- Yes
- No
Hello everyone, and welcome to this new suggestion.
Today, I am presenting a rather unique French aircraft: the Vautour IIN No. 304.
Developed by SNCASO during the early 1950s, the SO.4050 Vautour II was one of the first indigenous French jet combat aircraft to enter large-scale service after the Second World War. Designed as a versatile twin-engine platform, it was capable of fulfilling several roles, leading to the development of fighter, bomber, and electronic warfare variants. The all-weather interceptor version, designated the Vautour IIN, was equipped with a radar housed in the nose and operated by a two-man crew, making it the French Air Force’s primary night fighter before the arrival of the Mirage III.
Vautour IIN No. 304 was one of the production aircraft delivered to the French Air Force, entering operational service in 1957 as part of the country’s air defense network. Like the other aircraft of its type, it spent several years performing interception and night-fighting duties before an accident in 1966 temporarily grounded the aircraft. Rather than repairing it to its original operational standard, the Air Force transferred the aircraft to the Centre d’Essais en Vol (CEV), France’s military flight test establishment, where it began a second career as an experimental flying testbed.
At the CEV, No. 304 underwent extensive modifications to support the development and evaluation of new avionics and weapon systems destined for future French combat aircraft. Over the following years, it was fitted with a variety of experimental equipment, allowing engineers to validate radar performance, missile integration, and fire-control systems under real flight conditions. Thanks to its spacious nose section, stable flight characteristics, and two-seat configuration, the Vautour proved to be an excellent platform for testing technologies that would later equip more modern fighters.
The final configuration of the aircraft, and the version I am proposing today, was equipped with the Thomson-CSF Cyrano IV radar developed for the Mirage F1, together with the Matra Super 530F semi-active radar-guided missile. This configuration allowed engineers to evaluate the radar and missile combination long before it entered operational service on frontline aircraft. Although No. 304 never returned to combat duty, its contribution to the development of future French air-to-air weapon systems was considerable.
Characteristics
Length : 15.57 m (Vautour IIA specification, it is unknown how long was the 304 after modifications
Width : 15.10 m
Height : 4.94 m
Mass :
- Empty : 10 000 kg
- Max : 21 000 kg
The aircraft is powered by two SNECMA Atar 101E-3 jet engines, enabling it to reach a maximum speed of 1,106 km/h (Mach 0.9) and a service ceiling of 15,200 m. It has a range of 5,400 km.
The crew consists of two personnel: a pilot in the front seat and a radar operator in the rear seat who manages the radar equipment. On the flight-test variants operated by the CEV, the rear-seat occupant was also responsible for controlling the test instrumentation.
Equipment
The aircraft is equipped with the Cyrano IV radar, also found on the Mirage F1. This radar offers adequate detection capabilities and allows for the firing of the Super 530F missile.
Weapons
The aircraft’s armament setup is particularly simple; indeed, the numerous modifications it underwent resulted in the removal of most of its original equipment, with the cannons making way for the radar and the weapons bay for control systems. However, the aircraft can carry Super 530F missiles on its outer wing pylons, giving it considerable firepower.
Additionally, it can carry external fuel tanks on the inner under-wing hardpoints.
In-game, this aircraft would be an interesting addition to the French tree; while its flight performance is somewhat limited, it offers impressive combat capability thanks to its payload of two medium-range air-to-air missiles. This makes its gameplay similar to that of the MiG-25, but at a lower Battle Rating.
Pictures
