Dassault Hirondelle

Dassault Aviation · France · first flew 1968 · transport aircraft

The Dassault M.D.320 Hirondelle (Swallow) was a French 14-seat utility transport of the 1960s, designed and built by Dassault Aviation. It was powered by two Turbomeca Astazou turboprops.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turboprop, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Twin-turboprop utility transport using the Falcon 20 fuselage, with Astazou engines in wing nacelles
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Twin-turboprop utility transport using the Falcon 20 fuselage, with Astazou engines in wing nacelles
Slightly swept low wing, with the main gear retracting into the engine nacelles
Round cabin windows, five a side, on a pressurised fuselage

An all-metal low-wing twin with a Falcon 20 fuselage, a slightly swept wing and tailplane, a swept fin, and a turboprop in a nacelle on each wing. Three-bladed propellers distinguish it from the Falcon 20 jet.

Specifications

The Dassault Hirondelle has a length of 12.72 m (42 ft).
It has a wingspan of 14.55 m (48 ft).
Its maximum speed is 500 km/h (311 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

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

History

In 1967 the French Air Force sought a replacement for its DC-3 and Beechcraft 18 aircraft, specifying Astazou turboprops. Dassault built a single prototype using the Falcon 20 fuselage, wing and control surfaces, which first flew on 11 September 1968 at Bordeaux-Merignac. The Air Force then switched to seeking jets, and no further interest followed.

Variants

Only a single prototype was built.

Where you'll see it

Never entered service. The experience was applied to the Falcon 10, and the Hirondelle was the last propeller-driven aircraft Dassault designed.

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