Nord 2200

Image : Wikimedia Commons

The Nord 2200 was a French carrier-based jet interceptor that first flew in 1949, representing France's immediate post-war modernization of naval aviation capabilities. Powered by a single jet engine, it achieved an impressive 815 kilometers per hour maximum speed with a 13-meter fuselage and 12-meter wingspan. Designed specifically for launch from fleet carriers, it exemplified the military aviation establishment's rapid transition from piston to jet propulsion. This aircraft provided French naval aviation with contemporary supersonic capability during the early Cold War era.