircraft of World War II. Crescent. ISBN 0-517-67964-7-External links:* *...
turbojet in the tail. It was a low-wing aircraft, with the wing featuring a swept leading edge and a straight trailing edge, and folding at the middle. The aircraft had tricycle landing gear, with the main gear hinged in the wings just inside the wing fold and retracting towards the fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
, and the nose gear retracting backwards.
The Vultur accommodated a pilot and copilot sitting side-by-side in a framed canopy. A typical payload was a single 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) bomb and eight rockets. It was fitted with radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
in a pod on the right wingtip, balanced by a fuel tank on the left wingtip. A large search radar could also be attached under the fuselage.
When the Aéronavale lost interest in a turboprop attack aircraft, but was keen to purchase a new anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
platform, Breguet modified the second prototype as a demonstrator. Now known as the Br.965 Épaulard ("Killer Whale"), this aircraft was the immediate fore-runner of the Alizé.