Author Topic: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry  (Read 14587 times)

Offline JP Vieira

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Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« on: February 23, 2012, 10:20:59 PM »
Hello
I will present here the Alternative History of the Portuguese Aeronautical Industry.
I will start form the begining (and post some "old" posts) and hopefully conclued this story (up until 2010).


Portugal 1920-1965

Political and social Backgroung
In the early 20th century Portugal faced many challenges to its future as a nation.
- In 1910, the monarchy was overthrown and replaced by a republican regime;
- A profound economic crisis was affecting the country;
- Social unrest between several factions threatens to ripe the country apart;
- The future of the Portuguese presence in their African and Asian colonies was menace by the interests of other countries.

As a mean of legitimating the new republican regime and assuring the Portuguese presence in its colonies, Portuguese forces joined the Allied war effort in WWI.
Although fighting valiantly, under-armed and demoralized by the lack of proper logistical support, Portuguese forces suffered severe casualties.
By the end of the war, all the problems that Portugal had before it, not only did not diminish but tended to worsen.
Radical and pragmatic solutions had to be found and put into practice.
Starting in 1920 and up to 1925, several constitutional and political changes were implemented that aimed at addressing all the problems detected and assuring a brighter and more stable future for the Portuguese republic.
What was needed was:
- social and political stability
- economic and technological development
- protect and preserve the interest and presence of the Portuguese in the colonies
In order to achieve these goals, some radical and urgent changes needed to be implemented.
Basically the new changes were:
- A wide ranging political agreement between all different factions of the Portuguese political spectrum, with concessions been made to the different groups (including the monarch and conservative groups);
- The concession of more political and social rights to all habitants of the Portuguese empire (including those of the colonies);
- economic changes, including the opening of all territories of the empire to investments of partnerships between Portuguese and foreign companies, the creation of state owned agencies to promote the creation of local companies in the colonies (fostering the employment of local habitants and promoting the emergence of local entrepreneurs) among others.
These changes started in 1920 with the approval of a new constitution and the subsequent economic changes.
By the mid 1930’s these changes allowed for a stable political and social climate in all the empire; the economic development also contribute to this new state of appeasement.

The military background
Early in this period it was felt that political and economic changes would not be enough to preserve the stability and preservation of the empire; military strength and technological independence needed to be achieved.
Up until then Portugal had to rely in foreign military technologies to equip their armed forces; this had two major disadvantages: reliance in the willingness of other countries to provide state-of-the art weapons and, in the longer run, drainage of economical means without any economical return.
In order to prevent the reliance in other’s countries military industry, two major changes were implemented: the creation of a research and development military technology institute and the establishment of joint venture public-private weapons manufacturers companies.
In 1924 were created about 10 companies with both public and private (Portuguese) capitals: these were destined to the manufacture of weapons, ranging from warships, tanks, small weapons, ammunitions, airplanes and electrical and electronic equipment.
These weapons manufacturers were tasked with providing all the needs of equipment of the Portuguese armed forces.
In the first phase all the weapons produced by these companies were licensed build of foreign designs; the aim was to achieve enough expertise in the producing and testing of more and more complex weapons systems.
In a later phase it was planned to start the production of truly national designed weapons systems.
In order to achieve this second goal in 1930 was established the national institute of military technology.
This institute was a full government owned institution created with the aim of research and develop all the military technologies need to aid the weapons manufacturers produce state-of-the art weapons.

The national rearmament plan of 1933
In the early 1930’s, the international climate was one of increasing tension.
Recognizing the need to expanded and improve the state of the National armed forces, Portuguese leaders, implemented a wide ranging military reform in 1933.
The main parts of this plan were:
- The obligation of all habitants of Portugal to undergo military training starting at the age of 21;
- Up until the age of 55 all the male habitants of Portugal had to undergo a two-week yearly period of military service;
- All the non-regular military personal were formed into reserve forces;
- The creation of local regular defensive forces in all the colonies, manned by citizens of Portugal and of the colonies;
- The expansion of local reserve forces in all the colonies, constituted by about 25% of the male population from the age of 21 up to 55 years;
- The creation of fast-moving expeditionary forces based in Portugal (with the aim of, in case of need, to be sent to the colonies to reinforce their local military units).

Almost all the equipment needs of all these new units were supplemented by the national manufacturers; some very specialized equipment was still bought abroad.

The air forces of the Portuguese empire
In the national rearmament plan of 1933, a special attention was taken to expand and improved the aerial defenses of all the territories.
This was done in a two part program; the first part was the creation of an early warning and air defense force, first in Portugal and gradually expanded to incorporate all the territories of the colonies.
This plan called for the creation of a network of aircraft spotting units connected via radio to central command and control units; these central units direct all the interceptor aircraft squadrons, responsible for the air defense.
In this structure all the anti-aircraft units were also incorporated (AAA.
The second part was the creation of a special structure to coordinate all operations of offensive aircraft.
As such, the air force was divided in 4 separated commands: training, air defense, offensive aviation and transport.
By late 1937 all the above changes were implemented.

Equipment of the Air Force
As stated above, a huge effort was made both to expand and to modernize the military forces.
Regarding the aerial element of the armed forces, the initial effort was to improve the equipment of both the training and air defense commands.
In order to select the best possible equipment, a diplomatic endeavor was made, approaching friendly countries in order to investigate the possibility of acquiring and later construct, under license, several military equipment, especially aircraft.
In 1934, after a severe selecting process a new training aircraft was selected: the de Havilland Tiger Moth.
Late in that year an initial contract was signed between the Government of Portugal and British government; this agreement made possible the acquisition of an initial batch of 20 aircraft and the production of a further batch of 60 aircraft in Portugal. The production of these later aircraft was entrusted to the newly established Companhia Nacional de Construções Aeronauticas (CNCA – National Aeronautical constructions Company).
The CNCA had an assembly line located near Lisbon and not very far from Montijo Air base. This company was one of the Government-private joint ventures set up by the reforms reported above.
With the experience from the production, assembly and test flight of the Tiger Moth, the CNCA was able to undertake a more ambitious task: the production of a modern fighter aircraft.
The aim of the fighter aircraft program was twofold: obviously the equipment of the air defense squadrons but also the acquisition of the ability to design and produce a state-of-the-art fighter.
In order to achieve the second goal, the CNCA and the Portuguese government decided to set up a program that involved the following steps. Firstly to evaluate foreign designs (both those already in service or those still in testing); secondly to acquire a small initial batch of those aircraft and a license to locally produce them, thirdly, after gaining experience both in the production and the operation of the basic aircraft by the air force, to introduce gradual improvements and finally to use all those data to produce a much improved version or even a totally new aircraft, based on the basic aircraft.
The aircraft selected to undergo this program of local production and improvement was the Hawker Fury.
In 1936 an agreement was made that covered the acquisition of an initial batch of 30 aircraft and the production of 70 more.

The Lessons of the Spanish Civil War
Between 1936 and 1939, a brutal civil war torn apart Spain, Portugal’s neighbor.
The political and military forces in Portugal closely followed both the buildup to the war and the military operations.
Several lessons were learned from that conflict. One of those lessons, regarding the air forces, was the impact of aircraft on the overall conflict.
One of the immediate effects was the change in the equipment plans of the Air Defense Command: the aircraft selected, being a biplane was felt not up to the objective of serving as a basis for the production of a modern fighter.
Another aircraft was needed.
A more modern monoplane of metallic construction, featuring a powerful engine and weapons, was what the Fighter Command now demanded.
Even before the Spanish Civil War, a joint Government, Air Force and CNCA Commission was set up with the task of selecting the next aircraft of the Air defense Command.
In 1938, after a very strenuous selecting and negotiation process, finally the Supermarine Spitfire was selected.
A small initial batch of Spitfires MK.1 was bought in late 1938 and put in a special commissioned test unit; this unit was manned by personnel of both the Air Force and of the CNCA.
The goal of the Test unit, Esquadra 799 (799th Squadron), located in the Montijo Air base, was to evaluate operational use of the aircraft and proposed near and longer term modifications and improvements to the basic aircraft.
By mid-1939, the initial work of the test unit was concluded and a special report was presented to the Government; in this report, it was decided to carry on with the local license production of the Spitfire MK.1 and establish 4 Esquadras tasked with the air defense of Portugal.
The aim of the Portuguese government was the local production of the Spitfire; however the British government did not want to allow the production of the Rolls Royce Merlin in Portugal.
A compromise had to be made; in 1939, the British government made the following proposal: to allow the production of Spitfires but with a new engine (to be developed and manufactured in Portugal); this engine was based on the Bristol Taurus and developed with the aid of some British technicians.
The task of developing and produce the new engine was entrusted to the newly established company called LusoMotores – Motores Aeronáuticos (Luso Engines- Aeronautical engines). This was another of the Government -private joint ventures, set up to develop the national armament industry.
The new Taurus, renamed Trovão (thunder), achieved its operational status in late 1939, early 1940; the tests of fitting the engine with the modified spitfire airframe was carried out in the early months of 1940.
By mid-1940 the new aircraft finished its tests and a small batch of pre-production aircraft was built at the CNCA.
In August of 1940, the first production aircraft received its official name: the CNCA C-2 Falcão (Falcon) and was accepted by the Air Force- Air Defense Command.
Below we see a color profile of the first Falcão prototype


Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2012, 10:22:39 PM »
Training Command

The introduction of modern aircraft in the shape of the CNCA C-2 Falcão, brought about a need for modernization in other areas of equipment of the Air Force.
Training Command had been equipped with a very good aircraft in the form of the de Havilland Tiger Moth; this was an aircraft that provided an excellent service to the Training Command, but it was felt that it should be complemented by a monoplane and faster training aircraft.
With much experience accumulated with the design, testing and operational use of the C-2 Falcão, Portuguese authorities felt that it could produce a modern training aircraft.
The purchase of an out-of-the shelf aircraft was not accepted; the full development of an entirely new aircraft was felt not worth the necessary investment of time and money needed; only the adaptation of an existent aircraft was considered as acceptable.
In 1942, Portugal had, in its inventories, some early Hurricanes and it was offered some more by the British government.
Not seeing an operational use for the Hurricanes, Portuguese authorities decided to convert all those airframes into two-seat aircrafts and fitting them with the local produced Trovão engine.
The resulting aircraft was the CNCA I-3 Cegonha (Stork).
The test of the aircraft progressed smoothly and by late 1942, the aircraft entered into production; the first aircraft was accepted by the Air Force - Training Command in January of 1943.
Below we see a color profile of the first modified aircraft.


Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2012, 10:24:53 PM »
The training Command of the Air Force was very pleased with it new advance trainer: the I-3 Cegonha. This aircraft allow for a more modern and realistic training syllabus.
The aircraft was used in several units of the Training Command, including the Air Force Academy and Esquadra 199 (199th Squadron) tasked with teaching students with combat tactics and weapons training.
The aircraft used by this latest unit was a reinforced version with a slightly up rated version of the Trovão engine and with the provision for under-wing stores carriage and the addition of two wing 20mm canons; this was designated I-3C
Below we see a basic version and the C version used by Esquadra 199.




Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2012, 10:27:11 PM »
The Navy's new wings

With the creation of the Air Force, the Navy lost all of its aircraft, the aircraft then operated by the air arm of the navy being transferred to the new arm.
Even prior to the rearmament plan of 1933, the air element of the navy was re-established.
In fact, by a government decree of March of 1929, the navy got its wings back: the new service called Frota Aérea da Marinha (Navy Air Fleet) was set up around an initial cadre of Air Force pilots, navigators and ground crew.
These initial personnel had a training mission: to establish training and operational procedures and to train new conscripts into all aspects of aerial operations.
Attached to this national cadre was a small contracted group of qualified personnel, mostly from the Royal Navy; the foreign personnel had the mission of implementing procedures and training the new recruits in specific maritime areas.
One of the new areas to be implemented were carrier operations: in this area Portugal had no previous experience and need to acquire abroad all the information needed.
The aim of this last procedure was to set up a carrier wing to operate from the new aircraft carrier being constructed in the UK: the NRP Vasco da Gama.
This vessel was a modified Courageous Class, with a total displacement of 28000 tons.
The keel of the carrier was set up in 1930 and the ship was ready for operations in 1933.
The initial cruise took place in late 1933 and took the vessel from Portugal to the Azores and Madeira and around Africa (stopping at all the colonies), through the Suez Canal and arriving back in the Alfeite Naval air base (near Lisbon) in the late summer of 1934.

Setting up the air wing
Early in the operation of the new carrier an air wing of about 50 aircraft was set up; it comprise fighters, torpedo bombers and dive bombers, along with some special aircraft.
This first air wing was modelled on those found, at the time, aboard Royal Navy's carriers.
The following aircraft were acquired: As the defence aircraft of the fleet the Hawker Nimrod; Fulfilling the role of torpedo-bomber the Blackburn T.5 Ripon and finally, the Fairey IIF for the mission of reconaissance.
Due to the relatively small numbers involved, all aircraft were bought abroad and no local production was envisaged.
This first air wing, although operating without major faults, was short-lived. The Portuguese government and the Navy were concerned that some (or even all) of those aircraft would shortly be obsolete by modern standards.
In late 1938, studies were conducted to find out a suitable replacement for the task of carrier-borne fighter; it was felt that a biplane fighter could not hold its own against the new monoplane fighter being deployed by other nation's navies.
At the time, it was also decided that the new fighter would be locally produced and procured in large numbers in order to equip all air wings (two new aircraft carriers were under construction) and also the newly established shore based fighter squadrons of the Navy.
These later units (shore-based fighter squadrons) had the mission of providing local air defence of naval facilities and establishing air superiority over designated sea lanes along Portuguese territories.
At first was decided to buy and latter produce under licence versions of the Curtiss Hawk 75.
This aircraft was already operated by some units of the Air Force - Air defence Command was well liked for its robustness and ease of operations.
However, some early faults were identified in the Curtiss fighter and a special commissioned version was created to suit the needs of the Portuguese Navy.
This new version was designated by the original manufacturer as the Hawk-75PN and received the Portuguese designation of CNCA C-4 Gavião (Hawk).
This new version features the following major modifications: a new engine (an up-rated and anticorrosion version of the Trovão produced by the local LusoMotores), a new back fuselage, featuring a new canopy, more inbuilt firepower (including two 20mm canons), strengthened landing gear, arrestor hook, increased capacity to carry external stores (including fuel tanks, bombs, rockets) and special construction materials and techniques to ensure corrosion free airframe and systems.
The prototype of the new aircraft made it maiden flight in late 1940. The first prototype was soon joined by three more aircraft. The test program encountered some difficulties (particularly with the integration of the new engine), but in mid-1941 it reached a state that allowed for the start of the production.

Below we see the first C-4 Gavião prototype.


Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2012, 10:31:09 PM »
The first production aircraft was officially accepted by the Portuguese Navy in late-1941.
The production aircraft feature some modifications over the first prototypes: an even more powerful engine (with a new spinner), increased armour plating for the cockpit, improved communications radio and antenna.

Below we see an operation fighter operating aboard the carrier NRP Vasco da Gama.



Almost all of the aircraft of the initial production batch were delivered to the carrier-borne units; later aircraft were destined to the shore-based fighter units.
The land-based version was almost identical to the carrier-borne aircraft; the major modifications were the delete of arrestor hook and a lightened landing gear.

Below we see a land-based version, from one of the units operating in the Naval Air Base of Lajes (in the Azores).


Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2012, 10:33:16 PM »
Navy Air Fleet Training

As with the Air Force, the introduction of a first line modern fighter, accentuated the need for a modern training aircraft; the natural choice was the I-3 Cegonha and a first batch was delivered to the training Command of the navy in ealy-1942. The Navy version had some minor changes (mostly internal) including protection against corrosion, allowing the aircraft to operate near and on the ocean. The navy version was known as I-4 Gaivota (Sea Gull).
Below we see an example of the Gaivota of the Naval Academy (Academia Naval) based in the naval air base of Alfeite (near Lisbon).


Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2012, 02:16:35 AM »
Nicely done JP
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2012, 07:10:56 PM »
Thank you Greg.
More to come

Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2012, 09:36:23 PM »
The German Period 1938-1943

The Spanish Civil War had a tremendous influence in the Portuguese military forces and in the politicians.
Besides the political and strategic lessons learned from that conflict, the military equipment of the Portuguese armed forces was also influenced.
The performance of the German aircraft was particularly appreciated; the Portuguese Air force asked for the purchase of some of the aircraft that operated in the Spanish Civil war.
Even before the end of that conflict, negotiations were initiated between the Governments of Portugal and Germany: Portugal wanted to diversify its sources of military equipment and Germany want to strengthen the ties between both countries and enlarged its sphere of influence.
In 1938 a military equipment package deal was agreed: Portugal would buy several dozens of German manufactured equipment. It was also envisaged to produce them, at a later date, locally in Portugal.
The deal included the purchase of fighters (both the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Bf 110), bombers (Heinkel He-111 and Dornier Do 17), dive bombers (Junkers Ju-87) and transport planes (Junkers Ju-52), reconnaissance, ground attack and liaison aircraft (Fieseler Fi-156, Henschel Hs-123 and Blohm & Voss BV-138).
As stated this was part of a larger deal that included also the purchase of other military equipment and the training of the Portuguese forces by German technicians.
Plans were also made for the start of local production (under licence) of some of the military equipment, notably fighter and bomber planes.
All the initial aircraft were delivered by the middle of 1939.
However the start of World War II precluded the local production of the military equipment.
And so in 1941, Portuguese forces were equipped with a considerable amount of military equipment of German origin but without that country’s technical assistance.
The deal for the local production of the German equipment included the transfer of some detailed plans; in 1941 Portugal had those plans but not the technical assistance form German technician.
With the equipment needing of substitution or upgrade, the Portuguese government decide to direct the industry to performed the necessary modifications on the aircraft to allow them to continue to be effective equipment for some years to come.
One of the major modifications needed concerned the engines of the aircraft; newly manufactured engines with better performance were needed.
One of the German aircraft destined for modification were the Bf-109; these were early version of the German aircraft and some key modifications were decided: a new and better performance engine; improved cockpit space and visibility; a new one-piece back sliding canopy; a redesigned upper back fuselage; stronger and safer landing gear, higher caliber and number of weapons (machine guns and guns).
The first modify aircraft, designated CNCA C-5 Águia (Eagle) made its maiden flight in middle 1941.
Below we see a color profile of the first aircraft.



About 60 remaining Bf-109 were destined for the modification program and the “new” aircraft equipped 4 esquadras (squadrons) of the Air defence Command up until 1946.
Below we see an operation aircraft of the Esquadra 523 (523rd squadron) based at Porto Santo Air Base in the Madeira Archipelago.


Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2012, 09:40:58 PM »
Changing roles – the multiple lifes of the Messerschmitt Bf-110

One of the aircrafts brought by Portugal, following the agreement made with German in the late 1930’s was the Messerschmitt Bf-110.
The aircraft, used as a heavy, long-range escort fighter by the Germans impressed the Portuguese Air Force that asked for a substantial number of these planes; in all about 80 aircraft were delivered to Portugal before the start of WWII.
The Air Defence Command received all the aircraft and put them into service in 5 esquadras tasked with protecting bombers from the Offensive Aviation Command (bomber sub-command)
After the performance of the Bf-110 at the Battle of Britain, the Air defence command lost most of its interested in the aircraft and began to figure other uses for it: it was felt that the original long-range escort missions would not be the best use for these aircraft.
The aircraft were gradually replaced in the long range escort missions and put into storage.
The number of aircraft remaining was still very high had a considerable amount of available flight time and the country could not simply put them into storage: a new use had to be discovered for them.
A proposal from technicians of the CNCA was made: to select the best airframes and, through an upgrade and refurbishing program, produce a more suitable aircraft for the missions of the Armed forcers.
The modification program comprised the following work: new up-rated engines, a new shorter and strengthen back fuselage, shorter span wings, a single enlarged fin, a new nose weapons arrangement, etc.
In all 60 aircraft were modified and the first one made its maiden flight in middle 1941.
The “new” aircraft were designated CNCA A-3 Grifo (gryphon).
The 60 aircraft were divided between the Air Force / Attack Aviation Command and the Fleet Air Arm / Littoral Command.
The Air Force aircraft were tasked with air to ground mission (close air support and anti-tank missions) and equipped 2 esquadras based in Montijo Air Base (near Lisbon).
The aircraft destined for the navy equipped an air group based in the Naval Air Base of Alfeite (also near Lisbon) and were tasked with anti-shipping missions (equipped mostly with torpedoes).
Below we see an example of the Air Force (esquadra 545) and  of the Navy (Grupo 3- aviões torpedeiros – Group 3 of torpedo aircraft).




Offline apophenia

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #10 on: February 27, 2012, 10:41:05 AM »
Nice work JP! I love that you're coming at it from the industry point-of-view. And that radial '109 is hot  :-*
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #11 on: March 01, 2012, 09:21:53 PM »
Thank you

Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #12 on: March 01, 2012, 09:22:35 PM »
Falcão Evolution- The CNCA C-7 Condor

Even before the first Falcão was accepted into operational service, studies were initiated into possible evolutions of this fighter.
One of the main concerns of the Armed Forces were the lack of a long range fighter; protecting the air space above the sea lanes and the vast ultramarine territories was a major objective still not fulfilled.
One of the studies was known initially as project 42-05; this was a major remodelling of the basic shape of the Falcão: a twin-boom, two-engined aircraft with a new central fuselage.
The aircraft was constructed in mid-1942 and testing went without major flaws.
In early 1943 production was initiated of the aircraft now known as CNCA C-7 Condor.
The Condor was used by both the air defence command of the Air Force and the Littoral Command of the Fleet Air Arm.
Units equipped with the Condor were placed in Continental Portugal, Azores, Madeira and the Colonies.
Late in WWII some units placed in the Far East even clashed with Japanese aircraft over East-Timor skies.
Below we see an example of Esquadra 574, part of Expeditionary Air Group 5, operating over East-Timor in late 1944- 1945.
In the East-Timor theatre some of the Condors used this two-tone green camouflage.



Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #13 on: March 01, 2012, 09:26:52 PM »
Hello
With the requirement of the Air Force for a powerful ground attack aircraft, the CNCA decided to make another version of the Condor; this time a tree-engine layout was decided.
The aircraft was designated CNCA A-5 and received the name of Açor (Goshawk).
The A-5 Açor was used by the Attack Command of the Air Force and remained in front line Esquadras up until the mid-1950’s.
Below we see an example of the Esquadra 435 unleashing a salvo of air-to-ground rockets.



Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #14 on: March 01, 2012, 09:31:06 PM »
Multi-variant aircraft

The experience of using a basic airframe and develop it into several differently tasked aircraft was much appreciated in the Portuguese armed forces.
With reports of the use of aircraft such as the DH Mosquito and the Junkers Ju-88 in several different missions, the Air Force asked the aeronautical company CNCA to develop a medium sized aircraft that could be, with not too much modifications, be configured into different mission aircraft.
The CNCA design team decided to use the basic shape of the Falcão, but enlarged it and using a two-engine configuration; contrary to the Condor and Açor, this new aircraft use a single fuselage.
The new aircraft was named Fénix (Phoenix) a and was developed into 3 basic forms: the C-10 as a two-man, twin-engine long range and night fighter; the B-10 as a 3 man, twin-engined high-speed bomber and the R-10 as a three-engine, two-man high-speed reconnaissance aircraft.
All the versions were accepted into service in 1943 in both the Air Force and Navy Air Fleet.
The 3 version of the aircraft served in front line service until the late 1950’s.
Below we see a ¾ general arrangement of the three basic shapes of the Fénix.


Offline Logan Hartke

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #15 on: March 01, 2012, 10:05:09 PM »
Those are so nice.

Cheers,

Logan

Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #16 on: March 03, 2012, 01:05:47 AM »
Thank you

Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #17 on: March 03, 2012, 01:30:39 AM »
Hello
The practice of developing a base airframe into a series of different aircraft was used by the aeronautical industry many times.
One first such example was the development of the twin-engine, twin-boom C-7 Condor into the tri-engine, ground attack A-5 Açor and the twin-engine R-8 Coruja recoinassance.
The C-7 was itself developed form the single-engine C-2 Falcão.


Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #18 on: December 31, 2012, 04:31:54 AM »
Export Falcões

The CNCA Falcão found an export market in the late 1940's mainly in Central and South America:
Here is a selection of some of the export Falcões:

El Salvador


Guatemala


Dominican Republic

Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #19 on: December 31, 2012, 08:06:26 PM »
New bomber/transport

Up until 1941, the bomber force of the Portuguese air force was composed of twin-engine medium range bombers.
With the experience of the RAF and USAAF of operating 4-engined long-range bombers, the Air Force recognised the need to improve its bomber force.
As a temporary measure until indigenous designs could reach front-line service, the Portuguese government negotiated, with the UK, to produce in Portugal a modified version of the Lancaster bomber.
The Portuguese aircraft was designated CNCA B-5 and the first version was an almost unmodified version of the British aircraft; the only major difference was the use of radial Portuguese engines.
Shortly after the Lancaster entered service, a design based on it was commenced: the new aircraft feature more modifications: the four engines were of an uprated version and were arranged in two pair on each wing (on a push-pull configuration; the rearrangement of the engines permited the inclusion of extra fuel tanks and improve drag reduction further improving the range); the aircraft had a single dorsal fin and extra gun turrets were added.
The new aircraft entered service in 1943 and was designated CNCA B-7 Adamastor (a mythical giant).



A transporte version of the Adamastor was also put into service: the CNCA T-4 Lencastre. This version had all the gun turrets removed and had cargo doors installed on the back fuselage.


Offline JP Vieira

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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #20 on: January 01, 2013, 03:16:23 AM »
Multi-role Airframe

By late 1941, the Portuguese Armed forces realised that, in a short time several military equipment would need to be replaced.
Amongst the high-priority equipment were aircraft of medium size such as twin-engine bombers, medium size transport aircraft, a long-range reconnaissance aircraft, all of these for the Air Force and an anti-submarine and anti-surface attack aircraft for the Navy.
All of these aircraft had common specification such as the general size, the use of two-engine layout, etc.
As such, it was decide to use a common platform from which the specific aircraft would be further developed.
The basis aircraft feature a twin-engine, twin-boom, high-wing layout.
The aircraft was developed into the B-12 medium size bomber



 the R-12 long –range reconnaissance aircraft, the T-12 medium-size transport



 and the AN-12 ASW and ASuW aircraft for the Navy.



All the variants entered service in 1943 and the last-ones (the transport T-12) served until 1961.

Later on, a specialized fire-fighting version was constructed using old ASW and ASuW versions airframes


Offline stephenmiller

  • Newly Joined - Welcome me!
Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #21 on: January 02, 2013, 02:42:53 AM »
Good material there.  Keep it going!

Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #22 on: January 04, 2013, 08:05:40 PM »
That Guatemalan Falcão is gorgeous!

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
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Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #23 on: January 04, 2013, 09:23:19 PM »
AN-12 is still my favourite  ;)
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Offline JP Vieira

  • The Challenge Master!!!
    • What-If World
Re: Portuguese Aeronautical Industry
« Reply #24 on: January 05, 2013, 08:42:06 PM »
Thanks a lot for your comments.
There is more History to be told...