SNECMA Coléoptère
The SNECMA C.450 Coléoptère was a VTOL experimental aircraft, in which two unconventional concepts were combined: It was a rear starter with annular wing. As with the U.S. Ryan X -13 used to a jet engine, but the Coléoptère came out without launching pad. Instead, solid parts were mounted on the rear edge of the ring-wing, on which the aircraft is resting vertically.
History
Mid-1950s investigated the French company Nord Aviation and SNECMA on a concept for a VTOL aircraft. As early as 1952 SNECMA had acquired the rights to the ring-wing design from the Bureau Technique Zborowski ( BTZ). From 1955 to 1957 various models and a first manned pattern ( C.400 Atar Volant ) were explored until the C.450 Coléoptère ( Coléoptère = Celeopter = Ringflügler ) was completed in April 1958. Fuselage and wing were of Nord Aviation, the engine and some control elements designed SNECMA. The first tethered hover flight took place on 17 April 1959 while the aircraft was attached with a rope to a pole, so as not to get lost in a loss of control. The first free hover succeeded on 3 May of the same year and took three minutes and 38 seconds.
During the ninth test flight on July 25, the machine fell on an attempted transition to horizontal flight out of control. The pilot Auguste Morel had to get off the hot seat at a height of below 50 meters and was seriously injured. The machine was completely destroyed. After this setback, the program was discontinued.