Nord Norécrin

1200 Norécrin
Nord 1203 Norécrin
Role	Cabin monoplane
Manufacturer	Nord Aviation
First flight	15 December 1945
Number built	378

The Nord 1200 Norécrin is a French two or three-seat (later four-seat) cabin monoplane designed and built by Nord Aviation.

Development

The Norécrin was developed to meet a French ministry of transport sponsored design competition. The Norécrin is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear and the prototype (Nord 1200) was designed to receive a nose-mounted 75 kW (100 hp) Mathis G4-R piston engine but flew only with a 100 kW (140 hp) Renault 4Pei (first flight on 15 December 1945 with Georges Detre as test pilot). The production version had three-seats and was designated the Nord 1201 Norécrin I. A number of variants were produced with different engines fitted. Later variants had four-seats and the Nord 1203 Norécrin V was a two-seat military variant with machine-guns and rockets. It was a successful design and 378 aircraft were built.

Variants

1200 Norécrin

Prototype with a 100 kW (140 hp) Renault 4Pei engine.

1201 Norécrin I

Three-seat production variant with a 100 kW (140 hp) Renault 4P-01 engine (22 built)

1202 Norécrin

Prototype four-seat variant with a 120 kW (160 hp) Potez 4D-01 engine

Nord 1203 Norecrin II at Sherburn-in-Elmet airfield, Yorkshire, in July 1951

1203 Norécrin II

Production variant with 101 kW (135 hp) Regnier 4L-00 engine.

1203 Norécrin III

Norécrin II with modified landing gear.

1203 Norécrin IV

Powered by a 130 kW (170 hp) Regnier 4L-02 engine.

1203 Norécrin V

Armed military variant.

1203 Norécrin VI

1955 production variant with a 120 kW (160 hp) Regnier 4L-14 engine.

1203 Norécrin M1

1955 prototype with a 130 kW (180 hp) Lycoming O-360 engine, derated to 120 kW (160 hp) .

1204 Norécrin

Powered by a 93 kW (125 hp) Continental C125 flat-four engine.

1204/II Norécrin

Powered by a 108 kW (145 hp) Continental C145-2 flat-four engine.

Operators

 Brazil

• OMTA - One aircraft only.

Military operators

 Argentina

• Argentine Coast Guard

 France

• French Air Force
• French Navy

 Israel

• Israeli Air Force - Two aircraft only.

  Switzerland

• Swiss Air Force

Specifications (1203 Norécrin II)

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. p. 2616. 

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Capacity: three passengers
• Length: 7.21 m (23 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan: 10.22 m (33 ft 6¼ in)
• Height: 2.90 m (9 ft 6 in)
• Wing area: 13 m² (139.93 ft²)
• Empty weight: 652 kg (1437 lb)
• Gross weight: 1050 kg (2315 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Regnier 4L-00 air-cooled inverted inline piston-engine, 101 kW (135 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 280 km/h (174 mph)
• Range: 900 km (559 miles)
• Service ceiling: 5000 m (16,405 ft)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nord 1200.

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. 
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. p. 2616. 
• Le Trait d'Union (The Norecrin serie by Claude Salaun issue 109 to 121 1986-1988). French branch of Air Britain.