Description

French text and captions.
In 1993, Jean Lacroze, undisputed specialist in propulsion issues, raised with the editors of the “Trait d’Union” the idea of ​​an article on an absolutely unique device in the entire history of French aeronautics and – perhaps – be – world: two turbojets and three rocket engines, enough to shatter a number of climb records. Very quickly, it turned out that the amount of information available on the Trident I justified a special issue, which is now out of print. Two years later, Jean Lacroze “does it again” with a special issue of Trait d’Union twice as large and entirely devoted to versions II and III of the same Trident program.

At the request of the Air Force which was interested in a supersonic interceptor, the SNCASO studied in 1951 the concept of an aircraft whose main propellant was a rocket engine, associated with one (or more) auxiliary reactors, mainly used for takeoff in order to save fuel for the rocket engine. To obtain sufficient thrust, several combustion chambers had to be juxtaposed, which could be ignited separately or all together. In order to avoid any asymmetry in thrust, this propulsion group had to be located in the axis, therefore in the fuselage. Most of it was occupied by kerosene tanks for reactors or propellants for rocket engines. As there was no room for them, the reactors were placed at the wingtips.

The Trident set several world records for altitude (the highest at 28,000 m) and climb (18,000 m in 3 minutes 17 seconds after releasing the brakes). Despite the successes achieved, the program was interrupted in 1958 for budgetary reasons. Given the cost of the device and its specialization as an interceptor, the series was not continued.