From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nord Noratlas
Nord Noratlas
Nord Noratlas rest, complicating cargo stowing; restrictive side-loading
doors; and limited payload.
Accordingly, in 1947 Direction Technique Industrielle or-
ganized a design competition for medium-weight cargo
aircraft offering great flexibility in use. Société Nationale
de Construction Aéronautique du Nord (SNCAN) answered
with the Nord 2500, while their competitors, Breguet and
SNCASO, offered the BR-891R Mars and SO-30C respec-
tively. The Nord 2500, with its rear-opening clamshell
doors allowing ease of loading, was considered the most
promising, and DTI ordered two prototypes on April 27,
1948.
The first prototype took to the air on September 10,
1949 powered by two Gnome-Rhône 14R engines of
1,600 hp driving 3-bladed variable pitch propellers, but it
Nord 2501 Noratlas at the Airforce Museum of the
was found to be too slow for most applications. The sec-
Bundeswehr; Berlin-Gatow
ond prototype replaced the 14Rs with two SNECMA-built
Role Military Transport Bristol Hercules 738/9 2,040 hp engines driving four-
National origin France
bladed propellers, and this model was rechristened the
Nord 2501. DTI ordered 3 more preproduction Nord
Manufacturer Nord Aviation 2501s, which they flight-tested extensively against the
Designer Jean Calvy similar Fairchild C-82 Packet. The N-2501 was found su-
perior, and the first 34 were ordered on July 10, 1951.
First flight 1949-09-10 After an eventual production run of some 425 planes,
Introduction 1953-06-12 the last Noratlas was constructed in 1961.
Retired 1989, France
Status Retired
Operational history
Primary users France French Air Force
Germany
Greece The Noratlas Nord 2501 gained fame during the Suez Cri-
Israel sis of 1956, when French paratroopers dropped over the
south of Port Said and Port Fouad in Egypt. Its history be-
Number built 425
gan four years earlier.
1952 was marked by the unfortunate crash of the first
The Nord Noratlas was a 1950s French military transport
Nord 2501 prototype as it underwent further testing, and
aircraft intended to replace the older types in service at
on January 9, 1953, the Nord 2501 was baptized the No-
the end of World War II. Several hundred were produced
ratlas by the widow of the pilot killed in the crash. De-
in a run lasting over a decade, finding a wide variety of
spite this setback, the program was able to fulfill its ini-
uses.
tial contract for 34 planes by June 25, 1953, and the Ar-
mée de l’Air went on to order another 174 planes, for a
Development total of 208.
At the end of World War II, the French Armée de l’Air was These were initially overwhelmingly cargo planes,
left with two primary transport aircraft: the Junkers Ju though 10 were ordered fitted out for passengers; how-
52, built in France after the end of the war, and the Dou- ever, following the conclusion of operations in Algeria in
glas C-47, received from US surplus. While both had giv- 1962, many were converted to other roles (detailed be-
en good service, they were no longer modern, and they low). Of these modifications, the eight Nord Gabriels (an
suffered from a common set of flaws: tail-dragger land- electronic warfare platform) were useful the longest, and
ing gear which gave them a nose-up attitude when at it was the last of this type that was finally phased out in
1989 by the Armée de l’Air.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nord Noratlas
German Air Force Hellenic Air Force
In 1970, the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) received 50 surplus
Noratlases from Germany as World War II compensations
and NATO help. These Noratlases were based at Elefsis
AFB near Athens, with the 354th Tactical Airlift Squadron
(112th Tactical Fighter Wing). Hellenic Air Force 354th
Sqdr Noratlases were used in the airlifting of the 1st
Greek Rangers Squadron from Crete (Souda) to Cyprus
Nord Aviation N 2501D Noratlas at the Technik Museum, Spey- (Nicosia) on the night of July 21–22, 1974, during the
er, Germany Turkish invasion of Cyprus. In spite of the aircraft age
and the adverse flying conditions, 12 of the 15 aircraft
West Germany, faced with the same situation that had which participated in operation "Nike" (Victory in
prompted the development of the Noratlas, eventually Greek) managed to land at Nicosia airport. The Greek 1st
ordered a total of 186 Noratlases from 1956 on, of which Rangers Squadron managed to keep the National Airport
25 were built in France, and the other 161 manufactured of Nicosia in UN hands and did not surrender it to the
in West Germany by Flugzeugbau Nord under contract. Turkish Brigade which attacked the airport.
These last were designated N-2501D. The Luftwaffe began
selling its Noratlases in 1964, and is the source for most Portuguese Air Force
of the planes for the smaller national operators listed be-
The Portuguese Air Force purchased six militarized
low.
N-2502As (designated N-2502F) over 1961-1962 as well.
Portugal also bought 12 N-2501s. The planes were used in
Israel Air Force Portugal colonial wars in Africa in the 1970s.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) initially purchased three ex-
amples of the N-2501IS in 1956, but under duress—the Other Air Forces
French government would only allow them to purchase
Used French and German aircraft were bought by Niger
12 Dassault Ouragans if they purchased three Noratlases
(4), Nigeria (6) and Chad (10).
as well. The Israelis were upset by the terms of the offer,
but France was one of very few countries willing to sell
Civilian
them modern arms, and eventually they knuckled under.
However, they quickly realized the utility of the Noratlas The N-2502A/B, which added two small Turbomeca Mar-
following its performance in the Suez Crisis, and pur- boré IIE turbojets at the wingtips, was used primarily
chased another three N-2501ISs in 1959, and 16 N-2501Ds by civil operators such as Aéromaritime du Transport
before the Six-Day War. These were primarily intended (N-2502A) and CGTA-Air Algérie (N-2502B), but never
for cargo and paratroop transport, although several were found the success of the military versions, and only ten
put to more unconventional use as bombers on long- were built. There were also several variants of limited
range strikes into Egypt (operation Drought), much as service that are mentioned below.
the contemporary C-130s deployed the Daisy Cutter
bomb in Vietnam. It is also known that the IAF used their Variants
Noratlases for maritime reconnaissance at the outset of
the Six-Day War, and one of these supposedly identified
the USS Liberty prior to the strafing of the ship. The IAF Operators
phased the Noratlas out in 1978.
Military operators
Civilian operators
• ACE/Transvalair
• Union des Transports Aériens
• Union Aéromaritime de Transport
Germany
Elbeflug
Zaire
Guila Air
Civil N-2502 of Aeromaritime with wingtip Turbomeca Mar-
bore auxiliary jets in 1957
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nord Noratlas
Specifications (Nord N-2501) •
•
199 mph (320 km/h) at 1,500 meters
1,550 mi (2,500 km)
General characteristics • 23,300 ft (7,100 m)
• 4-5 • 1,080 ft/min (5.5 m/s)
• 45 soldiers, 36 paratroopers, 18 patients with medics,
or cargo
• 72 ft 1 in (21.96 m)
See also
• 106 ft 8 in (32.5 m) • Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy
• 19 ft 8 in (6.0 m) • Blackburn Beverley
• 1089 ft² (101.2 m²) • C-119 Flying Boxcar
• 28,825 lb (13,075 kg)
• 18,647 lb (8,458 kg) External links
• 48,500 lb (22,000 kg)
• 2 × SNECMA-manufactured Bristol Hercules 738/739 • Operation ’NIKI’, Cyprus 1974
radial engine, 2,040 hp (1,520 kW) each • Nord 2501 D "Noratlas" Shown in maximum card of
Portugal
Performance
• EADS History of Aviation
• 273 mph/251 mph (440 km/h/405 km/h) maximum/
under full load
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nord_Noratlas&oldid=453797304"
Categories:
• French military transport aircraft 1940–1949
• Nord aircraft
• Twin boom aircraft
• Aircraft with auxiliary jet engines
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