The French designer Leduc tested the ramjet concept after the Second World War.
The Leduc 0.10 test aircraft had a ramjet and first flew in 1949.
The Leduc 0.11 was based on the 0.10 and this series were intended to test ramjet propulsion and it was a larger version of the 0.10 aircraft. It was to be launched from the Sud-Est Languedoc mothership in air. Several changes were made to the 0.11, for example fitting small tip tank jets for control. From 1949 to 1956 over 250 flights were made but neither test aircraft ever reached MACH 1. This 0.11 aircraft first flew in 1951 but soon the tip engines were replaced with mass balances.
The Leduc 0.22 can be distinguished as it is a longer aircraft than the 0.10 / 0.11 series. The 0.22 was an attempt to design a ramjet powered MACH2 fighter in the 1950s. It first flew end 1956 and over 80 flights were made but it never reached over MACH 1. The project was cancelled with more conventional aircraft being preferred.
LEDUC 0.11
This 0.11 test aircraft is on display at the Le Bourget museum "Musee Air et Espace" at Paris. It is on display at a "cabin" representing the mothership.
(c) Photographed 2016 by Meindert de Vreeze / Copyright IPMS Nederland
LEDUC 0.22
LEDUC 0.22
This 0.22 test aircraft is on display at the Le Bourget museum "Musee Air et Espace" at Paris.
(c) Photographed 2016 by Meindert de Vreeze / Copyright IPMS Nederland
A few scale models were released of the Leduc ramjet test aircraft. MACH2 had 1/72 short run kits of Leduc 0.21 and 0.22.
This page created 20-11-2016