André Edouard Turcat
Encyclopedia
French Major André Edouard Turcat, born October 23, 1921, is a former French
test pilot
.
A graduate of France's prestigious École Polytechnique
, Turcat joined the Free French air force during the final years of World War II
and stayed with Armée de l'Air after the war. During the Indochina War, Turcat served as a pilot of C-47
transport aircraft and demonstrated exceptional skills in handling a number of flight emergencies, thus earning an assignment to EPNER
, France's test pilot
school. Shortly after graduating, Turcat took over the test campaign of the Nord 1500 Griffon
, one of the world's first ramjet
-powered aircraft. During this successful program, Turcat flew the Griffon at Mach 2.19
, a feat that earned him the prestigious Harmon Trophy
in 1958. A few months later (February 25, 1959), Turcat broke the world speed record over 100 kilometers with the Griffon at an average 1,643 km/h (1,021 mph).
Turcat left the military after the Griffon program ended and joined state-owned aircraft manufacturer Sud Aviation
as the Concorde
supersonic transport
(SST) program was starting. He became Concorde's chief test pilot
and Sud Aviation's director of flight testing. On March 2, 1969, Turcat had the honor of lifting off the first prototype of Concorde for its maiden flight. Later that year (October 1), he was also at the controls for Concorde's first supersonic flight. Turcat conducted the rest of the French side of the Concorde test program (Brian Trubshaw
being the chief test pilot on the British side) and retired from active flying duty in the late 1970s. Both Turcat and Trubshaw were awarded the Ivan C. Kincheloe Award for their work on the Concorde test program.
He is the founder and the first president for Académie nationale de l'air et de l'espace (ANAE) in 1983. The Academy is known as Académie de l'Air et de l'Espace since 2007. He was present on board the Air France
Concorde (F-BVFC) during its retirement flight, on the 27th June 2003, to the Airbus
plant at Toulouse
, where the French aircraft was built . He is also an author and has written a few books. Among the latest Concorde essais et batailles(1977) and Pilote d'essais: Mémoires (2005), both in French.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
.
A graduate of France's prestigious École Polytechnique
École Polytechnique
The École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, Essonne, France, near Paris. Polytechnique is renowned for its four year undergraduate/graduate Master's program...
, Turcat joined the Free French air force during the final years of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and stayed with Armée de l'Air after the war. During the Indochina War, Turcat served as a pilot of C-47
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
transport aircraft and demonstrated exceptional skills in handling a number of flight emergencies, thus earning an assignment to EPNER
EPNER
EPNER, is the French test pilot school, based at the Istres Le Tube Airbase, France. One of the four main test pilot schools in the western hemisphere, EPNER maintains close links with the other three schools; The Empire Test Pilot's School ; The United States Air Force Test Pilot School and The...
, France's test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
school. Shortly after graduating, Turcat took over the test campaign of the Nord 1500 Griffon
Nord 1500 Griffon
-See also:-Bibliography:*Taylor, John W.R. Jane's Pocket Book of Research and Experimental Aircraft, London, Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd, 1976. ISBN 0356 08409 4.- External links :* *****...
, one of the world's first ramjet
Ramjet
A ramjet, sometimes referred to as a stovepipe jet, or an athodyd, is a form of airbreathing jet engine using the engine's forward motion to compress incoming air, without a rotary compressor. Ramjets cannot produce thrust at zero airspeed and thus cannot move an aircraft from a standstill...
-powered aircraft. During this successful program, Turcat flew the Griffon at Mach 2.19
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
, a feat that earned him the prestigious Harmon Trophy
Harmon Trophy
The Harmon Trophy is a set of three international trophies, to be awarded annually to the world's outstanding aviator, aviatrix , and aeronaut...
in 1958. A few months later (February 25, 1959), Turcat broke the world speed record over 100 kilometers with the Griffon at an average 1,643 km/h (1,021 mph).
Turcat left the military after the Griffon program ended and joined state-owned aircraft manufacturer Sud Aviation
Sud Aviation
Sud-Aviation was a French state-owned aircraft manufacturer, originating from the merger of Sud-Est and Sud-Ouest on March 1, 1957...
as the Concorde
Concorde
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
supersonic transport
Supersonic transport
A supersonic transport is a civilian supersonic aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the speed of sound. The only SSTs to see regular service to date have been Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144. The last passenger flight of the Tu-144 was in June 1978 with its last ever...
(SST) program was starting. He became Concorde's chief test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
and Sud Aviation's director of flight testing. On March 2, 1969, Turcat had the honor of lifting off the first prototype of Concorde for its maiden flight. Later that year (October 1), he was also at the controls for Concorde's first supersonic flight. Turcat conducted the rest of the French side of the Concorde test program (Brian Trubshaw
Brian Trubshaw
Ernest Brian Trubshaw, CBE, MVO was a notable test pilot, and the first British pilot to fly Concorde, in April 1969....
being the chief test pilot on the British side) and retired from active flying duty in the late 1970s. Both Turcat and Trubshaw were awarded the Ivan C. Kincheloe Award for their work on the Concorde test program.
He is the founder and the first president for Académie nationale de l'air et de l'espace (ANAE) in 1983. The Academy is known as Académie de l'Air et de l'Espace since 2007. He was present on board the Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
Concorde (F-BVFC) during its retirement flight, on the 27th June 2003, to the Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
plant at Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, where the French aircraft was built . He is also an author and has written a few books. Among the latest Concorde essais et batailles(1977) and Pilote d'essais: Mémoires (2005), both in French.