The SPCA 40T, also designated the SPCA VII,
was a
mailplane
A mail plane is an aircraft used for carrying mail.
Aircraft that were purely mail planes existed almost exclusively prior to World War II. Because early aircraft were too underpowered to carry cargoes, and too costly to run any "economy class" ...
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 the late 1920s.
Design
The 40T was a high-wing monoplane of conventional layout with a thick-sectioned, cantilever wing.
[''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft'', p.2860] The flight deck and cargo bay were fully enclosed, and the latter could be adapted to seat five passengers.
[Taylor 1989, p.835] The fixed undercarriage consisted of divided main units with spatted wheels, plus a tailskid. Construction was of metal throughout.
The two 40Ts were followed by a single example designated 41T with more powerful
Salmson 9Nc engines that first flew on 12 December 1931.
Services Aeriens de Madagascar operated the 41T between
Tananarive
Antananarivo ( French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana, is the capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known as Antananarivo-Renivohitra ("Antananarivo-Mother Hill" or "An ...
and
Broken Hill
Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It is ...
(where the route connected with
Imperial Airways).
Eventually, the 40Ts were fitted with this same engine, at which time they were redesignated SPCA 218.
Variants
* 40T – initial production version with
Salmson 9Ac
Between 1920 and 1951 the Société des Moteurs Salmson in France developed and built a series of widely used air-cooled aircraft engines.Gunston 1986, p. 158.
Design and development
After their successful water-cooled radial engines, develop ...
engines (2 built)
* 41T – version with
Salmson 9Nc
Between 1920 and 1951 the Société des Moteurs Salmson in France developed and built a series of widely used air-cooled aircraft engines.Gunston 1986, p. 158.
Design and development
After their successful water-cooled radial engines, develop ...
engines (1 built)
* 218 – original 40Ts refitted with
Salmson 9Nc
Between 1920 and 1951 the Société des Moteurs Salmson in France developed and built a series of widely used air-cooled aircraft engines.Gunston 1986, p. 158.
Design and development
After their successful water-cooled radial engines, develop ...
engines (2 converted)
Operators
*
Services Aeriens de Madagascar
Specifications (40T)
Notes
References
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External links
Madagascar – Air services; historical pictures
{{SPCA aircraft
1920s French mailplanes
SPCA aircraft
Trimotors
High-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1929