CASA C-201 Alcotán
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| C-201 Alcotán | |
|---|---|
| Type | Military transport |
| Manufacturer | Construcciones Aeronáuticas |
| Maiden flight | 11 February 1949 |
| Primary user | Spanish Air Force |
| Number built | 11 |
The CASA C-201 Alcotán ("Kestrel") was a Spanish military transport aircraft produced in the early 1950s. It was the result of an agreement between the Spanish government and manufacturer CASA to develop a transport aircraft for the military capable of carrying a payload of one tonne over a range of 1,000 km (620 miles). The resulting design was a twin-engine low-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration. The main units of the tailwheel undercarriage retracted into the engine nacelles, the aircraft looking somewhat like a scaled-down DC-3.
Two prototypes were constructed, the first of these taking to the air on 11 February 1949. An order for twelve pre-production aircraft and one hundred series aircraft was soon forthcoming. The pre-production machines were to demonstrate a range of different equipment fits for the airframe, enabling it for a variety of roles including personnel transport, training for bombing and photo-reconnaissance work, and instrument flying training. A number of engines were also to be evaluated, including the Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah that had powered the prototypes, the Pratt & Whitney R-1340, and the locally-produced ENMASA Sirio.
Eventually, it was the supply of powerplants and propellers that doomed the Alcotán. Spain's domestic engine industry was simply incapable of producing powerplants in sufficient quantity for the project, and Spain was unable to afford to import foreign engines. While the entire production run had been scheduled to be completed before 1955, the shortage of engines meant that by 1956, only eleven complete aircraft had been delivered, all that would ever be finished. In 1962, the project was finally cancelled without the engine problem ever having been resolved. By now, CASA had 96 complete airframes in storage awaiting powerplants. These were scrapped, the Spanish government compensating the manufacturer for the debacle.
[edit] Variants
- C-201A - personnel transport with Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah engines
- C-201B - personnel transport with ENMASA Sirio engines
- C-201D - instrument flying, navigation, and radio training version with Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah engines
- C-201E - bombing and photo-reconnaissance training version with Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah engines
- C-201F - instrument flying, navigation, and radio training version with ENMASA Sirio engines
- C-201G - bombing and photo-reconnaissance training version with ENMASA Sirio engines
[edit] Specifications (C-201A)
General characteristics
- Crew: Two pilots
- Capacity: 10 passengers
- Length: 13.80 m (45 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 18.40 m (60 ft 5 in)
- Height: 3.85 m (12 ft 8 in)
- Wing area: 41.8 m² (450 ft²)
- Empty weight: 3,550 kg (7,826 lb)
- Gross weight: 5,095 kg (11,283 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah XXVII, 354 kW (475 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 325 km/h (202 mph)
- Range: 1,000 km (620 miles)
- Service ceiling: 5,600 m (18,370 ft)
[edit] References
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 238.
- World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing, File 891 Sheet 12.
- EADS website
[edit] See also
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