Hendryk
Banned
The theory behind the ramjet dates from the early years of powered flight, when French engineer René Lorin first thought of applying the compression-combustion-expansion thermodynamic cycle to aircraft propulsion in 1908. The problem was that such a jet engine required a minimum speed to kick in that was unattainable at the time, and the idea was shelved until its rediscovery by another Frenchman, René Leduc, in 1935.
Leduc was a firm believer in the potential of ramjet propulsion for fighter aircraft, and proceeded to develop prototypes. The first one, the Leduc 0.10, finally flew in 1949. Further prototypes were assembled in the following years, the 0.16, 0.21 and finally the 0.22, which used a dual propulsion system--a classic turbojet engine to reach the required speed threshold, and the ramjet itself. Some 30 test flights took place, but in 1956 the cash-strapped French government stopped funding the project.
But what if the ramjet concept had generated more interest both in France and abroad? Could it have successfully competed against the classic turbojet concept for fighter aircraft? Would it have found a niche, perhaps for interceptors?
Here's what the 0.22 looked like. Note the cockpit located in the inner wedge.
Leduc was a firm believer in the potential of ramjet propulsion for fighter aircraft, and proceeded to develop prototypes. The first one, the Leduc 0.10, finally flew in 1949. Further prototypes were assembled in the following years, the 0.16, 0.21 and finally the 0.22, which used a dual propulsion system--a classic turbojet engine to reach the required speed threshold, and the ramjet itself. Some 30 test flights took place, but in 1956 the cash-strapped French government stopped funding the project.
But what if the ramjet concept had generated more interest both in France and abroad? Could it have successfully competed against the classic turbojet concept for fighter aircraft? Would it have found a niche, perhaps for interceptors?
Here's what the 0.22 looked like. Note the cockpit located in the inner wedge.