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Gaston (1882-1915) & René Caudron (1884-1959)


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René and Alphonse (dit Gaston) Caudron

The Caudron Brothers / Les Frères Caudron
http://www.somme-tourisme.com

In 1908 Gaston and René Caudron, farmers in Romiotte, near Crotoy, called on on Luciole, the farm mare, to launch their first glider and a legend was born.

When WWI broke out, the Caudron brothers, having become aircraft builders supplied the G3 (a reconnaissance aeroplane) that was used beginning with the battle of the Marne in 1914. Its successor, the G4, a dual engined bomber, sold no less than 10,000 all around the world. [the Ed. will research this large figure]

There is an expression: "maniable comme un Caudron" (easy to handle like a Caudron).


Alphonse (dit Gaston) et René Caudron
http://pdennez.free.fr

A l'égal des Blériot, Farman et Voisin, René Caudron avait su prendre une place de choix dans l'histoire de l'aviation. Né en 1884 à Favières (Somme), fils d'un riche agriculteur picard il avait, très tôt, renoncé à l'agronomie pour se consacrer aux sports aériens.

A vec son frère Gaston, son aîné de deux ans, il avait construit, dans la ferme paternelle de Romiotte, un premier planeur. Avant même son expérimentation, les deux frères, ne doutant pas de l'avenir, créaient une association baptisée pompeusement " Aéroplanes Caudron frères ".

En mars 1909, René Caudron aux commandes d'un engin rudimentaire, se faisant remorquer par la jument Luciole attelée à une charette et guidée par Gaston, survolait les dunes du Crotoy au grand étonnement des villageois. Bientôt, équipé d'un moteur Anzani, l'appareil réussissait alors "par les moyens du bord, une série de lignes droites en juin 1909 " (L' Aérophile ). Ainsi débuta la construction Caudron.

Pendant les années qui précédèrent la Première Guerre mondiale, les deux frères construisirent quinze types d'avions et quatre d'hydravions dont certains brillèrent en compétition, notamment dans le Circuit européen en 1912, l'année suivante dans les meetings de Deauville et Reims.

Mobilisés en août 1914, ils furent rappelés dans leur usine du Crotoy qui, devant l'invasion allemande, fut évacuée à Lyon. Et c'est sur l'aérodrome de Lyon-Bron que Gaston Caudron devait trouver la mort à bord d'un R 4 au cours d'un essai, le 10 décembre 1915.

Désormais seul à la tête de l'entreprise, René Caudron poursuivit sa tâche. Huit nouveaux types d'appareils furent construits dont le C 23 de bombardement qui, à l'époque, reçut le qualificatif de "remarquable".

Après la guerre il se consacra surtout à l'aviation de tourisme. Entre 1919 et 1932, il mit sur le marché vingt-huit types nouveaux. Pendant toutes ces années sa collaboration avec Renault fut pratiquement inexistante, seuls quatre appareils furent équipés de moteurs Renault, le C 91 (1923), biplan de transport à quatre places, le C 232 ( 1930), biplan de tourisme de deux places à ailes repliables, le C 272 (Luciole) à deux places (1931), et sa version de 1932.

A partir de 1930 on assiste en France à une restructuration de l'aviation, et c'est dans ce cadre qu'il faut placer la naissance du groupement Caudron-Renault.


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René and Gaston Caudron


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René and Gaston Caudron


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Gaston Caudron

http://www.peterlanczak.de


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René Caudron

http://www.peterlanczak.de


Notable events [to be developed - Ed. 02/2002]

http://www.somme-tourisme.com

1912 : René Caudron flew over the 'forbidden city' [China ?-Ed]

1919 : Jules Védrine landed a Caudron on the terrace of Galeries Lafayette

Date : A Caudron makes the first take off from the deck of a navy cruiser

1921 : Swiss pilot François Durafour lands on the summit of Mont Blanc on July 30, 1921 with his Caudron G3 (F-ABDO)1

Date : Colette makes her first flight at Crotoy in a Caudron

Date : Maryse Bastié in a Caudron beats the record for crossing the Atlantic

Date : Adrienne Bolland flies over Cordillère in the Andes

1. Jean-Claude Cailliez, Historien de l'aviation


Les Frères Caudron : Gallery

Caudron Monoplane (#1, Ed.)


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Caudron Monoplane, 1912. Pilot, Gaston Caudron

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Caudron Monoplane (#2, Ed.)


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Caudron Monoplane, Date TBA. Pilot, Obre

Note engine and cowling structure seems the same used in Biplane #3

perso.wanadoo.fr/



Caudron Biplane A, Prototype, 1911


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Caudron Biplane A1, Prototype, 1911

Engine : 3 Cyl. 25hp. Anzani

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Caudron Biplane A, Prototype, 1911

Engine : 3 Cyl. 25hp. Anzani

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Caudron Biplane A, Prototype, 1911 Pilot, René Caudron

Engine 5 Cyl. 45hp. Anzani


Caudron Biplane, 1912


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Caudron Biplane, 1912

Note that in this and in a number of subsequent images the pilot's nacelle has been developed to basic form of the 'G3'. The undercarriage has also gone to 4 wheels

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Caudron Biplane, 1912

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Caudron Biplane, 1912

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Caudron Biplane, 1912

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Caudron Biplane, 1912

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Caudron Biplane, 1912

http://members.rogers.com

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Caudron Biplane, c.1912


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Caudron Biplane, c.1912

Note developed cowling closer to 'G3' style

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Caudron Biplane #?, 3 Cyl. Engine, Anzani, 1912

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Caudron Biplane, #?, 3 Cyl. Engine, Anzani, 1912



Caudron 6 Seater


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Caudron 6 Seater, June 1912

perso.wanadoo.fr/



Caudron G.3


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Caudron G3, Dates TBA


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Caudron G3, Dates TBA

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Caudron G3, Dates TBA


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Caudron G3, Dates TBA

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Caudron G3, c.1914

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Caudron G3, model

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Caudron G3, 1921

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Caudron Floatplane

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Caudron Floatplane, Type and Date TBA


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Caudron Floatplane, Type and Date TBA

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Caudron J, 1912

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Caudron J, 1912

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Caudron J, 1914

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Caudron J, 1914

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Caudron J, 1914

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Caudron G.4
209.235.66.44

The Caudron G4 was produced in response to the Aviation Militaire's need for a more powerful army cooperation aircraft which could carry a forward-firing machine gun. By equipping the G4 with two engines, Caudron increased the aircraft's range and created a position for a nose gunner.


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Caudron G4, c.1915

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The [former] G.3 was redesigned to permit this arrangement; the plane was enlarged and the central crew nacelle was lengthened. The observer fired a machine gun (a Hotchkiss 7-mm or a Lewis gun) on a flexible mounting in the nose. However, this arrangement did not permit the gun to be used to protect against attacks from behind.


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Caudron G4, c.1915


On some aircraft a crude attempt was made to rectify this by fitting a gun to the top wing fixed to fire to the rear. This arrangement proved ineffective and the gun was soon removed from the aircraft in service. The crew was equipped with a Chauchat gun or a carbine. Some G.4s were fitted with a camera for high-altitude reconnaissance.


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Caudron G4, c.1915

http://www.hot.ee


To handle the increased weight and also provide the gunner with a better field of fire, two engines (either 80-hp Le Rhones or 100-hp Anzanis) were placed in streamlined nacelles on either side of the center fuselage. The Le Rhone engines were cowled, but the rotary Anzanis dispensed with the cowlings. The number of rudders was increased from two to four.


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Caudron G4, c.1915

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The prototype G.4's first flight was in March 1915; Caudron built 1,358 G.4s during the war. G.4s were also built by Bleriot, SPAD, and Caudron.


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Caudron G4, c.1915


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Caudron G4, Mar., 1915

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Caudron G4, Oct., 1915

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Caudron G4, Oct., 1915

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Caudron G4, Belgian Air Corps, 1917

http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com


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Caudron G4, 1917

http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com

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Caudron G4

http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com

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Caudron G4

http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com

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Caudron G.6


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Caudron G6

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Caudron R.11


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Caudron R.11

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Caudron R.11

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Caudron R.11, 1921

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Caudron C.23


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Caudron C.23

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Caudron C.23

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Les Frères Caudron : Liens/Links

http://ailesfrance.multimania.com

http://perso.club-internet.fr

http://www.peterlanczak.de

http://www.mapica.org

http://perso.wanadoo.fr

caudron_book_150.jpg Hauet, André, Les avions Caudron, Vol./Tome 1
http://www.aeropresse.com



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