CASA C-202 "Halcón"
The CASA C-202 "Halcón" was developed for commercial transport within Spain. A contract was sealed between the Spanish Aviation Ministry and CASA concerning the construction of two prototypes in November 1948. The low altitude plane was constructed entirely out of metal; the undercarriage was retractable.
The "Halcón" could transport 14 passengers in a climatized cabin. The initial flight took place in May of 1952. It was delayed because the scheduled Elizalde 9C-29-750 Beta-4-engine by ENMASA could not be delivered, thus, the engines had to be borrowed from Iberia. Furthermore, they were without the necessary rubber tires for the undercarriage for a long time. In October 1953, a contract was signed between CASA and the Spanish government concerning the construction of aircrafts. The series was planned to be constructed in Getafe, the wings in Seville. No airplane of the main series could function with the ENMASA engine since it did not provide the necessary power needed. Thus, it was researched whether the Wright Cyclone-engine could be implemented. The supplier, Minnesota Air Motive, had to comply before the engines could be acquired.
A total of ten aircrafts were completed. Another aspect of the "Halcón's" history is that a former American pilot wanted to utilize the aircraft as a company airplane. He had acquired the two prototypes and allowed larger tanks to be constructed. FAA-approval was also a necessity. The model was originally designed for British approval. Nothing came from this order due to the fact that the customer had to claim bankruptcy. It would have been the first airplane model with approval from the USA.
In light of this background and in view of the fact that no replacement engine could be acquired, the Spanish government cancelled the contract for the construction of the main series in 1962 without financial consequence to CASA. The Spanish Air Force took the aircrafts already built and used them under the name "T.6".
Technical data
CASA C-202 "Halcón"
| Power plant | two Elizalde 9C-29-750 Beta-4 |
Performance
| Top speed | 345 km/h |
Dimensions
| Span | 21.55 m |
| Length | 16.00 m |
| Height | 3.80 m |
| Wing span area | 57.35 qm |
Weight
| Initial weight | 7,750 kg |
| Crew | 3 persons + 14 passengers |
