| C-160 | |
|---|---|
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| C-160 of the German Luftwaffe | |
| Role | Transport aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Transall |
| First flight | 25 February 1963 |
| Introduction | 1967 |
| Primary users | Luftwaffe French Air Force Turkish Air Force |
| Produced | 1965–1985 |
| Number built | 214 |
The Transall C-160 (often C.160) is a military transport aircraft developed by a consortium of French and German aircraft manufacturers for the air forces of those two nations and that of South Africa. The C-160 will be replaced in French and German service by the Airbus A400M, now under development.[1]
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Design and development
The C-160 was originally conceived as a replacement for the French Air Force's Nord Noratlas fleet. It is turboprop-powered and of conventional configuration for aircraft of this type, with high wings, and a loading ramp built into the rear of the fuselage. In size it falls between the Aeritalia G.222 and the C-130 Hercules.
Three prototypes flew in 1963, followed by pre-production machines in 1965 and production machines from 1967. The first batch included 110 C-160Ds for the Luftwaffe, 50 C-160Fs for the French Air Force, and nine C-160Zs for the South African Air Force. Four C-160Fs were converted to C-160P air mail transport aircraft, and were operated by Air France. Production continued until 1972 with French aircraft built by Aérospatiale and German aircraft by Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm.
Operational history
In 1977, the French Air Force ordered an updated version designated C-160NG, for Nouvelle Génération ("New Generation"). From 1981, 29 of these aircraft were delivered, half of them configured as tanker aircraft for aerial refuelling. Another four were configured as C-160H TACAMO aircraft, for communication with submerged submarines. Finally, two more were converted to SIGINT electronic surveillance aircraft, designated C-160G Gabriel, replacing the Noratlases that had been in this role previously. While still new, the C-160Gs took part in the Gulf War of 1991.
From 1994 to 1999, all French C-160s underwent an avionics upgrade and the addition of new anti-missile countermeasures. The C-160Fs and NGs so updated were redesignated C-160R (Renové—"renovated"). Luftwaffe machines have similarly undergone life-extension programmes by BAE Systems, but all French and German machines are reaching the end of their service lives as of 2008[update]. All South African machines have already been retired, while the Turkish Air Force continues to operate 20 machines obtained from Germany (C-160T).
To replace the Transall, the Luftwaffe, the French Air Force, and the South African Air Force ordered respectively 60, 50 and eight Airbus A400M.
One South African Airforce C-160Z number 337 has been preserved and is on display at the South African Airforce Museum (Swartkops Airforce Base)in Pretoria.
Operators
Military operators
Civil operators
- Air France on behalf of French Postal Service
Specifications (Transall C-160)
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982-83 [2]
General characteristics
- Crew: Three—two pilots, flight engineer
- Capacity:
- 93 troops or
- 61–88 paratroops or
- 62 stretchers
- Payload: 16,000 kg (35,275 lb)
- Length: 32.40 m (106 ft 3½ in)
- Wingspan: 40.00 m (131 ft 3 in)
- Height: 11.65 m (38 ft 2¾ in)
- Wing area: 160.0 m² (1,722 ft²)
- Empty weight: 29,000 kg (63,935 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 51,000 kg (112,435 lb)
- Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce Tyne Rty.20 Mk 22 turboprop, 4,549 kW (6,100 ehp) each
Performance
- Never exceed speed: 593 km/h (320 knots, 368 mph)
- Maximum speed: 513 km/h (277 knots, 319 mph) at 4,875 m (16,000 ft)
- Stall speed: 177 km/h (95 knots, 110 mph) flaps down
- Range: 1,853 km (1,000 nmi, 1,151 mi) with 16,000 kg payload, 30 min reserves
- Ferry range: 8,858 km (4,780 nmi, 5,504 mi)
- Service ceiling: 8,230 m (27,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 6.6 m/s (1,300 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 319 kg/m² (65.3 lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: 0.18 kW/kg (0.11 hp/lb)
See also
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
- List of military aircraft of France
- List of military aircraft of Germany
- List of aircraft of the South African Air Force
- List of military transport aircraft
References
- Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982-83. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1982. ISBN 0 7106-0748 2.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: C-160 Transall |
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