M.Hardy. Gliders & Sailplanes of the world

Caudron C-800

  In the same class as the Slingsby T21 Sedbergh, this side-by-side two-seater basic training sailplane first flew just after the war and has always been known as the Caudron C-800 although its production was undertaken by SNCA ДальшеMore>>> du Nord at Meaulte (Somme) after SNCAN had absorbed the Societe Anonyme des Avions Caudron-Renault at the end of 1945 and taken over its designs. The Caudron company had been known in the 1930s for a series of touring and racing monoplanes, and the Goeland twin-engined light transport, and in 1946 the French Government ordered no less than 300 C-800s for use at clubs and elementary flying training schools. Repeat orders were also placed, and the type was at first known as the Epervier (or Sparrowhawk), although this name did not catch on and was later applied to the Morane-Saulnier MS 1500 light COIN aircraft of 1957. The C-800 is of conventional all-wood construction with mixed plywood and fabric covering; the high wing is braced and there is dihedral on the tailplane. The landing gear consists of a fixed monowheel with a sprung wooden skid under the forward fuselage and a tailskid. The two pilots have dual controls and there is an extra transparent panel below the cockpit canopy on each side that hinges downwards. About two dozen C-800s were still on the French civil register in 1979.


Span: 52 ft 5 in
Length: 27 ft 4 in
Wing area: 237.3 sq ft
Empty weight: 507 lb
Max weight: 892 lb
Normal gliding speed: 45 mph