SNCAC NC 211 Cormoran

SNCAC · France · first flew 1948 · transport aircraft

The SNCAC NC 211 Cormoran was a large French four-engine flying boat developed for maritime patrol and passenger transport in the late 1940s. It represented France's post-war attempt to field a capable long-range seaplane.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	4 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	25.8 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Large French post-war flying boat with four radial engines
High shoulder wing with strut-mounted engines
Twin-fin tail and boat hull

Large shoulder-mounted straight wing carrying four radial engines, a deep boat hull, and twin fins on a high-mounted tailplane characterise this rare French flying boat.

Specifications

The SNCAC NC 211 Cormoran has a length of 25.8 m (85 ft).
It has a wingspan of 41 m (135 ft).
Its maximum speed is 350 km/h (217 mph).
Typical crew: 6–7 + passengers.

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

History

First flown in 1948, the Cormoran was a post-war design drawing on wartime German research gathered by SNCAC engineers. Only a handful of prototypes and pre-production aircraft were completed before the programme was abandoned as land-based aviation rendered flying boats uneconomical.

Variants

The Cormoran was built in very limited numbers as a prototype/evaluation type; no significant production variants emerged.

Where you'll see it

Evaluated by the French Navy but never entered operational service in meaningful numbers. The project was cancelled in the early 1950s as France focused on land-based maritime patrol aircraft.

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