Br.960 Vultur • wp.archivoaereo.com

The Br.960 Vultur was a naval attack aircraft developed by the French company Breguet Aviation. In the relatively early stages of gas turbine engine development, many military aircraft designers opted for a mixed propulsion concept. This innovative approach offered the economical use of a turboprop engine for long-range cruising flights, complemented by an additional turbojet engine for heavy combat load takeoffs or to provide high speed in combat.

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Pioneering Mixed Propulsion

Breguet chose this mixed power plant for the Br.960 Vultur. The initial prototype featured an Armstrong Siddeley Mamba 1 turboprop engine (980 hp) in the nose, coupled with a Hispano-Suiza (Rolls Royce) Nene 01 turbojet (2,200 kgf thrust) in the rear fuselage. The second prototype further refined this system, incorporating an Armstrong Siddeley Mamba 3 (1,200 hp) and a Hispano-Suiza (Rolls Royce) Nene 104 (2,270 kgf thrust).

Evolution into Anti-Submarine Warfare

The experience gained from operating the Vultur, which first flew on August 3, 1951, led the French Navy to abandon the idea of using such a mixed propulsion system for attack aircraft. Instead, Breguet secured a contract to develop a three-seat naval anti-submarine aircraft based on the Vultur. This design, designated Br.965, later evolved into the production anti-submarine aircraft, the Br.1050 Alizé.

Technical Specifications

Modification	Br.960
Wingspan, m	16.70
Length, m	13.35
Height, m	5.00
Wing area, m2	36.30
Empty weight	6100
Maximum takeoff weight	9800
Main engine	1 Turboprop Armstrong Siddeley Mamba III
Additional engine	1 Turbojet Hispano-Suiza (Rolls Royce) Nene 104
Main engine power, hp	1 x 1200
Additional engine thrust, kgf	1 x 2270
Maximum speed, km/h	900
Cruising speed, km/h	400
Flight endurance, h	4.5
Service ceiling, m	8900
Crew	1 crew member
Armament	Two 30-mm cannons with 200 rounds per cannon. Combat load – 1000 kg on 4 hardpoints: unguided rockets (НУР), bombs.