Sud-Ouest Triton
The Sud-Ouest SO.6000 Triton was an early experimental French jet aircraft. It has the distinction of being the first indigenously-designed jet-powered aircraft to be flown by the nation, having been designed and manufactured during the 1940s by the French aircraft construction consortium SNCASO.
| SO.6000 Triton | |
|---|---|
| SO.6000 Triton n°3 on display at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace in Le Bourget | |
| Role | Experimental trainer aircraft |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | SNCASO |
| First flight | 11 November 1946 |
| Number built | 5 |
Work on the French jet aircraft initiative had begun in secret during the Second World War, and harnessed research retrieved from Nazi Germany. Almost immediately after the end of the conflict, the French government issued a requirement for a batch of five prototype jet aircraft to be developed by French industry. To avoid delaying the overall project, it was decided to use the German-designed Junkers Jumo 004-B2 engine after severe development issues were encountered with the indigenously-developed Rateau-Anxionnaz GTS-65 turbojet engine. The British Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet engine was also adopted for some of the prototypes.
On 11 November 1946, the first prototype performed its maiden flight, flown by test pilot Daniel Rastel. This feat was viewed by the government as being an important, and public, advancement in the capabilities of French industry and military capability. A total of five aircraft were produced for the test programme, including one for static testing only. Despite multiple aircraft been built and successfully flown, further development of the SO.6000 was abandoned following the rapid emergence of more advanced jet-powered fighter aircraft.