Sud-Est S.E.210 Caravelle

The Caravelle was France’s first and the world’s third jet powered airliner to enter service. This jet pioneered the rear fuselage pod-mounted engine design, in an effort to reduce cabin noise.

The Caravelle was made to fulfil a requirement from the French Secretariat General of Commercial and Civil Aviation for an aircraft capable of operating between France and her dependancies in North Africa. Specifically the aircraft would have to be able to carry a payload of 7000kg over a range of 1600-2000 km at a speed of 620 kph

SNCASE (latterly Sud Aviation, before subsequently merging with Aerospatiale) initially produced a tri-jet design designated X210, seating 65/90 passengers and powered by SNECMA Atar turbojets before settling on a twin-jet design powered by two Rolls Royce Avon’s. The first prototype (c/n01 F-WHHH ) used a modified nose section from the DeHavilland Comet and was ready for testing in April 1955 making the maiden flight from Toulouse the following month.  A second prototype was made as well as two static testbed models funded by the French government.

Air France and SAS were pre-launch customers and although the former received theirs on the 2 April 1959 the first revenue flight was by SAS on 26 April. later Caravelle’s were flown around the world and demonstrated at airshows to attract orders. After courting the US market and generating interest Sud was rewarded in orders initially from United Airlines who ordered 20. Other US carriers followed later.

Rolls Royce engines powered all the early models.  In total nine versions were built after the prototype. The Avon Mk522 powered Caravelle I was slightly stretched from the prototype to 105ft to accommodate a 79 seat layout, one of the rear cargo doors was deleted and the hold resized. 

The Caravelle IA featured more poweful Mk526 engines but was otherwise identical.

The Caravelle III first flew on 30 December 1959. This was the 2nd true production type and boasted uprated Avon Mk527s which extended the range. 31 Series I/IAs were later converted to this standard.

The Caravelle VI came in two types. Both were series III with uprated engines. Avon Mk 531 were fitted to the Caravelle VIN with refinements to the windshield. Avon Mk532s or Mk533s with thrust reversers were fitted to the Caravelle VIR. The first Series VI flew on 10 September 1960.

The Caravelle 10B (or Super B) of 1965 introduced more fuel efficient and quieter Pratt & Whitney JT8D turbofan engines. The fuselage was strecthed by 3ft 3in to accommodate 109 passengers.

The Caravelle 10R was a marriage of the shorter series VIR fuselage with JT8D engines. Many Caravelle VIRs were later re-engined with the JT8D and so brought up to Caravelle 10R standard.

The Caravelle 11R was a freighter/passenger combi and first flew in June 1967. Another fuselage stretch of 2ft 4in allowed the fitting of a port side, forward cargo door and featured the rear cargo door and larger hold of the prototype.

Eventually the series culminated in the final production version, the Caravelle 12, the type was further stretched by some 10ft 6in (3.21m) to carry upto 140 passengers in a single class layout (though a 2 class 128 seat was normal) and powered by two 6,577Kg (14,500 lb) thrust Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9 turbofans. This first flew 29 October 1970 and the last production ended in 1973.

No Avon Caravelles remain flying today and a hush kit was never developed. As the Caravelle was never stage3/chapter3 compliant the only flying ones left operate in remote regions, typically Colombia, South America and parts of Africa.