C-160 Transall

History

In January 1957, the France and the Germany are interested by a military apparatus of transport in average operating range, on the basis of project presented by North-Aviation like apparatus of air-sea patrol. North-aviation not having the means of producing only a project of such a width, it was decided in June 1958 to create the consortium Transport Allianz, within the framework of a collaboration Free-Germano-Italian.

The Italy being withdrawn of the project, the design of Transall was ensured by French and German companies, that is to say North-Aviation for France, and the firms Weser Flugzeugbau (WFB) and Hamburger Flugzeugbau (HFB) for Germany. Assembled to Bourges and in Germany (with Bremen and Hamburg), it flew for the first time on February 25th 1963 and built with 169 specimens, of which a part exported in Turkey and South Africa.

One second series was launched at the end of the years 1970: C-160 NG, equipped with a modernized avionics, 2 fuel and additional system tanks of in-flight refueling. Manufacture was this time ensured by Aérospatiale for France, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm and Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke for Germany. The final assembly was then done on the chains of aerospatiale with Toulouse, and C-160 NG flew for the first time on April 9th, 1981. 29 specimens were only manufactured for France, including four C-160H intended to be used as relai of transmission and two C-160G of electronic listening.

From 1994 to 1999, all French C-160 were renovated via an improvement of their avionics and the addition of a system of anti-missile countermeasures. The C-160F thus renovated were famous C 160R (" renové"). The apparatuses of Luftwaffe followed a similar programme of extension of life at BAE Systems, but all the French and German apparatuses started to reach their limit of end-of-life in 2005. All the South-African apparatuses were already withdrawn from the service, while the Turkish air force continues to use 20 apparatuses obtained of Germany (C-160T).

Engagements

French Transall have been engaged in all the humanitarian operations and all the external deployments carried out by the France for 30 years.

Alternatives

Initial series:

C-160D : 110 apparatuses (Germany).
C-160F: 50 apparatuses (France).
C-160T: 20 apparatuses (Turkey).
C-160Z: 9 apparatuses (South Africa)

Second series:

C-160NG : improved version, 25 aircraft (France)

Exist also them:

C-160 G electronic Gabriel of war (2 modified C-160NG)
C-160 H Astarté ( Avion Relay station of Exceptional Transmissions ) which was C-160NG transformed into relay of communication marine aviation. More in service, they station on the air base of Chateaudun.
C 160 R: it is of C-160 F with renovated avionics and system of self-protection. Since 1999, all C-160 F became " R".
C-160 P: 4 models F used by the air-mail Frenchwoman between 1973 and 1985, then transferred with the air force and transformed into " R".

The following versions were proposed, but not retained:

C-160 AAA : remote detection and identifications.
C-160 ASF : platform of shooting Exocet AM39.
C-160 S: maritime surveyance.
C-160 SE: electronic monitoring.

Other characteristics

Transall is equipped with two back side doors, retractable, for the dropping of parachutists equipped with straps SOA ( Sangles of Automatic Opening ) and of a unit carries and crawls axial with the back, allowing the loading of freight and the dropping of material. The free chuteurs can also use this opening to jump.

The compartment of Transall can be configured several manners, mixables between them:

In configuration " lisse" , without any equipment, for the transport of vehicles or various objects fastened at the points of anchoring in the ground.
In configuration " passagers" , with seats in fabric. The transport capacity of passengers is of 91 people or 87 parachutists in sitted place; nevertheless, in the case of parachutists equipped for the combat this capacity falls to 60.
In configuration " Evasan" ( Medical Evacuation ) with 62 superimposed stretchers.
In configuration known as " DADA" ( Device of Stowing and Automatic Desarrimage ), with two and four band guide rails of rollers for the loading of 5 pallets.

Transall has capacities of takeoff and landing courts (1000m and 600m), starting from summary grounds (grass, Latérite). Its engines are equipped with a system of synchronization of mode and synchrophasage with propeller (blade of propellers at the same place on each engine), effective once reached cruising speed, making it possible to decrease the noise and the vibrations.

For takeoff, a system of injection of water added with methanol allows, by increasing the density of the air and while bringing additional fuel (methanol), to recover the maximum capacity of the engines. It makes it possible to overfeed the engine during a few minutes, in order to increase the mass on takeoff in difficult cases (short track and/or high temperature).

For the landing, it is equipped with high-lift wings, Aérofrein S and " reverse" (inversion of the step propeller) which allows very short landings. Approaches known as " large pente" (10-15°) limit the risks to be touched by portable ground-to-air missiles or light weapons drawing since the ground (characteristic that its competitor the C-130 does not have). For example to Sarajevo, where a Italian G-222 had been cut down with the landing by portable SAM, C-160 went down at a rate/rhythm from 4000 feet per minute. The landings " type; posed assaut" a fast unloading of personnel and/or materials allow on the track followed by an immediate redécollage. That at least limits the duration to the enemy shootings.

Transall is equipped with a system allowing of the droppings very low height (3 meters between the back slope and the ground) with parcel and light vehicles. They are then fastened on pallets, which slip on the ground and they are slowed down by parachutes. Moreover, the impact is deadened by a system of pallets out of paperboard, which are crushed and absorbed part of the shock in the place of the parcel. Although requiring a checking preliminary on the ground of the state of the ground, this system has especially the advantage of making it possible to deliver weapons, materials, vivres and vehicles with parachuted units, in places where the landing is impossible, or dangerous.

The propellers, manufactured under license by the Ratier company with Figeac have the record of the largeest diameter: 5,486 meters. Initially out of aluminum alloy, they today are also built out of composite materials. They were conceived by Hawker Siddeley Dynamics and Ratier Figeac. They are composed of a glass fiber hull filled with standard foam " foam expansée" , then, 8 layers of carbon fiber in crossed layers, 2 layers of cross fibers carbon/kevlar in layer. Over the whole a cement is applied, then painting anti-erosion resistant to the U.V.

The drift is largest having existed for a propeller plane. It culminates with 12 meters with the top of the ground approximately.

Advantages/Disadvantages

In addition to the usual characteristics of the transport aircraft of the " type; propeller tactique" cargo liner; , which all is in the line of the C-130 of the Fifties, C-160 adds:

Discretion
Capacities of takeoff and landing courts
Possibility of using very summary grounds
Possibility of carrying out discrete landings of combat
Ravitaillable AND supply craft, for the NG (new generation)
Avionics adapted to the use of JVN ( Twin of Night vision ), brought closer self-defense and cabin armor-plated for the renovated versions.
a good reliability (a very low rate of attrition, compared with C-130).

The principal defect of Transall comes from its under-motorization. Although having very powerful engines already (5665 horses each one), it has only two of them, bringing it to a total of 11330 CH. Let us take the comparison with its large competitor the C-130: this last had engines of " seulement" 3750 CH at the time of the exit of the series " A" in 1956. But it had four of them, which carried it to a total of 15000 CH. In versions H and J, more recent, it has engines of 4910 CH, carrying it to a total of 19.640 CV. Maybe, almost two thirds of power in more compared to Transall!

A data little known is that, if Transall were equipped at the beginning with engines Rolls-Royce the Tyne-22 with roughly 6000 horses, it was envisaged upon the departure Rolls-Royce develops later on a version even more powerful, in the neighborhoods of 10000 CV. One is unaware of the reasons for which this project was cancelled.

The impact of the under-motorization of Transall is that its compartment, rather bulky, is often under-employed: if the transported load is dense (palletized, armored vehicles), the maximum mass on takeoff can be reached before the compartment is entirely filled. C-130, has the opposite defect rather to him!

Future

Transall age well, and their lifespan was re-examined with the rise. In 2002, half of the fleet had reached 30 years, that is to say already five of more than the initial duration envisaged.

In France and Germany the withdrawal already started and should finish in 2015, date on which they must be completely replaced by the FRA (project Future Transport aircraft launched in 1993), alias Airbus A400M, four-engined plane of a tactical and logistic transport to fast propellers, of a capacity higher in load than C-130 but lower than that of a C-17. Only difficulty, " trou" from four years between the withdrawal of C-160 of first generation and the first deliveries of A400M, envisaged in 2009.

While waiting better it is necessary to save remaining fleet, in order to delay its obsolescence. They thus are gradually replaced by C-130H, since 1993. In France, the Casa CN-235 was selected to supplement it, on missions not requiring apparatus such a large (and expensive), in particular moreover Mer; it was called besides Transalito in reference to its resemblance with its elder, in smaller and being of Spanish origin.

Random links: