Nord Aviation CT.20
Nord Aviation · France · first flew 1954 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Nord CT.20 is a French air-launched jet-powered target drone developed in the 1950s for use in surface-to-air missile and air-to-air weapon evaluation.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 5.45 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Unmanned — 0 crew
- French jet-powered target drone
- Turbojet-powered subsonic expendable target
Small mid-wing jet drone with short wings and a tail-mounted turbojet; the very short wingspan relative to length is characteristic of high-speed target drones.
Specifications
- The Nord Aviation CT.20 has a length of 5.45 m (18 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 3.16 m (10 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 900 km/h (559 mph).
- Typical crew: 0 (unmanned).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed by Nord Aviation and first flown in 1954, the CT.20 was developed to give French armed forces a realistic high-speed aerial target for missile system testing. It was launched from a parent aircraft and recovered by parachute if not destroyed.
Variants
The CT.20 was produced in baseline and modified sub-variants for different test programmes; it was also evaluated for export.
Where you'll see it
Used by the French Air Force and Navy for weapons testing; also operated by other NATO nations for missile evaluation exercises.
Related aircraft
- Nord 1500 Griffon
- Nord 3202
- Nord Aviation Nord 3400
- Nord 2200
- McDonnell XV-1
- Beechcraft MQM-61 Cardinal
- English Electric Canberra PR.9
- Lockheed U-2
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