Caudron C.445 Goéland — Notice Descriptive, Équipements Messier & Brochure Commerciale

Caudron-Renault — Primary-Source Archival Edition

One of the most versatile French aircraft of the late 1930s and wartime period, the Caudron C.445 Goéland (“Seagull”) served simultaneously as an Air France airliner, an Armée de l’Air trainer and liaison transport, a Luftwaffe flight school aircraft, and a Vichy Air Force utility type — a testament to the quality of the Caudron-Renault design. This archival edition brings together the original 1940 Notice Descriptive et d’Utilisation, the Notice Technique Équipements Messier for the undercarriage and hydraulic systems, and the complete pre-war Brochure Commerciale — including the celebrated “Transporter” manifesto, full three-view dimensional drawings, and original Air France press photographs.

Document Manifest

Technical Documentation

• Notice Descriptive et d’Utilisation — Caudron C.445, 1940 — Official Armée de l’Air edition, 1940. Covers airframe description, systems utilisation, and operational procedures for the militarised C.445M variant.
• Notice Technique Équipements Messier — Caudron C.445 — Messier-issued technical notice covering the oleo-pneumatic retractable undercarriage system, servo-motor actuation, wheel brakes, and tail wheel assembly as fitted to the C.445.

Commercial Documentation

• Brochure Commerciale — Caudron-Renault Goéland — Complete 7-page pre-war sales brochure. Includes:
  • Manifesto page: “Transporter Plus Vite, Plus Sûrement, Plus Économiquement” — Caudron-Renault partnership statement referencing the Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe victories, world records, and Air Bleu postal line operations. Caudron-Renault winged logo.
  • Three-view dimensional drawing: Span 17 m 60; Length 13 m 81; Track 3 m 90; Chord 3 m 00; Fuselage width 1 m 35
  • Caractéristiques de Construction:
    • Voilure: Cantilever monobloc, bois bilongeron-caisson, contreplaqué entoilé. Rectangular centre section, trapezoidal tips. Hydraulically servo-actuated intrados flaps; differential-control metal ailerons. Retractable undercarriage and fuel tanks housed in wing.
    • Empennage Horizontal: Pure cantilever, in-flight adjustable, identical construction to wing. Metal rudder with adjustable Flettner compensation, ball-bearing articulation.
    • Empennage Vertical: Flettner-commanded compensation.
    • Train d’Atterrissage: High-tensile welded steel. Oleo-pneumatic servo-motor retraction. Paired shock absorbers per fork, braked balloon-tyre wheels. Articulated panels fully conceal gear in flight. Orientable tail wheel with oleo-pneumatic damper and fairing.
    • Fuselage: Wood with metal principal assemblies. Rear section treillis beam; lateral plywood bulkheads at cockpit level; magnesium nose cone housing baggage hold. Entirely fabric-covered except cockpit dome and nose (metal).
  • Poste de Pilotage: High-visibility enclosed cockpit. Main pilot station + optional second pilot + spacious radio station. Large evacuation door. Baggage locker aft of main pilot doubles as radio console. Soundproofed communication door to cabin.
  • Cabine: 5–8 passengers (depending on range), each with individual window. Rear entry door. Dimensions: 4 m 30 × 1 m 25 × 1 m 60. Soundproofed and ventilated. Electric heating. Rear toilet with washbasin. Reinforced floor for heavy freight.
  • Compartiments Moteurs: Two lateral engine nacelles. Detachable special-steel and dural engine mount on silent-bloc. Renault 6-cylinder air-cooled, 220/240 CV (with or without supercharger), elastically mounted. Lateral-door cowling for full access to all engine systems. Each nacelle equipped with: 1° electrical generator (lighting, heating, radio, propellers, instruments); 2° Sperry instrument air pump; 3° A.B. pump for flaps, undercarriage, and optional de-icing.
  • Hélices: Continuous variable-pitch, electrically commanded — feathering capability on engine failure.
  • Press photographs: Air France F-ANKX on tarmac (shark-body aerodynamic caption); Vue Avant head-on showing extreme aerodynamic cleanliness; F-AOMQ lateral view.

Technical Specifications (C.445M)

Operational History

Designed as a civilian airliner and adopted by the Armée de l’Air as the C.445M for cargo, liaison, and pilot training, the Goéland became one of the most-produced French aircraft of the era — between 1,500 and 1,700 total variants built from the late 1930s into the early 1950s. Following the 1940 Armistice, the Luftwaffe seized approximately 50 units and authorised continued production in Paris factories for German flight schools and the Vichy Air Force. Ambulance variants (C.447) were developed for stretcher transport. Post-liberation, production resumed under SNCAN; refurbished and new-build variants flew for Air France and Sabena into the 1950s.

This is an archival, static-copy edition fixed at its original publication date. Intended for historical reference, flight simulation, museum restoration, and educational use only. Not approved for active airworthiness maintenance under FAA 14 CFR § 43.13, EASA Part-M, or equivalent international regulations. Operators of active aircraft must use current, revision-controlled publications from the Type Certificate holder or an authorised distributor.

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