Dassault Communauté

The Dassault MD.415 Communauté was a 1950s French twin-engined light turboprop transport monoplane built by Dassault Aviation. Only one prototype was built and flown.

Development
The Dassault company designed a light transport aircraft in the late 1950s, designated MD.415 and later named Communauté, as a potential replacement for the Dassault MD 315 Flamant in its trainer, command transport or ambulance aircraft roles. The Communauté was a cantilever low-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear with room for two crew and up to ten passengers. Powered by two wing-mounted Turbomeca Bastan turboprops, the prototype (F-WJDN) first flew on 10 May 1959.

The company also developed a military version designated the MD.410 Spirale. Retaining 90% commonality with the Communauté, the Spirale had all the windows removed and transparent nose panels added. It also had provision for cannon or machine-gun armament and was fitted with under-wing hardpoints for weapons. It was intended that the Spirale could be used for close-support, reconnaissance or transport roles.

Neither the Communauté nor the Spirale received any production orders and a high-wing development designated Spirale III was also abandoned.

Variants

 * MD.410 Spirale
 * Prototype military version, one built, powered by two Turbomeca Astazou XIVD engines.


 * MD.415 Communauté
 * Prototype light transport, one built.


 * MD.415 Communauté A1:A proposed joint development from Dassault and Sud-Aviation for a new version of the MD 415, a liaison aircraft carrying eight passengers over 2,400 km or a feeder-liner carrying 21 passengers over 500 km.
 * MD.415 Communauté A2: Proposed 14-seat variant.
 * MD.415M Diplomate
 * A proposed scaled-up executive transport variant.


 * MD.455 Spirale III
 * Proposed high-wing transport version, not built.