Dassault MD 315 Flamant

Flamant

Picture - Dassault MD 312 Flamant of the Armée de l'Air at Basle, September 1977

Role: Military transport aircraft
Manufacturer: Dassault Aviation
First flight: 6 July 1947 (MD.315)
Introduced: 1948
Retired: 1981
Primary users: French Air Force Vietnam Air Force Tunisian Air Force Cambodian Air Force

The Dassault MD 315 Flamant is a French light twin-engined transport airplane built shortly after World War II by Dassault Aviation for the French Air Force.

Design and development

Picture - Dassault M.D.315 Flamant

Design work on a twin-engined light transport started in 1946 with the MD 303, a development of an earlier project for an eight-seat communications aircraft the Marcel Bloch MB-30. The prototype MD 303 first flew on 26 February 1947 powered by two Béarn 6D engines, designed to meet a French Air Force requirement for a colonial communications aircraft. A re-engined version was ordered into production at the new Dassault factory at Bordeaux-Mérignac. The production aircraft was a low-wing monoplane with twin tail surfaces and a tri-cycle undercarriage and powered by two Renault 12S piston engines.

Three main versions of the aircraft now named Flamant (means Flamingo in French) were produced. The MD 315 10-seat colonial communication aircraft (first flown on 6 July 1947), the MD 312 six-seat transport aircraft (first flew on 27 April 1950), and the MD 311 navigation trainer (first flew on 23 March 1948. The MD 311 had a distinctive glazed nose for its role as both a bombing and navigation trainer.

Operational history

The first Flamant was delivered to the French Air Force in 1949 and deliveries of all versions was completed by 1953

The aircraft was used for pilot training, navigation training, light transport, maritime surveillance and light ground attack. During the Algerian War of Independence the plane was used for light attack with the Nord SS.11 and AS.11 antitank missiles or with machine guns, bombs, and rockets. The Flamant MD 311 (which were based in Algeria to train pilots and navigators at first) was the first aircraft in history to fire one of the world's first wire guided antitank missile in anger, using French Army SS.11 antitank missiles, in a combat experiment to get at fortified caves located in deep mountain gorges, 1956 from an aircraft based with the special unit of the French Air Force in Algeria, GOM.86. The SS.11 attacks proved extremely successful and the French Army which had provided the missiles, began an experiment which resulted in the worlds first attack helicopters firing antitank missiles. The Flamant stayed in service until 1981. In addition to the French air force, the Flamant served in Cambodia, Madagascar, Tunisia, and Vietnam.

Variants

MD 303
Dassault MD 311 Flamant trainer at the Paris Air Show 2007
Prototype, one built
MD 311
Bombing, navigation and photography training aircraft, 39 built.
MD 312
Six-seat transport and communications aircraft, 142 built.
MD 312B
Experimental version with heavier loaded weight, one built.
MD 315
10-seat utility transport aircraft, 137 built.
MD 316
One MD 315 aircraft fitted with two 820-hp (611-kW) SNECMA 14X Super Mars radial piston engines.
MD 316T
One prototype fitted with a single-finned tail, and two 800-hp (597-kW) Wright R-1300-CB7A1 Cyclone radial piston engines.

Picture - Dassault MD 311 Flamant trainer at the Paris Air Show 2007

Operators

Cambodia

Cambodian Air Force (MD 315)

Cameroon

Cameroon Air Force (MD 315)

France

French Air Force (MD 315, MD 312, MD 311)
French Navy (MD 312)

Madagascar

Madagascar Aeronaval Force (MD 315, MD 312)

South Vietnam

Vietnam Air Force (MD 312, MD 315)

Tunisia

Tunisian Air Force (MD 312)

Specifications (Flamant)

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Capacity: 10 passengers
Length: 12.50 m (41 ft 0 in)
Wingspan: 20.68 m (67 ft 10 in)
Height: 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 47.2 m² (508 ft²)
Empty weight: 4,250 kg (9,370 lb)
Loaded weight: 5,790 kg (12,760 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 5,800 kg (12,787 lb)
Powerplant: 2x— Renault 12S 02-201 inline piston, 433 kW (580 hp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 300 km/h (160 knots, 190 mph)
Range: 1,215 km (656 nm, 755 km)
Service ceiling: 8,000 m (26,000 ft)
Power/mass: 147 W/kg (0.0897 hp/lb)

Bibliography

Bridgman, Leonard (ed.) Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1953-54. London:Jane's, 1953.

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