__NOTOC__
The Leduc 0.21 was a
research aircraft
An experimental aircraft is an aircraft intended for testing new aerospace technologies and design concepts.
The term ''research aircraft'' or ''testbed aircraft'', by contrast, generally denotes aircraft modified to perform scientific studies, ...
built in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in
1953
Events
January
* January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma.
* January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo.
* January 14
** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...
to refine the practicalities of
ramjet
A ramjet, or athodyd (aero thermodynamic duct), is a form of airbreathing jet engine that uses the forward motion of the engine to produce thrust. Since it produces no thrust when stationary (no ram air) ramjet-powered vehicles require an ass ...
propulsion. Initially proposed as the 0.20, it was essentially similar to its predecessor, the
Leduc 0.10
The Leduc 0.10 was a research aircraft built in France, one of the world's first aircraft to fly powered solely by a ramjet.
Design and development
Designed by René Leduc in 1938, it was built at the Breguet Aviation factory after a protracted, ...
, but scaled up by around 30%, with
tip tanks added to the wings. It was not capable of take-off under its own power, and had to be
carried aloft and released.
Two examples were built and completed a very detailed flight test program from 1953 to 1956 to develop automated, operationally viable throttle controls for the ramjet. This included a total of 284 free flights. Designed for
subsonic speeds only, the 0.21 reached a top speed of Mach 0.95.
Specifications
References
Bibliography
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External links
* http://xplanes.free.fr/stato/stato-2.html
* test flight footage for Leduc 0.10, 0.16, 0.21, and 0.22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzUJrweHxso
{{Leduc aircraft
1950s French experimental aircraft
Leduc aircraft
Ramjet-powered aircraft
Mid-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1953