SCAL FB.40
SCAL · France · first flew 1938 · light aircraft
The SCAL FB.40 was a French two-seat biplane trainer with side-by-side seating, chosen in 1938 for the Aviation Populaire programme. It was powered by a 62 hp Régnier 4D.0 inline engine.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 5.62 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Wooden equal-span biplane with rectangular wings and marked stagger
- Pilot and passenger sit side by side under a cut-out in the trailing edge of the upper wing
- Angular tail with a cropped triangular fin
A small wooden staggered biplane with a fixed, conventional undercarriage on faired V-struts and a tailplane braced from below.
Specifications
- The SCAL FB.40 has a length of 5.62 m (18 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.5 m (25 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 140 km/h (87 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
After the nationalisation of the French military aircraft industry, the government set up the Aviation Populaire programme to popularise flying, and the FB.40 was among seventeen types selected by the end of 1937. The exact date of its first flight is not known, but by 30 October 1938 initial tests at Orly had proved it ready for certification trials at Villacoublay.
Variants
The FB.41 variant was powered by a 70 hp Minié 4 D0 Horus flat-four engine and by 20 May 1939 had logged ten hours of flying.
Where you'll see it
The Second World War prevented large-scale production. At least two FB.40s were restored after the war, and one became a familiar rally participant.
Related aircraft
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