Description
The Coleoptera was an aircraft like no other, whose appearance alone strongly marked the 1950s.
Originally conceived by engineer Helmut von Zborowski, who patented the concept, the Coléoptère prototype was developed by SNECMA (now Groupe SAFRAN). To validate the feasibility of an aircraft capable of vertical takeoff powered solely by its jet engine, SNECMA built the “ATAR Volant,” which was the star attraction at the Paris Air Show. Jean-Christophe Carbonel recounts the story of this program, which began
in the immediate post-war period and culminated in 1959 with the test flights of the C-450 Coléoptère demonstrator , in this book, drawing on the Zborowski family archives and interviews with numerous program participants. From von Zborowski’s initial concepts to the nine free flights of the C-450 Coléoptère, detailed for the first time, the entire program is reviewed: the definition of a ring-wing interceptor, the C-400 ATAR Volant program, the C-450 Coléoptère program, and the numerous civilian and military derivatives proposed by the Zborowski Technical Bureau, as well as the fighters developed around the C-450 by SNECMA. Even projects transforming the ring-shaped wing into a disc-shaped “flying saucer” wing are presented in this book. The Coléoptère’s media impact is also examined.
In the appendix, all projects identified as relating to the annular wing, whether they originate from von Zborowski’s team or from SNECMA, are listed and illustrated.
