Dassault Flamant
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| Flamant 282 flies on in private use as F-AZFX and appeared at Coventry's classic airshow in 2000 |
| The Flamant - or Flamingo - originated as the MD303, which first flew
on February 10, 1947. The type was powered by two 580hp Snecma-Renault 12S 02-201 inline piston engines and was originally bought by the Armee de l'Air as a utility transport, entering service in 1949. Most were sent to France's overseas territories and the Flamant was built in three main versions. The first, the MD311, was a bombing, navigation and photography trainer of which 39 were built. These were followed by 142 MD312 communication aircraft and 135 MD315 light transports, each carrying six passengers. The Aeronavale also used MD312s and the type continued in service until the late 1960s. Several were passed on to friendly air forces, including Cambodia, Madagascar, Tunisia and Vietnam. One MD315 was converted into the MD316 with two 820hp Snecma 14X Super Mars radial engines, while a single-finned prototype, the MD316T, featured Wright R-1300-CB7A1 Cyclone radials. A large number of Flamants survive, almost all in France. Several are airworthy with warbird operators. |
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