Nord Noratlas

The Nord Noratlas was a 1950s French military transport aircraft intended to replace the older types in service at the end of World War II.

Development

At the end of World War II, the French Armée de l'Air was left with two primary transport aircraft: the Junkers Ju 52 and the Douglas C-47. While both had given good service, they suffered from a common set of flaws: a nose-up attitude when at rest, complicating cargo stowing; restrictive side-loading doors; and limited payload.

Accordingly, in 1947 Direction Technique Industrielle organized 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 respectively. 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 et Rhône 14R 1600 hp engines driving 3-bladed variable pitch propellers, but it was found to be too slow for most applications. The second prototype replaced the 14Rs with two SNECMA-built Bristol Hercules 738/9 2,040 hp engines driving four-bladed propellers, and this model was rechristened the Nord 2501. DTI ordered 3 more preproduction Nord 2501s, which they flight-tested extensively against the similar Fairchild C-82 Packet. The N-2501 was found superior, and the first 34 were ordered on July 10, 1951. After an eventual production run of some 425 planes, the last Noratlas was constructed in 1961.

Operational History

The Noratlas Nord 2501 gained fame during the Suez Crisis of 1956, when the French paras dropped over the south of Port Said, and Port Fouad in Egypt. Its history started four years earlier.

1952 was marked by the unfortunate crash of the first Nord 2501 prototype as it underwent further testing, and on January 9 1953, the Nord 2501 was baptized the Noratlas by the widow of the pilot killed in the crash. Despite this setback, the program was able to fulfill its initial contract for 34 planes by June 25 1953, and the Armée de l'Air went on to order another 174 planes, for a total of 208.

These were initially overwhelmingly cargo planes, though 10 were ordered fitted out for passengers; however, following the conclusion of operations in Algeria in 1962, many were converted to other roles (detailed below). Of these modifications, the eight Nord Gabriels (an electronic warfare platform) were useful the longest, and it was the last of this type that was finally phased out in 1989 by the Armée de l'Air.

West Germany, faced with the same situation that had prompted the development of the Noratlas, eventually ordered a total of 186 Noratlases from 1956 on, of which 25 were built in France, and the other 161 manufactured in West Germany by Flugzeugbau Nord (a satellite company) under contract. These last were designated N-2501D. The Luftwaffe began selling its Noratlases in 1964, and is the source for most of the planes for the smaller national operators listed below.

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) initially purchased three examples of the N-2501IS in 1956, but under duress -- the French government would only allow them to purchase 12 Dassault Ouragans if they purchased 3 Noratlases as well. The Israelis were upset by the terms of the offer, but France was one of very few countries willing to sell them arms, and eventually they knuckled under. However, they quickly realized the utility of the Noratlas following its performance in the Suez Crisis, and purchased another 3 N-2501ISs in 1959, and 16 N-2501Ds before the Six-Day War. These were primarily intended for cargo and paratroop transport, but there are reports that several were put to more unconventional use as bombers on long-range strikes into Egypt, much as the contemporary C-130s deployed the Daisy Cutter bomb in Vietnam. It is also known that the IAF used their Noratlases for maritime reconnaissance at the outset of the Six-Day War, and one of these identified the USS Liberty prior to the strafing of the ship. The IAF phased the Noratlas out in 1978, and the bulk of their fleet was sold to the Greek (Hellenic) Air Force.

A few hundred of Noratlas Hellenic Air Force (HAF) had been acquired in 1970 from Luftwaffe as WWII compensations. These Noratlas were based in Elefsis AFB near to Athens at the 354 Tactical Airlift Squadron (112th Tactical Fighter Wing - Pterix Mahis. Hellenic Air Force's 354th Sqdr Noratlas wrote a brilliant page of Hellenic aviation history with the air transportation operation of the 1st Greek rangers squadron from Crete (Souda) to Cyprus (Nicosia) at the night of 21st to 22 July 1974 during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. In spite of the ageing aircraft and the adverse flying conditions, 12 of the 15 aircraft which participated in the mission "Nike" (Victory in Greek), landed on the airport of Nicosia. The brave men of the 1st Rangers Squadron kept the National Airport of Nicosia in the UN hands and did not surrender to the Turkish Brigade who attacked the airport.

The N-2502A/B, which added two small Turbomeca Marboré IIE turbojets at the wingtips, was used primarily by civil operators such as Union Aéromaritime du Transport (N-2502A) and CGTA-Air Algérie (N-2502B), but never found the success of the military versions, and only 10 were built. The Portuguese Air Force purchased 6 militarized N-2502As (designated N-2502F) over 1961-1962 as well.

There were also several variants of limited service that are mentioned below.

Variants

N2500

Prototype powered by two Gnome et Rhône 14R 1600-hp engines, one built.

N2501

Production version for the French Air Force, Powered by SNECMA-manufactured Bristol Hercules, five prototypes and 208 production aircraft built.

Nord 2501A

Civil transport version for UTA, fitted with two 1,650-hp (1230-kW) SNECMA 758/759 Hercules radial piston enginees, four built later converted to N2502.

Nord 2501D

Production version for the German Air Force, replaced some systems components of the N2501 with their equivalent from German manufacturers, 186 built (25 French built and 116 German built).

Nord 2501IS

Replaced some systems components of the N-2501, 6 produced, purchased by the Israeli Air Force

N-2501 Gabriel

SIGINT/electronic warfare platforms, 8 produced, probably modified N-2501s; operated by the Armée de l'Air

Nord 2501TC

Nord 2501 modified for civil use by Transvalair, 3 produced

Nord 2502A

Civil version for UAT with two Turbomeca Marboré II turbojets and two Bristol Hercules 758/759 turboprops of 1650 hp each, five built and two conversions from N2501A.

Nord 2502B

Civil version for Algérie with two Turbomeca Marboré II turbojets and two Bristol Hercules 758/759 turboprops of 1650 hp each, 2 conversions from N2501A and one built.

Nord 2502C

Similar to Nord 2502A/B; intended for purchase by an Indian airline, one prototype built

Nord 2502F

Militarized version of the Nord 2502 for Portuguese Air Force, 6 conversions.

Nord 2503

Re-engined version with two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CB17s of 2500 hp each, one conversion from one of the Nord 2501 prototypes.

Nord 2504

Modification of the Nord 2502 intended for antisubmarine warfare role with the French Navy, 24 ordered but only one built.

Nord 2505

Modified Nord 2502 intended for antisubmarine warfare, can cancelled.

Nord 2506

Special modification of Nord 2502 to improve STOL performance and performance under heavy load for use as an assault transport, one conversion and one built.

Nord 2507

Modified Nord 2502 intended for search and rescue role, with 12-hour endurance or greater, never passed the planning stage.

Nord 2508

Modified Nord 2503 with two Turbomeca Marboré IIE turbojets added; highly capable, but none were ordered; the prototypes were sold to German, one conversion and one built.

Nord 2520

Enlarged Nord 2502 with better cargo capacity, never passed the planning stage

Operators

Military operators

•  Ανγκόλα : Angolan Air Force
•  Τζιμπουτί : Djibouti Air Force
• Γαλλία: Armée de l'Air
•  Γερμανία: Luftwaffe
•  Ελλάδα: Hellenic Air Force
• Ισραήλ: Israeli Air Force
•  Μοζαμβίκη : Mozambique Air Force
•  Νίγηρας : Niger Air Force
•  Νιγηρία : Nigerian Air Force
•  Πορτογαλία : Portuguese Air Force
•  Ρουάντα : Rwandan Air Force

Civilian operators

•  Αλγερία : Air Algérie
•  Δομινικανή Δημοκρατία : Cibao Cargo Airways
•  Ισημερινός : Aerotaxis Ecuatorianos
• Γαλλία: ACE/Transvalair, Union des Transports Aériens, Union Aéromaritime du Transport
•  Γερμανία: Elbeflug
•  Ζαΐρ: Guila Air

See also

• Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy
• Blackburn Beverley
• C-119 Flying Boxcar