Aérospatiale N 500
Nord Aviation / Aérospatiale · France · first flew 1968 · helicopter
The Aérospatiale N 500 (Nord N 500 Cadet) was a French single-seat VTOL research aircraft. Instead of a rotor it used two ducted fans on short pivoting wings, which were tilted to give vertical thrust for take-off and horizontal thrust for forward flight.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 6.58 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- French single-seat VTOL research aircraft, the N 500 Cadet
- Two three-bladed ducted fans mounted on short wings that pivot between vertical and horizontal thrust
- One Allison T63 turboshaft powers both fans
A small one-seat aircraft with two three-blade ducted fans carried on short wings that pivot. There is no main rotor and no tail rotor.
Specifications
- The Aérospatiale N 500 has a length of 6.58 m (22 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 6.14 m (20 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 350 km/h (217 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
A model of the concept was shown at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget in 1965. Nord Aviation built the aircraft in 1967, and the first tethered flight was made in July 1968. The company later became part of Aérospatiale.
Variants
Two prototypes were built; there was no production variant.
Where you'll see it
Used for research only; it never entered service.
Related aircraft
- Nord 262
- Breda-Nardi NH 500E
- Sikorsky SH-3D Sea King
- Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama
- Agusta-Bell AB 206B-1 JetRanger
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