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MD.415 Communauté
Role	Light turboprop civil transport
Manufacturer	Dassault Aviation
First flight	1959
Number built	1

The Dassault MD.415 Communauté was a 1950s French twin-engined light turboprop transport monoplane built by Dassault Aviation. Only one prototype was built and flown.

[edit] Development

The Dassault company designed a light transport aircraft in the late 1950s, designated MD.415 and later named Communauté, as a potential replacement of the Dassault MD 315 Flamant in its trainer, command trasport or ambulance aircraft roles. The Communauté was a cantilever low-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear with room for two crew and up to ten passengers. Powered by two wing-mounted Turbomeca Bastan turboprops, the prototype (F-WJDN) first flew on 10 May 1959.

The company also developed a military version designated the MD.410 Spirale. Retaining 90% commonality with the Communauté, the Spirale had all the windows removed and a transparent nose-panels added. It also had provision for cannon or machine-gun armaments and was fitted with underwing hard-points for weapons. It was intended that the Spirale could be used for close-support, reconnaissance or transport roles.

Neither the Communauté nor the Spirale received any production orders and a high-wing development designated Spirale III was also abandoned.

[edit] Variants

MD.415 Communauté: Prototype light transport, one built.
MD.410 Spirale: Prototype military version, one built.
MD.455 Spirale III: Proposed high-wing transport version, not built.

[edit] Specifications (Communauté)

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1315 & 1316

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Capacity: 6-10 passengers
Length: 13.00 m (42 ft 7¾ in)
Wingspan: 16.43 m (53 ft 10¾ in)
Height: 4.31 m (14 ft 1¾ in)
Wing area: 36 m² (387.51 ft²)
Empty weight: 3610 kg (7959 lb)
Gross weight: 5900 kg (13007 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Turbomeca Bastan turboprop, 746 kW (1000 hp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 500 km/h (311 mph)
Range: 2500 km (1553 miles)
Service ceiling: 11000 m (36090 ft)

[edit] References

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1315 & 1316