Leduc 0.10 – Photos & Videos

Čaj Leduc 0.10 bio je istraživački avion izgrađen u Francuskoj, jedan od prvih aviona na svetu koji je leteo isključivo ramjetom

Izvor: Leduc 0.10 na Vikipediji

The Leduc 0.10 was a remarkable achievement in the history of aviation. It was the first aircraft to fly solely powered by a ramjet, a type of jet engine that uses the high speed of the aircraft to compress the air before combustion. The Leduc 0.10 was designed by René Leduc, a French engineer who had been working on ramjet propulsion since 1938. He faced many challenges and delays during the German occupation of France, but he managed to complete his prototype in 1947 with the help of Breguet Aviation.
The Leduc 0.10 had a unique design, with a double-walled fuselage that formed the ramjet inlet. The pilot sat inside the inner shell, while the outer shell provided aerodynamic shape and protection. The aircraft could not take off by itself, as ramjets need a minimum speed to operate. Therefore, it was carried aloft by a larger aircraft, such as a Sud-Est Languedoc, and released at high altitude. The first unpowered flight was made in October 1947, and the first powered flight was made in April 1949. The Leduc 0.10 reached speeds of up to Mach 0.85 and altitudes of up to 36,000 feet, demonstrating the feasibility and performance of ramjet propulsion.
The Leduc 0.10 was followed by two more prototypes, one of which was modified to have two small turbojets on the wingtips to improve landing control. However, both prototypes were lost in crashes in 1951 and 1952, injuring their pilots. A third prototype, which reverted to the original configuration, was built and flew 83 test flights until 1956. It is now preserved at the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace at Le Bourget. Leduc also developed two more advanced ramjet aircraft, the Leduc 0.21 and the Leduc 0.22, but they never entered production or service.