- Yes, don’t care how
- Yes, as a researchable vehicle
- Yes, as a premium/event/squadron vehicle
- No
Welcome, in this suggestion we’ll be looking at the Caudron C.760, an upgraded version of the C.714 Cyclone.
The story of the C.760 starts with that of the Caudron C.714. The latter had entered service with the French air force, but they were somewhat disappointed by its performance. As a result, they issued a request for a new version of the vehicle with a more powerful engine. Caudron responded to this request with the proposal for the C.715, which was supposed to be powered by Renault’s new 16-Cylinder engine which was under development at the time. However, because Renault could not provide the engine in-time, the decision was made to split the project. The resulting aircraft were the C.760 and C.770. The C.760 was an intermediate solution which was powered by an Italian The 12-cylinder inverted-Vee Isotta-Fraschini Delta R.C.40 engine. The choice for this engine would allow them to start deliveries sooner. The C.770 project would be the one to carry the promised Renault engine. Curiously enough it would be the C.770 that ended up taking to the skies first, some six months prior to the first flight of the C.760. The latter would have its first flight in May of 1940 and performed well. Both aircraft would suffer the same faith, being sabotaged at the airport of Orleans-Bricy on the 11th of June 1940 to prevent them from falling into the hands of the invading German army. Exactly what happened is unclear since the Germans still managed to capture the C.760 and keep it as a trophy (see the images spoiler at the bottom of the post)
The new engine had an output of about 730 hp, a big increase over the roughly 500 hp that the engine of the C.714 put out. The result of this was an impressive increase in performance of the aircraft. A top speed of 570km/h was recorded in level flight. Also during climbing the aircraft recorded great numbers, climbing to 4000m in 5 minutes and 25 seconds, and further to 8000m in 12 minutes and 30 seconds. Performance was said to be comparable the German BF109E.
Another important change came in the form of upgraded armament. This new set consisted of a total of 6 MAC 34 7.5mm machine guns. These were mounted in trays under the wings, just outside of the landing gear. This is a noteworthy increase over the 4 machine guns that the C.714 carried.
Last but not least, the fuselage of the aircraft was also altered. Instead of being made out of wood like the C.714, the C.760s fuselage was made out of metal, while the wings were still wood. This made the aircraft sturdier compared to its predecessor.
General Characteristics
Crew: 1
Engine: 1x Isotta-Fraschini Delta R.C.40 producing 730hp
Width: 8.97m
Length: 8.89m
Height: 2.90m
Max speed: 570km/h
Cruise speed: 470km/h
Range: 1200-1500km/h
Time to altitude (4000m): 5 mins 25s
Time to altitude (8000m): 12 mins 30s
Armament
Guns:
- 6x 7.5mm MAC 34
Sources
Caudron C.760 Cyclone
Caudron C.760 - Destination's Journey
Caudron-Renault CR 760 - fighter
Google Books
https://www.aviafrance.com/caudron-cr-760-aviation-france-227.htm
Images
