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Flamant
	Dassault MD 312 Flamant of the Armée de l'Air at Basle, September 1977
Role	Military transport aircraft
Manufacturer	Dassault Aviation
First flight	6 July 1947 (MD.315)
Introduced	1948
Retired	1981
Primary users	French Air Force; Vietnam Air Force; Tunisian Air Force; Cambodian Air Force

The Dassault MD 315 Flamant is a French light twin-engined transport airplane built shortly after World War II by Dassault Aviation for the French Air Force.

[edit] Design and development

Dassault M.D.315 Flamant

Design work on a twin-engined light transport started in 1946 with the MD 303, a development of an earlier project for an eight-seat communications aircraft the Marcel Bloch MB-30. The prototype MD 303 first flew on 26 February 1947 powered by two Béarn 6D engines, designed to meet a French Air Force requirement for a colonial communications aircraft. A re-engined version was ordered into production at the new Dassault factory at Bordeaux-Mérignac. The production aircraft was a low-wing monoplane with twin tail surfaces and a tri-cycle undercarriage and powered by two Renault 12S piston engines.

Three main versions of the aircraft now named Flamant (means Flamingo in French) were produced. The MD 315 10-seat colonial communication aircraft (first flown on 6 July 1947), the MD 312 six-seat transport aircraft (first flew on 27 April 1950), and the MD 311 navigation trainer (first flew on 23 March 1948. The MD 311 had a distinctive glazed nose for its role as both a bombing and navigation trainer.

[edit] Operational history

The first Flamant was delivered to the French Air Force in 1949 and deliveries of all versions was completed by 1953

The aircraft was used for pilot training, transport, maritime surveillance and bombing. During the Algerian War of Independence the plane was used for light attack with SS11 missiles or with machine guns, bombs, and rockets. The Flamant stayed in service until 1981. In addition to the French air force, the Flamant served in Cambodia, Madagascar, Tunisia, and Vietnam.

[edit] Variants

MD 303: Dassault MD 311 Flamant trainer at the Paris Air Show 2007; Prototype, one built
MD 311: Bombing, navigation and photography training aircraft, 39 built.
MD 312: Six-seat transport and communications aircraft, 142 built.
MD 312B: Experimental version with heavier loaded weight, one built.
MD 315: 10-seat utility transport aircraft, 137 built.
MD 316: One MD 315 aircraft fitted with two 820-hp (611-kW) SNECMA 14X Super Mars radial piston engines.
MD 316T: One prototype fitted with a single-finned tail, and two 800-hp (597-kW) Wright R-1300-CB7A1 Cyclone radial piston engines.