December 27, 1956
RENE LEDUC: Marseilles, 27 – The latest French experimental aircraft, the Leduc-022, which its manufacturers believe will be able to fly up to speeds of 4,000 kilometers an hour, was taken on its first test flights yesterday at Istres, a military airport near here. The first flight lasted for a total of 25 minutes. According to information provided by officials, the aircraft’s speed is theoretically unlimited, but in practice it is restricted by the limitations of the human body, such as the ability to withstand the tension created by very high speeds and also by the heat barrier. The aircraft is powered by a centrally mounted turbojet that expels hot air from its tail section. It has been referred to as the «flying chimney.» During the flight, the pilot is required to lie face down in the nose of the aircraft. The aircraft has 900 engines which consume a total 40,000 liters of fuel an hour. The hot air that is expelled from its tail section is what propels the aircraft. The manufacturer of the plane, the engineer Rene Leduc, who has become associated with the first development of the «ramjet» engine, watched the tests from the ground.
