Typhon
C.641 Typhon (high-speed version) With a view to attacking a number of long distance records, including that for 5,000 km, the French pilot Rossi testing his Renault - engined Caudron Typhon at Istres aerodrome.- flight magazine - 1937
Role	High-Speed Mailplane Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Caudron-Renault
Designer	Georges Otfinovsky/Marcel Riffard
First flight	1935
Introduction	1935
Number built	10

The Caudron C.640 Typhon was a 1930s French high-speed single-seat monoplane utility aircraft built by Caudron-Renault.

History

Similar in concept to the de Havilland DH.88 Comet the Typhon (en: Typhoon) was designed by Georges Otfinovsky and Marcel Riffard for use on long-range postal routes.^[1] The first aircraft first flew on 17 June 1935.^[2] The aircraft was a twin-engined low-wing cantilever monoplane of wooden construction. Seven C.640s were built. The Typhon established 5000 km speed records. It was not a success in operation as its flexible wings experienced buffeting and vibration problems.

Variants

• C.640 Typhon - production model with Renault 6Q engines, 7 built.
• C.641 Typhon - record breaking version with raised canopy and increased fuel capacity, 2 built.
• C.670 Typhon - prototype high-speed bomber version with a crew of three, similar to the C.640 but with increased dimensions and weights, one built.

Operators

 France

• French Air Force

 Romania

• Romanian Air Force

Specifications (C.640)

Data from Aviafrance : Caudron C.640 'Typhon'^[3]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 10.95 m (35 ft 11 in)
• Wingspan: 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)
• Height: 3 m (9 ft 10 in)
• Wing area: 28 m² (300 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 1,630 kg (3,594 lb)
• Gross weight: 3,400 kg (7,496 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Renault 6Q 6-cylinder inverted air-cooled in-line piston engines, 164 kW (220 hp) each
• Propellers: 2-bladed Ratier

Performance

• Maximum speed: 400 km/h (250 mph, 220 kn)
• Cruise speed: 370 km/h (230 mph, 200 kn)
• Range: 3,725 km (2,315 mi, 2,011 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 7,000 m (23,000 ft)