Caudron C.59 Explained

The Caudron C.59 was a French, two-seat biplane with a single engine and a canvas-covered fuselage, produced between 1922 and 1924. Suitable for a variety of roles, more than 1,800 Caudron C.59s were manufactured.

Operational history

The Caudron C.59 was used in a variety of countries, including: France, Bulgaria, China, Finland, Turkey and in the Spanish Civil War.

Finland

The Finnish Air Force purchased three Caudron C.59s from France in 1923. The aircraft first carried the air force designation codes 2E3-2E5 and from 1927 on CA-48 – CA-50. The manufacturing numbers of the aircraft were 5407–5409. The aircraft were equipped with wheel landing gear, but at least one aircraft (2E3) was fitted with floats. The aircraft were accepted into service on March 8, 1923, and the last one was taken out of service in 1931.

Variants

C.59: Original design.

59/2: Fitted with 230hp Lorraine 7Ma Mizar radial engine.

C.77: Single-seat basic trainer version; intended for 1923 ET.1 competition^[1]

C.320: c.1932, Original C.59s but refitted with 250hp Renault 9A 9-cylinder radial engine. Some later returned to their original Hispano engines.^[2]

Survivors

Päijänne Tavastia Aviation Museum in Asikkala, Finland has one Caudron C.59 in storage.^[3]

Operators

• Argentine Air Force

• Brazilian Air Force

• Bulgarian Air Force

• Republic of China Air Force

• French Air Force
• French Navy

• Finnish Air Force

• Portuguese Air Force

• Romanian Air Force

Spain

• Spanish Republican Air Force^[4]

• Spanish Air Force

• Turkish Air Force

• Venezuelan Air Force

Further reading

• Anderson. Lennart. La renaissance de l'aviation militair bulgare dans les années vingt. Avions . November–December 2019 . 232. 52–66 . The Rebirth of Bulgarian Military Aviation in the Twenties. French . 1243-8650.
• Book: Stenman . Kari . Keskinen. Kalevi . Partonen . Kyösti . Suomen Ilmavoimat 1918-1927. Vol. 1 . 2005 . Espoo . 952-99432-2-9 . fi.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Caudron designations. 7 April 2010 .
2. Book: Hauet, André. Les Avions Caudrons . 2001. 1. Lela Presse. Outreau. 2 914017-08-1. 241.
3. Book: Ogden, Bob . Aviation Museums and Collections of Mainland Europe . 2009. Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. 84 . 978-0-85130-418-2.
4. Web site: República - Armas - Otros aviones. www.sbhac.net. es.