Leduc 010

Research aircraft

The Leduc 010 in flight in 1947

Engine: 1x "Thermo-Propulsive" Leduc ramjet with 2,000 kg of thrust.

Wing Span: 10.52 m

Length: 10.25 m

Weight: Empty 1,700 kg / Loaded 2,800 kg

Maximum Speed: 680 km/h

Ceiling: 17,000 m

Range: n/a

Crew: 1

Armament: None

History:
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At an official presentation in June of 1936, French man René Leduc demonstrate the practical application of the ramjet engine, which he had been working on since the 1920's. The French government who were impressed with the new engine, order the building of a plane using the new Ramjet engine in 1937, accordingly the Leduc 010 project was established under contract number 407/7. Work started on the design and construction at the Breguet workshops at Villacoublay in the same year

Leduc had already made some designs of a ramjet powered aircraft in his patent of 1934, so progress of this aircraft was relatively fast and by 1940 it was nearly finished, however the Breguet workshops had to flee the Paris area, and the Leduc airplane was transferred to Toulouse, but the bombardment of the factory of Montaudran destroyed part of it and the whole Leduc 010.

Leduc's drawing from his 1934 patent

The Leduc 010 attached to the SE 161 "Mother Ship"

After the liberation, work began again but because of difficulties in obtaining supplies progress was slow however by November 1946 the aircraft was finished and the first test flights began on the 16/11/1946, with the 010 fitted on top of a especially modified Sud Est SE-161 "Languedoc" four-engine transport plane, used as a "mother ship". The first free gliding flight of the Leduc 010 occurred on October 21st, 1947, the delay being caused by waiting for essential equipment. The delays continued with only two other free glide flights being made, until 21/4/1949, when after being released overhead Blagnac, test pilot Jean Gonord lit up the engine and established a climb using the ramjet engine. At last after 12 years René Leduc saw his aircraft flying under it's own power.