Sud-Ouest SO.1310 Farfadet
Sud-Ouest · France · first flew 1953 · helicopter
The Sud-Ouest SO.1310 Farfadet was a French experimental compound helicopter, featuring both a lifting rotor and small stub wings to augment lift at higher speeds. It was designed to explore the performance envelope between conventional helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 13.1 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Convertiplane with both rotor and stub wings
- French experimental compound helicopter of the 1950s
- Single rotor with fixed wings for lift augmentation
Identifiable by its main rotor above a conventional fuselage combined with small stub wings extending from the lower fuselage sides; the tail boom carries a conventional tail rotor.
Specifications
- The Sud-Ouest SO.1310 Farfadet has a length of 13.1 m (43 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 6.3 m (21 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 220 km/h (137 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Farfadet (French for 'elf' or 'sprite') flew in the early 1950s as part of France's post-war research into high-speed rotary-wing flight. Sud-Ouest aimed to combine hover capability with improved cruise efficiency through the addition of fixed lifting surfaces.
Variants
Only a single prototype was built and flown; no production variants were developed as the compound helicopter concept proved too complex for the technology of the era.
Where you'll see it
The SO.1310 served solely as a research aircraft for the French aviation industry and never entered operational service.
Related aircraft
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