Caudron-Renault CR 760

In August 1938, Caudron-Renault submitted to the Service Technique de l'Aeronautique project studies for three new lightweight fighters to meet the requirements of a specification for such a warplane framed in May 1937, these being the CR 760, CR 770 and CR 780. The first of these, design development of which had been initiated by Marcel Riffard during 1937 as the C 715, had originally been intended to have a new 16- cylinder air-cooled engine then under development by Renault. As there was prospect of obtaining earlier deliveries of an air-cooled inline engine of comparable power from Isotta-Fraschini, it was decided to substitute this for the Renault engine in the CR 760, utilising the latter power plant in a further development, the CR 770. The CR 760 had a dural-covered welded steeltube fuselage and a two-spar wooden wing with stressed plywood skinning, the entire airframe being divided into pre-assembled elements which could be sub-contracted to non-specialised manufacturers. The 12-cylinder inverted-Vee Isotta-Fraschini Delta R.C.40 engine offered 730hp at 4000m and armament comprised six 7.5mm MAC 1934 M 39 machine guns in underwing trays. The prototype CR 760 flew for the first time at the beginning of May 1940, but was destroyed at Orleans-Bricy on 11 June 1940 to prevent it falling into German hands.

3-View

A three-view drawing (1280 x 952)