Transall

Transall, short for Transport Allianz or Transporter-Allianz, was a Franco-German aircraft manufacturing consortium established in 1959 to design and build a replacement for the piston-engined Nord Noratlas transport aircraft. Its creation reflected postwar efforts by France and West Germany to cooperate on major aerospace programs while supporting the industrial capabilities of both countries. The founding partners were Nord Aviation of France and the German companies Weser Flugzeugbau and Hamburger Flugzeugbau. The consortium's principal and ultimately sole product was the Transall C-160, a twin-turboprop military transport aircraft intended to carry personnel, vehicles, equipment and supplies. The program initially attracted Italian participation because Italy also needed a new tactical transport aircraft, but the Italian government later withdrew in favor of developing and acquiring the smaller Fiat G.222. France and Germany continued the C-160 project as the core Transall undertaking. Each principal partner contributed to prototype construction and later to series production. Nord Aviation built one prototype, while the German partners produced additional prototypes. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 25 May 1963, and another prototype followed in February 1964. After a series of pre-production aircraft, France and Germany signed a production contract in September 1964 for 160 aircraft: 110 for the German Air Force and 50 for the French Air Force. Manufacturing was divided among the participating companies, with different partners responsible for the wings, engine nacelles, fuselage sections, empennage and final assembly. This distributed workshare was a defining feature of the consortium and an early example of structured Franco-German aerospace cooperation. The first production aircraft were delivered in 1967. The initial production series included C-160Ds for West Germany, C-160Fs for France and a small number of C-160Z aircraft for South Africa. Four French aircraft were later converted into C-160P postal transports and operated by Air France on behalf of the French postal service. Initial production continued until 1972. France revived production in 1977 with an order for 25 improved aircraft. By this stage, Nord Aviation had become part of Aérospatiale, while VFW and HFB had been absorbed into the German aerospace group Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm. The second-generation aircraft incorporated updated avionics and changes to the fuselage and center-wing area, including the removal of the earlier port-side cargo loading door to provide space for additional fuel capacity. The first aircraft from this renewed production series flew in 1981. The batch included aircraft for France, several special-mission airframes and six aircraft for Indonesia. Transall itself was not maintained as a long-term independent aircraft manufacturer after C-160 production ended in 1985. Its successor corporate structures were absorbed into the broader European aerospace consolidation process. Aérospatiale, VFW and MBB ultimately became constituent companies of EADS, which later adopted the Airbus Group name. The C-160 nevertheless remained in military service for decades, particularly with France and Germany, and became the enduring industrial legacy of the Transall consortium.

In the late 1950s, France and West Germany identified a requirement for a new transport aircraft to replace their Nord Noratlas fleets. The project emerged from a broader climate of industrial and political cooperation between the two countries. On 28 November 1957, representatives of France and Germany signed an agreement to pursue a common successor. Italy joined the early discussions because it had a related requirement, but its participation ended when it chose to pursue the locally developed Fiat G.222 instead. The Transall consortium was formally established in January 1959. Its name derived from Transporter-Allianz, also rendered Transport Allianz. The founding members were Nord Aviation of France, Weser Flugzeugbau of Germany and Hamburger Flugzeugbau. The partners divided the development effort, with each major company responsible for producing a prototype. The first prototype, built by Nord Aviation, flew on 25 May 1963. A VFW-built prototype also flew on that date, while the HFB-built prototype made its first flight on 19 February 1964. Six pre-production aircraft followed between 1965 and 1966. These aircraft were lengthened by approximately 51 centimeters compared with the prototypes. The production decision was delayed in part by Lockheed's attempt to sell the C-130 Hercules to the German Air Force as an alternative. A formal contract was eventually signed on 24 September 1964 for 160 C-160 aircraft, comprising 110 aircraft for Germany and 50 for France. The production workshare broadly reflected the order quantities and was distributed across the partner companies. Nord Aviation manufactured wings and engine nacelles; VFW built the center fuselage and horizontal tail; HFB produced the forward and rear fuselage sections; and Dornier manufactured the vertical tail. Three assembly lines brought the separately produced sections together into complete aircraft. The first production aircraft entered service in 1967. Germany received C-160D aircraft, France received C-160F aircraft, and South Africa received nine C-160Z aircraft. France later converted four C-160Fs into C-160P postal aircraft. These aircraft were operated by Air France for the French postal service, demonstrating that the airframe could support a specialized civil logistics role in addition to its military mission. The first production run continued until October 1972. France ordered a further 25 aircraft in July 1977. By then, Nord Aviation had become part of Aérospatiale, while VFW and HFB had been consolidated into Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm. The renewed production program was divided equally between Aérospatiale and MBB, with final assembly concentrated at Toulouse. The updated aircraft featured improved avionics and changes to the cargo and fuel arrangements, including replacement of the port-side cargo door with additional fuel provision in the center-wing area. The first aircraft from this second-generation series flew in 1981. The batch included 29 aircraft for France, four additional non-standard aircraft for special missions, and six aircraft for Indonesia. Production of the C-160 ended in 1985, bringing the active manufacturing life of the Transall consortium to a close. The partner companies later became part of the corporate consolidation that created EADS, subsequently renamed Airbus Group. Although Transall no longer exists as an independent manufacturer, the C-160 remained an important military transport type and the consortium is historically significant as an early large-scale Franco-German aerospace cooperation project.

• 1985

  C-160 production ends

  [1]Transallen.wikipedia.org

  Manufacture of the Transall C-160 concluded, ending the consortium's aircraft production activity.

• 1981

  Second-generation C-160 flies

  [1]Transallen.wikipedia.org

  The first aircraft from the renewed production series made its maiden flight with updated avionics and revised fuel and cargo arrangements.

• 1977

  France orders improved aircraft

  [1]Transallen.wikipedia.org

  France placed an order for a further 25 C-160 aircraft, restarting production with an updated configuration.

• 1972

  Initial production run completed

  [1]Transallen.wikipedia.org

  The first production phase ended after deliveries to the principal military operators and other customers.

• 1967

  First production deliveries

  [1]Transallen.wikipedia.org

  The first production C-160 aircraft were delivered to France and Germany; South Africa also received aircraft from the initial production program.

• 1964

  Series production contract signed

  [1]Transallen.wikipedia.org

  France and Germany ordered a combined 160 aircraft, with Germany receiving 110 and France 50.

• 1963

  First C-160 prototype flight

  [1]Transallen.wikipedia.org

  The first prototype completed its maiden flight on 25 May, beginning the flight-test phase of the new tactical transport aircraft.

• 1959

  Transall consortium established

  [1]Transallen.wikipedia.org

  Nord Aviation, Weser Flugzeugbau and Hamburger Flugzeugbau formally created the consortium to develop and manufacture the C-160.

• 1957

  Franco-German successor-aircraft agreement

  [1]Transallen.wikipedia.org

  France and West Germany signed an agreement on 28 November to pursue a joint replacement for the Nord Noratlas transport aircraft.

A cooperative European aerospace program focused on tactical military airlift and multinational industrial workshare.

• Military transport aircraft · 1967

  Transall C-160

  The C-160 was a twin-turboprop tactical transport aircraft developed for France and West Germany as a replacement for the Nord Noratlas. It was designed for military airlift missions, including the movement of personnel, vehicles, cargo and supplies. Multiple national variants were produced, including the German C-160D, French C-160F, South African C-160Z and later improved French aircraft. Specialized derivatives included postal transports and aircraft configured for special missions. Production ran in two principal phases from the 1960s through 1985.

• Postal transport aircraft

  C-160P

  The C-160P was a postal transport conversion of four French C-160F aircraft. The converted aircraft were operated by Air France on behalf of the French postal service, giving the Transall airframe a specialized logistics role outside conventional military transport operations.

1. 1Transallen.wikipedia.org