Sud Aviation Caravelle
Sud Aviation · France · first flew 1955 · airliner
The elegant French jet that invented the rear-engined airliner layout — and borrowed its nose from the Comet.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 32.01 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Cruciform |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- First airliner with rear-mounted engines
- Cruciform tail — tailplane partway up the fin
- Distinctive triangular 'teardrop' cabin windows
Look for the rounded Comet-style nose, two slim engine pods clamped to the rear fuselage, and a tailplane mounted partway up the fin. The triangular passenger windows are unique among jetliners.
Specifications
- The Sud Aviation Caravelle has a length of 32.01 m (105 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 34.3 m (113 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 845 km/h (525 mph).
- Typical crew: 3 flight crew.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Sud Aviation flew the Caravelle in 1955 as the world's first short-haul jetliner, licensing the de Havilland Comet's nose and cockpit outright. Mounting the engines on the rear fuselage gave a quiet cabin and clean wing, a formula the DC-9, One-Eleven and 727 all followed.
Variants
Progressive versions ran from the Caravelle I and III through the 10B and stretched 12, gaining thrust and length. Around 280 were built for airlines across Europe and the Americas.
Where you'll see it
Air France and Scandinavian carriers made it a common continental sight into the 1970s; UK appearances were as a frequent foreign visitor rather than a British type. Preserved airframes survive in French and Scandinavian museums.
Related aircraft
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