SNCASE SE.100

SNCASE · France · first flew 1939 · fighter

The SNCASE SE.100 was a French two-seat, twin-engined fighter that first flew in 1939. Mass production was planned for late 1940 but the fall of France prevented it.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Short fuselage with a long nose and a very short tail
T — Tail	Twin fin

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Spot it by:

Two-seat twin-engined fighter with a twin tail
Short fuselage with a long nose and a very short tail
Unconventional undercarriage with a single main wheel at the front and a rear wheel retracting into each vertical tail

Of all-metal construction, with handed engines whose airscrews rotate in opposite directions. Armament was four 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon in the nose and one in the gunner's post on the first prototype.

Specifications

The SNCASE SE.100 has a length of 11.8 m (39 ft).
It has a wingspan of 15.7 m (52 ft).
Its maximum speed is 580 km/h (360 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

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

History

It was designed by Pierre Mercier and Jacques Lecarme at Lioré et Olivier and was first designated the LeO 50. The two Gnome-Rhône 14M engines proved underpowered, so the design was recast with the more powerful 14N-20 and -21 as the SE.100. The first prototype flew on 29 March 1939 at Argenteuil.

Variants

The second prototype removed the windowed corridor in the fuselage and replaced it with additional fuel tanks, and armament was increased.

Where you'll see it

The first prototype was destroyed in a crash on 5 April 1940. The aircraft was around 100 km/h faster than the Potez 631 and production was authorised.

Related aircraft

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