Aérospatiale SN 601 Corvette: French private jet

During the 1950s and 1960s, the French government, which had taken a significant interest in the re-establishment and growth of its national aviation industries in the aftermath of the Second World War, developed a detailed request for a combined liaison/trainer aircraft, to be equipped with twin-turbofan engines.

Among those companies that took interest in the government request were aircraft manufacturers Sud Aviation and Nord Aviation. Design work on such an aircraft commenced during the second half of the 1960s as a joint venture between Sud and Nord. In January 1968, Sud and Nord decided to proceed with the programme following an announcement by French engine company SNECMA announced that it was developing a suitable engine, the M49 Larzac.

It was a conventional design for its class, a low-wing monoplane powered by a pair of turbofan engines, which were mounted upon nacelles attached to the rear fuselage.

Made in France by Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale

First flight: 1972 in Saint-Nazaire

Engine: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4

Capacity: 14 passengers

Speed: 630 km/h (340 knots)

Range: 2125 km (1147 nautic miles)

Ceiling: 41,000 ft (12500 m)

Aeroscopia (Toulouse)

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