Castel C.25S

Fouga · France · first flew 1942 · glider

The Castel C.25S, sometimes known as the Aire, is a French two-seat training glider with side-by-side seating. It was first flown during the Second World War.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsHigh-mounted, tapered
E — Engines1 × none, embedded-mounted
F — Fuselage7.23 m fuselage
T — TailConventional

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Spot it by:

The high wing has a constant-chord inner section over about 40% of the span and straight tapered outer panels. The crew sit side by side beneath the wing leading edge, and the rudder extends down to the keel.

Specifications

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

History

Robert Castello began the design soon after the Armistice of June 1940, and the first two prototypes both flew in 1942. It is an all-wood aircraft with a plywood-skinned fuselage and fabric-covered wings.

Variants

It was built in a single model, the C.25S, with some 170 produced; the exact total is uncertain.

Where you'll see it

The French Air Ministry ordered 100 for the post-war revival of gliding, built at Fouga's Aire-sur-Adour factory between 1945 and 1948. It set several long-distance records in the early 1950s and appeared in the 1966 film La Grande Vadrouille.

Related aircraft

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