SNCASO SO.4000

SNCASO · France · first flew 1951 · bomber

The SNCASO SO.4000 was an experimental French twin-engine jet bomber of the 1950s. It was the first French jet bomber to be developed, but it never entered operational service.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Mid-mounted wing swept at 35 degrees on an oval-section streamlined fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Mid-mounted wing swept at 35 degrees on an oval-section streamlined fuselage
Tall tricycle undercarriage with tandem mainwheels
Two Rolls-Royce Nene jet nozzles separated by the fin

Look for a twin-jet aircraft with a mid-mounted swept wing, a rounded fuselage and a single fin between the two jet nozzles.

Specifications

The SNCASO SO.4000 has a length of 19.75 m (65 ft).
It has a wingspan of 17.86 m (59 ft).
Its maximum speed is 850 km/h (528 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

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

History

The French Air Force issued a jet bomber specification after the Second World War, and SNCASO received a contract for two mock-ups and one full-scale prototype. The M.1 glider and M.2 scale aircraft flew first to test features such as swept wings. The prototype was rolled out on 5 March 1950 and first flew on 15 March 1951, piloted by Jacques Guignard.

Variants

Only one SO.4000 was built, powered by two Rolls-Royce Nene 102 turbojets of 4,980 lbf. It was overweight and underpowered and was damaged on landing after its only flight. It formed the basis of the SO.4050 Vautour.

Where you'll see it

The SO.4000 flew only once, and development was abandoned soon afterwards. The crew of two sat in a pressurised cockpit in the extreme nose.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.