Sud Aviation Caravelle 10B

Sud-Aviation · France · first flew 1964 · airliner

The Sud Aviation Caravelle 10B was an uprated variant of the pioneering French short-to-medium-range jet airliner, powered by more powerful Pratt & Whitney JT8D turbofan engines. It offered improved performance over earlier Caravelle marks.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbofan, tail-mounted
F — Fuselage	33.01 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Pioneer rear-engined jet airliner with distinctive nose glazing
Twin Pratt & Whitney JT8D turbofans in tail pods
French airliner with sharply swept wings

Easily identified by its rear-mounted twin engines flanking a conventional tail, sharply swept low wings, and the distinctive triangular nose with extensive forward glazing inherited from the de Havilland Comet.

Specifications

The Sud Aviation Caravelle 10B has a length of 33.01 m (108 ft).
It has a wingspan of 34.3 m (113 ft).
Its maximum speed is 845 km/h (525 mph).
Typical crew: 3.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The Caravelle series, which first flew in 1955, was the world's first successful rear-engined passenger jet. The 10B variant, introduced in 1964, used JT8D engines to improve hot-and-high performance and payload capability, attracting airline customers wanting the type's quiet cabin.

Variants

The 10B fitted JT8D-7 engines; the related 10R used JT8D-9 engines for better range. Later Caravelles included the Series 11R and 12.

Where you'll see it

Caravelle 10Bs served with numerous European and South American airlines through the 1960s and into the 1980s; Sterling Airways of Denmark was a notable operator.

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