North Noratlas

North Noratlas
A Noratlas 2013
Type:	Military transport plane
Design country:	France
Manufacturer:	Nord Aviation
First flight:	September 10, 1949
Commissioning:	June 12, 1953
Production time:	1949-1961
Number of pieces:	425

A Nord Noratlas in the MHM Berlin-Gatow

The Nord Noratlas was a twin-engine military transport aircraft of the Cold War era from French production. Manufacturer was from the SNCAN emerged Nord Aviation . The shoulder decker had double tail booms. The Nord 2500 with the registration number F-WFKL took off for the first time from Melun- Villaroche airport on September 10, 1949 . Initially, two SNECMA 14Rs with 1600 hp each served as the drive . The second prototype in the following year was equipped with the much more powerful French licensed construction of the Bristol Hercules 739 (2040 hp). Of all versions of the Noratlas, a total of 425 machines were built, including later license builds in the Federal Republic of Germany . The aircraft was called Nora in aviation jargon. The name “ Flying Boxcar ”, which it shares with several transport aircraft and which is particularly apt here because of the compact fuselage, has not caught on.

Use in Germany

A Noratlas from LTG 62 in Celle, 1960

The task of the three air transport squadrons of the Luftwaffe ( LTG 61 , LTG 62 and LTG 63 ) is to transport material and soldiers as well as dropping paratroopers . The Air Force also flew various humanitarian aid missions with the Nord 2501, such as in 1960 after the Agadir earthquake , in 1962 during the storm surge operation (dropping sandbags on Wangerooge), in 1965 in Algeria and Mauritania, 1968 in Sicily, 1969 in Algeria and Tunisia and 1963 , 1966 and 1970 in Turkey.

The Nord 2501 variant was the first brand-new transport aircraft of the German Air Force to be procured after the war and was built in Germany under license by the United Flight Technical Works (VFW) and the Hamburger Flugzeugbau (HFB) . The Luftwaffe procured 186 copies. On September 9, 1958, the first Nord Aviation Noratlas 2501 from German license production was handed over to the Air Force. However, there were more than normal problems with the 25 French-made machines that had been delivered to the German Armed Forces. According to a report in the magazine Der Spiegel from 1958, deficiencies in the machines were found which resulted in a temporary flight ban: “The flight ban for these machines was imposed because the fuel tanks occasionally had cracks, lines broke, control organs failed and radio systems failed ; the tubes apparently came from French booty stocks of the last war, in any case they had the stamp of the Great German Reich Aviation Ministry. ”In May 1960, the delivery of Noratlas from German production to Israel began . Since the so-called equipment aid for Israel was secret, the planes were first delivered by the German to the French air forces and then passed on to the Israeli armed forces . At the Lahr airfield , the German national emblems were painted over for this purpose, the aircraft without license plates were transferred to France and there shipped from Marseille to Israel.

Between 1968 and 1971 the Nord 2501 was replaced by the Transall C-160 - a much more powerful successor with a significantly higher payload. Eight of the retired Bundeswehr machines went to Israel. The Israeli Noratlas formed the backbone of the tactical air transport fleet during the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War . The first war operation had already taken place in 1956 during the Suez Crisis , when three Noratlas machines dropped Israeli paratroopers at the Mitla Pass . In 1972 Israel had 20 Noratlas in its inventory. Twelve Luftwaffe machines went to Portugal in 1968, which they used in the colonial wars in Angola and Mozambique .

Until 1974, five Noratlas flew as classroom aircraft at Waffenschule 50 in Fürstenfeldbruck to train combat observers for the F-4F Phantom . Another two machines flew temporarily with towing targets for target display. The 99 + 14 ended the Noratlas era in the German Air Force on December 16, 1980.

variants

North 2501

Based on the second prototype, the Armée de l'Air initially ordered 192 copies; the order was later expanded to 212 machines. Other customers were Brazil (20 items), Israel (12 items) and Germany (186 items). The pattern was also procured from the People's Republic of the Congo , Niger , Nigeria , Greece and Honduras . In 1956, French paratroopers were dropped off with Noratlas aircraft during the Suez Crisis near Port Said .

North 2502

The Nord 2502 was a civilian variant for 47 passengers, which was purchased by Air Algérie and the Union Aéromaritime de Transport (UAT) in a total of seven copies. They also had two Turboméca Marboré IIs  with 3.92 kN thrust at the wing ends.

North 2503

The Nord 2503 was a test version with a 2500 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800 CB17. First flight in January 1956.

North 2504

The Nord 2504 was a submarine variant, also with the Turboméca-Marboré auxiliary engines. The prototype took off on its maiden flight on November 17, 1958. The initially planned procurement of 24 machines was not implemented and the whole project was therefore dropped. However, the five pre-production models were used by the French Navy .

North 2505

Underground hunt variant. Unrealized.

North 2506

The Nord 2506 was a special variant with a lowerable main landing gear so that the machine could be loaded and unloaded without a special loading ramp.

North 2507

Search-and-Rescue variant. Unrealized.

North 2508

The Nord 2508 was a test version with 2500 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800 CB 17 of the 2503 version and also the two Turboméca Marboré IIs with 3.92 kN thrust each at the wing ends of the Nord 2502. Two copies built and tested by the Air Force .

North 2509/2510/2520

Unrealized. The Nord 2520 is an enlarged draft.

use

Military users

The operating states of the Noratlas

•  Angola
•  Federal Republic of Germany
•  Djibouti
•  France
•  Greece
•  Israel
•  Mozambique
•  Niger
•  Nigeria
•  Portugal
•  Rwanda
•  Uganda

Civil users

• Air Algérie
• Air Kasai (Congo)
• Aerotaxis Ecuatorianos SA - ATESA
• Guila-Air (Congo)
• Kalinga Airlines
• Union Aéromaritime de Transport (UAT)

Incidents

This list is incomplete and has only just begun (August 2017).

• On July 15, 1958, a Noratlas 2501D of the Luftwaffe with the aircraft registration number AS + 575 (serial number: D005) crashed on a test flight in Bischofswiesen , district of Böcklweiher ( district of Berchtesgadener Land ). All six inmates were killed. A memorial at the crash site commemorates the accident.

• On March 29, 1959, a Noratlas 2502 of the Union Aéromaritime de Transport (UAT) (registration F-BGZB ) crashed in the jungle on the flight from Berbérati to Bangui (both: Central African Republic ). The crash site is said to have been near Banga, according to other information at Boda or Boukpayanga. All four crew members and five (six?) Passengers were killed, including Prime Minister Barthélemy Boganda , which led to a state crisis.

• On July 24, 1959, a Noratlas 2501D of the Air Force with the registration GA + 243 (serial number: D018) flew on a mission flight in Turkey into a 550 meter high mountain, 18 kilometers northwest of the Bandırma Air Base . All six crew members were killed. The machine belonged to the LTG 61.

• On September 16, 1959, a Noratlas 2501D of the Air Force with the registration GC + 106 (serial number: D062) crashed during a factory test flight near Oederquart, almost 50 kilometers from the Hamburg-Finkenwerder start and destination airport . The four crew members were members of HFB Finkenwerder and perished.

• On March 15, 1960, a Noratlas 2501D of the Luftwaffe with the registration GA + 249 (serial number D060) crashed on the flight from Neubiberg to Turin in the Maritime Alps. All six crew members of LTG 61 perished.

• On January 23, 1961, a Noratlas 2501D of the Luftwaffe with the registration GB + 119 was flown in power lines and masts on a training flight between Overath and Vilkerath , 15 kilometers northeast of the starting airport Cologne / Bonn (CFIT, Controlled flight into terrain ). The machine belonged to Air Transport Wing 62 . It is assumed that the pilots lost their orientation in poor visibility and believed they were closer to the airport. All four crew members were killed. A memorial at the crash site commemorates the accident.

• On November 24, 1964, a Noratlas 2501D of the Air Force with the registration GB + 104 (serial number: D055) crashed on the approach from Bourges (France) to Ahlhorn . All four crew members of the LTG 62 were killed.

• On June 14, 1965, after a Noratlas 2501D of the Luftwaffe ( GB + 235 , serial number: D171) took off from Ahlhorn airfield, the right engine failed . A "belly landing" followed. The crew remained uninjured, but the machine was totaled.

• On July 17, 1967, the landing of the Noratlas 2501D of the Luftwaffe with the registration number AS + 581 (serial number: D143) in Ahlhorn resulted in a total loss. The crew was unharmed.

• On February 12, 1969, a Noratlas 2501D of the Air Force with the registration number 52 + 57 (serial number: D066) crashed into a farmhouse after taking off from Erding Air Base . Ten of the 14 inmates (including the co-pilot and a child in the house) were killed. Among the survivors were three crew members (LTG 61). There was heavy snow drift at the start.

• On November 19, 1970 a Noratlas 2501D of the Luftwaffe with the registration number 52 + 79 (serial number: D095) crashed on the flight from Neubiberg to Kaufbeuren near Wolfratshausen. All five crew members of LTG 61 were killed, including the commander, who survived the February 12, 1969 crash.

• On July 22, 1974, a Noratlas 2501D of the Greek Air Force (registration number 52-133) was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on the approach to Nicosia airport and crashed just 4 kilometers from the runway. Of the 32 inmates, 31 were killed.

Technical specifications

A "Nora" from LTG 62

The restored F-AZVM Nord 2501 at the 2009 Paris Air Show

cockpit

Hold

Parameter	Data (Nord 2501)
crew	6 (2 pilots, 1 on-board technician, 1 radio operator, 1 navigator, 1 loadmaster)
length	21.96 m
span	32.50 m
height	6.00 m
Wing area	101.20 m²
Empty mass	13,075 kg
payload	4158 kg (with full tanks)
Takeoff mass	21,000 kg
Fuel capacity	5090 liters
Top speed	406 km / h
Service ceiling	7,500 m
Range	3,000 km
Engines	two radial engines SNECMA Hercules 739/759, each with 2,040 HP (1,500 kW)

Received aircraft

A faithfully restored "Nora" is located in the amusement park potts park near Minden . Another is on display in the outdoor area of ​​the Ju-52 hall at LTG 62 at Wunstorf Air Base. In addition, there are more copies in front of the squadron headquarters of LTG 61 ( Landsberg / Lech Air Base ), on the Altenstadt airfield ( air landing and air transport school ) and on the Airbus factory premises in Hamburg-Finkenwerder . A Noratlas can also be seen in the barracks of LTG 63 ( Hohn near Rendsburg ). One machine is in the flight exhibition L. + P. Junior exhibited in Hermeskeil . The machine shown above is located in the Air Force Museum of the Bundeswehr on the former Berlin-Gatow airfield . A Noratlas of the French Air Force is exhibited in the Technik Museum Speyer . A machine without engines is located at Heidestrasse 31 in Schwelm and served there as a restaurant for a short time in the 1970s .

In France, the number 105 (F-AZVM) was made airworthy again in 1995 by aircraft enthusiasts .

See also

• List of aircraft types

Web links

Commons : Nord Noratlas  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Nord Aviation Nord 2501-Noratlas. EADS May 5, 2009, archived from the original on August 31, 2009 ; accessed on August 19, 2017 . 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Noratlas. In: Arms and Technology. Federal Ministry of Defense , January 7, 2014, accessed on August 19, 2017 . 
2. ↑ Cloth in the tank . In: Der Spiegel . No. 2 , 1958 ( online ).
3. ↑ Niels Hansen: From the shadow of the catastrophe. German-Israeli relations in the era of Konrad Adenauer and David Ben Gurion. Droste, Düsseldorf 2002, ISBN 3-7700-1886-9 , p. 626.
4. ↑ Rolf Steininger: "From division to unity. Germany 1945–1990: A reading book" StudienVerlag 2019, ISBN 3-7065-6009-7
5. ^ Robert Jackson: The Israeli Air Force Story. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1973, ISBN 3-87943-201-5 , p. 215.
6. ^ Edward Luttwak / Dan Horowitz: The Israeli Army. Allen Lane, London 1975, ISBN 0-7139-0229-9 , pp. 155, 330.
7. ↑ "Tell me: Do weapons have a soul?" Spiegel report on arms deliveries to developing countries . In: Der Spiegel . No. 4 , 1971, p. 74-78 ( online ).
8. ^ John Stroud: European Transport Aircraft since 1910. Putnam & Company, London 1966, p. 170, with picture.
9. ↑ Crash of a Nord 2501D Noratlas in Böcklweiher: 6 killed | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved January 18, 2018 . 
10. ^ Accident report Noratlas AS + 575 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on January 19, 2018.
11. ^ Air-Britain Archive: Casualty compendium. (English), March 2000, pp. 2000/27.
12. ↑ accident report Noratlas F-BGZB , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on 18 August 2017th
13. ^ Accident report Noratlas GA + 243 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 11, 2018.
14. ^ Accident report Noratlas GC + 106 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 6, 2019.
15. ^ Accident report Noratlas GA + 249 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 6, 2019.
16. ^ Accident report Noratlas GB + 119 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 6, 2019.
17. ↑ Stefan Kunze: Memorial: Remembering a tragic crash . In: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger . ( ksta.de [accessed October 17, 2017]).
18. ^ Accident report Noratlas GB + 104 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 6, 2019.
19. ^ Accident report Noratlas GB + 235 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 6, 2019.
20. ^ Accident report Noratlas AS + 581 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 6, 2019.
21. ^ Accident report Noratlas 52 + 57 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 6, 2019.
22. ^ Accident report Noratlas 52 + 79 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 6, 2019.
23. ↑ accident report Noratlas 52-133 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 6 of 2019.
24. ↑ ^{a b c} Peter Alles-Fernandez (ed.): Aircraft A to Z . tape 3 . Bernard & Graefe, Koblenz 1989, ISBN 3-7637-5906-9 , pp. 176 .
25. ^ Leonard Bridgman: Jane's All The World's Aircraft, 1957-58 . Sampson Low, Marston & Company, London 1959, pp. 161-163.
26. ↑ speyer.technik-museum.de ( Memento from January 25, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
27. ↑ Photo at airliners.net