Salmson Aircraft Designations

[Apophenia]

Aircraft Designations of the Société des Moteurs Salmson [1]

There are four main designation systems relating to the Société des Moteurs Salmson (SMS). However, a lone example of an earlier, internal SMS factory designation is know. This A92H designation dates to 1915 and likely suggests concept studies still on the drawing board. What is known is that this A92H concept becomes the series-produced S.M.1.

This 1915 factory designation is partly of interest because it reveals that the SMS engine designation system was also in flux at the time. The factory designation A92H was meant to stand for engine type + number of propellers used. So, a design powered by a Salmson 'A9' (sic) - ie: the Salmson 9A2c water-cooled radial engine - plus deux Hélices. As noted above, A92H may simply have been a design department concept description for drawings.

The first SMS designation sequence for built aircraft was the short 'S.M.' (Salmson-Moineau) series covering the designs of ingénieur René Moineau between 1916 and May 1918. Oddly, by 1917, this 'S.M.' series had already been eclipsed by a form of Aviation Militaire (AM) designations. Despite this, the 1918 S.M.2 prototype retained the original form. As will be seen, the AM designations bore no real relationship to the truncated 'S.M.' series.

For now, I present the two known 'S.M.' designation types. [2] The S.M.1 and S.M.2 were directly related - the latter prototype being a twin-engined evolution of the former. Both shared peculiar forms of engine arrangement.

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Salmson-Moineau 'S.M.' Aircraft Designations

Covering René Moineau's aircraft designs for Société des Moteurs Salmson (1916-1918). [3]

S.M.1 - 1916 3-seat long-range recce biplane; x ~155
- S.M.1 : Shaft-driven propellers; one on either side
- S.M.1 : 1 x 240 hp Salmson 9A2c 9-cyl.;* span 17.47 m
-- * Water-cooled; transversely-mounted in fuselage
- S.M.1 : 1915 designed by ex-Breguet René Moineau
- A92H : Factory desig.; for Salmson A9 + 2 Hélices
- S.M.1 A.3: STAé designation; 100 x Nov 1916 order
- Sal.1 A.3 : May 1918 AM aircraft designation change

S.M.2 - 1918 2-engined, 3-prop attack biplane; x 1
- S.M.2 : Prototype derived from an S.M.1 airframe
- S.M.2 : 2 x 240 hp Salmson 9A2c;* span 20.00 m
- S.M.2 : 1 x transverse Salmson 9A + 1 x forward
-- * Transverse shaft-drove 2 x props, fwd 1 tractor
-- Warren truss bracing of longer-span upper wings
- S.M.2 S.2: STAé designation; reinforced structure

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[1] Doubtless designations (or unbuilt projects) will be missing from these lists. Does anyone have access to a copy of Maurice Victor's 2007 book Paul Deville et ses Cinquante Huit Prototypes? I'm guessing that there may be hidden gems contained within.

[2] Since the next SMS designation series originated with the Aviation Militaire, it is perhaps possible that further 'S.M.' series designation numbers were applied internally at Salmson's Boulogne-Billancourt factory. However, I have found no evidence of such later 'S.M.' numbers.

[3] Postwar, ingénieur Moineau became more interested in research questions than actual aircraft design. After gaining a number of patents, he eventually settled on rotary-wing research. In 1924, he formed the société Avions René Moineau.

 

[Apophenia]

Société des Moteurs Salmson - 'Sal.' Aircraft Designations

The 'Sal.' series of aircraft designations were applied by the Section technique de l'aéronautique (STAé) on behalf of the Aviation Militaire. The first was the retroactively applied Sal.1 A.3 redesignation of the S.M.1. The sole S.M.2 does not form part of this 1918 sequence simply because that prototype never entered active AM service. As such, the number two was applied to the next Salmson design to be accepted for operational use - the Sal.2.

It is common to see the name fully spelled out - eg: Salmson 2 in place of Sal.2. And that does make very clear what is being referred to. Handy ... but not the designation style used by the AM's Quartiers-maîtres. It is also important to remember that manufacturers generally employed clipped variations on those official military designations. To SMS, the Sal.2 A.2 and Sal.2 E.2 were essentially the same airframe - and the AM could readily modify one type into the other. Going by that logic, I have listed the 'Sal.' designations sans AM role/crew number suffixes.

Where the line blurring becomes somewhat absurd is in forms like 'Salmson 2A2 Berline'. Clearly, such postwar civilian conversions no longer fulfilled a 2-seater 'Armée' recce role ... so why retain the '2A2'? Beyond habit, such usages might be explained by the retained military markings on many civilian conversions - including rudder markings with AM serials and wartime designations. But these Berline and Limousine conversions were part of an embryonic airline experiment. Few of their operators would have seen repainting rudders or unnecessarily applying fresh fabric as being good investments.

In popular use, it is also common to include AM role/crew number suffixes while omitting all of the 'punctuation' so beloved by contemporary officialdom. While this is convenient for modern list compilers, I have chosen to be pedantic about the form of those designations. So, 'Sal.' designations are presented numerically while noting known STAé/AM role/crew suffixes.

A side-note on Salmson Engines and Other List-Makers

Some Salmson listings suggest that the workshops of the Société des Moteurs Salmson (SMS) also built Hanriot designs. This is inaccurate. Such listings are simply Aéroplanes Hanriot et Cie designs which were powered by Salmson-made engines. [2]

Engines are listed here as 'Salmson' but, at the time, they were rather more likely to have been referred to as 'Canton-Unné'. To clarify, the Société des Moteurs Salmson was the manufacturer. But these engines were based on the Canton-Unné mechanism, patented in 1909 by Georges Henri Marius Canton and Pierre Georges Unné (along with Émile-Jean-Jules Salmson).

-- https://www.enginehistory.org/Piston/Before1925/SalmsonZ-9/SalmsonZ-9.shtml

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Salmson 'Sal' Aircraft Designations

Sal.1 A.3 - 1918 redesignation of the S.M.1 (qv)

Sal.2 - 1917 tandem 2-seat light recce-bomber; x 3,200
- Sal.2 : Repl. for Sopwith 1½ Strutter and Dorand A.R.
- Sal.2 : 1 x water-cooled Salmson 9-cyl.; span 11.80 m
-- 1 x 230 hp Salmson 9Z or 260 hp Salmson 9Za radial
- Sal.2 : 1 x 230 hp Salmson 9Z or 260 hp Salmson 9Za
- Sal.2 A.2: aka 2A2; aka Salmson 2 A.2 or 'Salmson 2'
- Sal.2 E.2: Dual-control advanced/conv. trainer variant
- Sal.2 de l'Aéropostale: 32 x postwar G. Latécoère conv.
-- Limousine: Postwar Sal.2 civil pax. conversions
-- Berline: Postwar Sal.2 civilian pax. conversions*
-- * Berline had open cockpits; Limousine had closed
-- In Japan: Army Otsu-1 Reconnaissance Aircraft; x ?
-- Kawasaki licensed; aka 'Kawasaki-Salmson'; x 300; &
-- Dep't of Research, Army Tokorozawa Aviation School
-- Kawasaki & Tokorozawa built ~600; total may be 1,000

Sal.3 - 1917 single-engined, single-seat fighter; x 1
- Sal.3 : 2-bay biplane, fabric-covered wooden constr.
- Sal.3 : 1 x 230 hp Salmson 9Z 9-cyl.;* span 9.85 m
-- * Later re-engined with 260 hp Salmson 9Zm radial
-- Indifferent handling; poor visibility from cockpit

Sal.4 - 1918 armoured ground-attack Sal.2 deriv.; x (?)*
- Sal.4 : Extended-span & armoured Sal.2 development
- Sal.4 : 1 x 260 hp Salmson 9Zm radial; span 16.00 m
- Sal.4 : 3-bay biplane (2-bay wings on Sal.4 prototype)
-- * As few as 12 x or as many as 16 x Sal.4 completed
-- * Either 12 or 16 x Sal.4 built; cancelled at Armistice
- Sal.4 Ab.2: STAé designation; Assaut bombardment

Sal.5 - 1917 2-seat biplane observation a/c; 1 x prototype
- Sal.5 : Dedicated observation/recce deriv. of Sal.2 A.2
- Sal.5 : 1 x 260 hp Salmson 9Zm radial; span 12.20 m
- Sal.5 : Indifferent performer; development abandoned
- Sal.5 A.2: STAé designation; no production ordered

Sal.6 - 1918 2-seat biplane observation a/c; 1 x prototype
- Sal.6 : Dedicated observation/recce deriv. of Sal.2 A.2
- Sal.6 : 1 x 230 hp Salmson 9Za radial; span 12.20 m
- Sal.6 : No performance improv. over Sal.2; abandoned
- Sal.6 A.2: STAé designation; experimental use only*
-- Later conv. into single-seater (but for what purpose?)

Sal.7 - 1918 2-seat biplane observation-recce a/c; x 20
- Sal.7 : Culmination of Sal.5/Sal.6 airframe development
- Sal.7 : 1 x 230 hp Salmson 9Za radial; span 12.34 m
- Sal.7 : Back-to-back cockpits;* swept wings; turbos
-- * Devel. from Sal.2 A.2 akin to the D.H.9 to D.H.9A
-- Sal.7 A.2: STAé desig'n; large-scale prod'n planned

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[1] The style of Aviation Maritime/Aéronavale designations generally followed the form of those of the Aviation Militaire/Armée de l'Air.

[2] SMS and the revived Aéroplanes Hanriot et Cie's second factory were neighbours on the rue des Moulineaux (at n° 3 and 84, respectively) in Boulogne-Billancourt, a western suburb of Paris. Those Hanriot designs sometimes listed in connection with Salmson are the 1917 HD.3 (Salmson 9Za) and three prototypes - the 1923 H.26 (9Z), 1925 H.31 (18Cm), and 1926 H.33 (18Ab).

 

[Apophenia]

The Salmson-Béchereau 'SB' Designation Series

Covering Louis Béchereau's aircraft designs for Société des Moteurs Salmson (1923-1925).

I must admit to being unsure of the exact historical form of these 'SB' designations. I have seen them presented with hyphens, 'dots', and spaces. I find the first to be improbable (and almost certainly the imposition of a postwar style on a between-wars designation sequence). The latter two possibilities I find equally plausible. Needing to choose one, I have arbitrarily adopted the 'dots'.

Salmson-Béchereau 'SB' Aircraft Designations

SB.1 - (??) speculative designation

SB.2 - 1923 single-seat, mid-winged training a/c, x 1
- SB.2: 1 x 120 hp Salmson 9AC radial; span 7.00m

SB.3 - 1923 single-seat, mid-winged wheeled racer, x 1
- SB.3 : 1 x 520 hp Salmson 18 CMb; span 8.10-8.16 m
- SB.3 : Wing 'Y'-struts faired to u/c stubs; aka 'SB 3a'
- SB.3 bis: 1924; impr. aerodynamics; ext. span; 'SB 3b'
- SB.3 bis: 1 x 520 hp Salmson 18 CMb; span 10.00 m
- SB.3 ter: Impr. cooling system; reduced span 8.00 m
- SB.3 ter: Impr. cooling; 'open' struts; kingpost pylon
- SB.3 ter: 1 x 520 hp Salmson 18 CMb;* span 8.00 m
-- * SB.3ter was later fitted with supercharged 18 CMa
-- Note: 'SB.3ter' is a hypothetical desig.; aka 'SB.3c'

SB.4 - 1923 monoplane light tourer (or 'aviette'), x 1
- SB.4: 1+1 pax; high-winged lightplane; prototype only
- SB.4: 1 x 16 hp Salmson 3Ad 3-cyl. radial, span 8.00 m

SB.5 - 1925 2-seat, high-wing monoplane fighter, x 1
- SB.5: 1 x 520 hp Salmson 1 18CMb radial; span 14.00 m
-- SB.5 entered for 1925 C.2 (two seat fighter) contest
-- Wooden construction, cloth-covered, conv. to SB 6

SB.6 - 1925 2-seat, high-wing monoplane fighter,* x 1
- SB.6: 1 x 520 hp Salmson 18 CMb radial; span 14.60 m
-- * SB.6 was modified Salmson-Bechereau SB-5 airframe
-- SB.6 entered for 1925 C.2 (two-seat fighter) contest
-- http://www.aviafrance.com/image.php?im=9041
-- 3 view: http://drawingdatabase.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/bechereau_sb6_3v.jpg

SB.7 - 1925 2-seat,* high-wing monoplane fighter, x 1
- SB.7: 1 x 520 hp Salmson 1 18CMb radial, span 14.00 m
-- SB.7 was a naval carrier fighter version of the SB.5
-- * Elsewhere as 'AMBC1' single-seat carrier fighter

 

[Apophenia]

Salmson Aviation/CFA 'D' Aircraft Designations

Covering Paul J. Deville's aircraft designs for Salmson and the inheriting Compagnie française d'aviation (1933-1950). Production of airframes at Salmson ended with the Liberation, when Salmson facilities were made available for MRO of US aero-engines. Technical Director Paul Deville moved to CFA where the postwar generation of Salmson aircraft would be constructed.

It is worth noting that the 'D' series numbering sequence changed abruptly during WW2. In 1941, Deville began design work on his D.8 project. Work continued on this Phrygane Major variant during the German Occupation but, at some point, it was redesignated as the D.54. The number chosen represents Paul Deville's fifty-fourth aircraft design - counting variants both built and unbuilt. There was, of course, a fifty-third Deville design as well ... but no sign of any 'D.53' designation ever being applied.

Salmson 'D' series designation are most often seen displayed with hyphens. As mentioned earlier, my sense is that this is likely a postwar imposition. Accordingly, I have stuck with 'dots' - even if that may be being overly pedantic or, in regards to postwar variants, even inaccurate.

'D' series designation are often presented with suffixes indicating their role and the number of seats. Some of the role letters are obvious. Most were Tourisme types - so, the D.4 T.4 was a 4-seat tourer while the unbuilt D.4 S.2 was to be a 2-seat sportsplane (Sport). But what did the 'P' in D.2 P.3 tourer stand for? Could it be passagère/passager? Or perhaps just 'P' for Phrygane? Until some evidence emerges, this is just wild guessing!

Another suffix that causes some confusion is that of the D.6-3. I see this suffix applied to ex-Armée de l'Air D.6s and postwar CFA-built airframes. AFAIK, the '3' suffix should only be applied to the two prewar Aéronavale trainers. Can anyone confirm this? Alternatively, has anyone seen another suffix applied to AdA D.6s?

(Edit: In reply #5, hesham confirms that the designation D.6-3 T.2 - or D63T2 as given there - was also applied to 2 x postwar CFA-built airframes as well!)

A side-note on Salmson/CFA Popular Names

Within the 'D' designation sequence, designs were sometimes also given 'popular' names. Rough translations accompany designation listings but, for convenience, I'll also give them here alphabetically:

- Cricri translates from French as 'cricket';
-- NB: Some sources present this as Cri-Cri ('cry-cry'?);
- Lycène means 'gossamer-winged butterfly' (family Lycaenidae);
- Phrygane means 'caddisfly' (family Phryganaeidae);
- Phryganet is simply a diminutive of Phrygane;
-- 'Add-ons' like Super; Hyper-; and Major are as per English

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Salmson 'D' Designation Sequence

D.1 T.3 Phrygane - 1933 3-seat high-wing cabin tourer; x 1
- D.1 T.3: Prototype monoplane cabin type; led to D 2 P3
- D.1 T.3: 1 x 105 hp Salmson 7Aca 7-cyl. radial; span 11.70 m
-- D.1 prototype refined into production type D.2 Phrygane
-- Phrygane translates as 'caddisfly' (Phryganaeidae)

D.2 P.3 Phrygane - 1935 3-seat high-wing cabin tourer; x 23
- D.2 P.3 : Prototype F-ANIB; more powerful, re-eng. D.1 T.3
- D.2 P.3 : 1 x 135 hp Salmson 9Nc radial; span 11.70 m
- D.2 (??): (Project) 1939 Aéronavale communications variant
- D.2 P.3 H: Hyper-Phrygane aka Phrygane Major, 1 x conv.
- D.2 P.3 H: Hyper-Phrygane; designated as D.4 T.4 (qv)
- D.21 T.4 Phrygane : 1950; 1 x 135 hp Salmson 9Nc; x 1
-- CFA D.21 T.4 (F-BEER) consid. modernized 4-seat D.2 P.3
- D.211 Super Phrygane: 1951 luxury 4-seater variant; x 1
- D.211 : 1 x 135 hp Salmson 7Aq-03 7-cyl. radial; span 11.80 m
-- D.211 F-WBGA was too expensive (F 3,800k; no production)

D.3 Phrygane - 1936 2-seat high-wing cabin tourer; x 1
- D.3 : 2-seat derivative of D.2 P.3 with powerplant of D1 T3
- D.3 : 1 x 105 hp Salmson 7Aca 7-cyl. radial; span 10.10 m
-- Designed as tourer & trainer; remained a prototype only
-- NB: 1950 D.57 Phrygane conceptually similar to D3

D.4 S.2 - (Project) 1934 2-seat 'push-pull' tourer study
- D.4 S.2 : Pod + twin-boomed push-pull arrangement
- D.4 S.2 : 2 x 60 hp Salmson 9Adr 9-cyls; span 11.40 m
-- No interest in D.4 S.2 concept; develop't abandoned

D.4 T.4 Phrygane Major - 1935 4-seat cabin tourer; x 1
- D.4 T.4: Orig. designated as D.2 P.3 H Hyper-Phrygane
- D.4 T.4: Larger cabin development of D.2 P.3 Phrygane
- D.4 T.4: 1 x 175 hp Salmson 9Nd radial; span 11.70 m
- D.4 T.4: Hyper-Phrygane/Phrygane Major; F-ANIG
-- NB: In 1948, CFA rebuilt F-ANIG; becoming F-BEEQ

D.5 - 1935 high-lift (STOL) exper. laboratory aircraft; x 1
- D.5 : High-winged cabin monoplane; Phrygane deriv.
- D.5 : 1 x 105 hp Salmson 7Aca 7-cyl. radial; span (??) m

D.6 Cricri - 1936 tandem 2-seat parasol trainer; x 329
- D.6 : Braced wings with 'V'-struts and slight sweepback
- D.6 : 1 x 60 hp Salmson 9Adr 9-cyl. radial; span 9.66 m
- D.6 : Fabric-covered wooden constr.; init. open cockpits
- D.6 T.2 : Armée de l'Air transitional trainer; x 30
- D.6 (??): AdA armed* & camouflaged border patrol a/c
-- * Flexibly-mounted 7.5 mm Darne mg in rear cockpit
- D.6-3 : Factory desig. for Aéronavale trainer; x 2
- D.6-3 : 1 x 85 hp Salmson 5Ap-01; aka D.6-3 T.2

D.7 Cricri Major-D - 1948 enlarged D.6-3 devel.; x 10
- D.7 : More powerful Cricri devel. w/ cockpit canopies
- D.7 : Prototype; 85 hp Salmson 5Ap-01; span 9.66 m*
-- * With wing panels 'recycled' from D6-3 T2 (F-WEAL)
- D.7 T.2: 1 x 90 hp Salmson 5Aq-01 5-cyl.; span 9.89 m

D.8 - (Project) 1941 Phrygane Major 4-seat cabin a/c
- D.8 T.4: More powerful development of 1935 D.4 T.4
- D.8 T.4: 1 x 150 hp Salmson 7Aq-03; span 11.70 m
- D.8 T.4: Non-folding wings (unlike D.4 T.4); aka D 54

D.21 T.4 Phrygane - 1950 CFA-built D.2 development; x 1
- D.21 : 1 x 135 hp Salmson 9Nc 9-cyl. radial; span 11.70 m
-- CFA D.21 T.4 (F-BEER) consid. modernized 4-seat D.2 P.3

D.211 Super Phrygane - 1951 luxury 4-seat D.2/D.21 variant; x 1
- D.211 : 1 x 135 hp Salmson 7Aq-03 7-cyl. radial; span 11.80 m
-- D.211 F-WBGA was too expensive (F 3,800k; no production)

D.54 - (Project) Phrygane Major 4-seat cabin a/c
- D.54 : Same (or closely related to) the D.8 project

D.55 - (Project) 1945 2-seat light aircraft concept*
- D.55 : 1 x 60 hp Salmson 9Adr 9-cyl.; span (??) m
-- * No details; possibly Cricri deriv./evolution?

D.56 Lycène* - (Project) 1937 for Aviation populaire
- D.56 : Et.2 (Ecole de transformation biplace) trainer
- D.56 : 1 x 105 hp Salmson 7Aca 7-cyl. radial; span (??) m
- D.56 : Low-winged aircraft; no other airframe details
-- * Lycène = Gossamer-winged butterfly (Lycaenidae)

D.57 Phryganet - 1950 side-by-side seat variant; x 1*
- D.57 : Considered an updated D.3 or scaled-down D.7
- D.57 : 1 x 90 hp Salmson 5Aq-01 5-cyl.; span 11.04 m
- D.57 : F-WBBH; 2-seat stablemate of the unbuilt D.54
-- * NB: hesham's Reply #5 shows 2 x D.57 built (??)

D.58 - (??) hypothetical designation
_______

 

[hesham]

Amazing work as usual my dear Apophenia,

and from Airlife's book.

 

[Apophenia]

Thanks for that hesham. Based on this, I've made a few adjustments and corrections to reply #4.

I also decided that the D.21 and D.211 prototypes deserved their own entries (at least as duplicates).

The biggest surprise in your attachment was two D.57s being listed! I've never seen more than one listed before. It would also be interesting to know whether either the D.211 or D.57 prototypes even received 'standard' French registrations ... or did they serve out their days in those experimental 'F-Wxxx' registrations?