Editing Transall C-160 (section)

==Development==

===Origins===
In the late 1950s, a requirement arose to replace the [[piston engine|piston-engined]] [[Nord Noratlas]] transports operated by the air forces of both France (''Armée de l'Air'') and Germany (''Luftwaffe''). Keen to encourage industrial co-operation between the two countries, as had happened under a previous arrangement in which Noratlases for German service had been built under license by [[Weser Flugzeugbau]], France and Germany signed an agreement for the development of a Noratlas successor on 28 November 1957. The Italian government also became involved in the project early on to meet their own requirements, however Italy's participation in the fledgling program was soon terminated in favour of the smaller and locally-built [[Aeritalia G.222|Fiat G.222]].<ref name="wilson68 p614"/>

The consortium, "Transporter-Allianz" or Transall, was formed in January 1959 between the French company [[Nord Aviation]] and the German companies Weser Flugzeugbau (which became [[Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke]] (VFW) in 1964) and [[Hamburger Flugzeugbau]] (HFB) to design and build the new transport.<ref name="wilson68 p614">Wilson ''Flight International'' 25 April 1968, p. 614.</ref><ref name="aijun81 p286">Pletschacher ''Air International'' June 1981, p. 286.</ref> The new aircraft was required to carry a {{convert|16000|kg|lb}} cargo over a range of {{convert|1720|km|nmi mi}} or a load of {{convert|8000|kg|lb|abbr=on}} over a range of {{convert|4540|km|nmi mi|abbr=on}} and be able to operate out of semi-prepared airstrips.<ref name="wilson68 p614-5">Wilson ''Flight International'' 25 April 1968, pp. 614–615.</ref> One prototype was built by each of the production partners, with the first (built by Nord) flying on 25 February 1963, with the VFW and HFB-built prototypes following on 25 May 1963 and 19 February 1964.<ref name="wilson68 p615">Wilson ''Flight International'' 25 April 1968, p. 615.</ref> These were followed by six pre-production examples, stretched by {{convert|20|in|cm|order=flip}} compared with the prototypes, which flew between 1965 and 1966.<ref name="wilson68 p616">Wilson ''Flight International'' 25 April 1968, p. 616.</ref>

===Production===
Production orders were delayed by attempts by [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]] to sell its [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules|C-130 Hercules]] transport to Germany; these attempts were rebuffed, and a contract was signed for 160 C-160s (110 for Germany and 50 for France) on 24 September 1964. Manufacturing work was split between Germany and France in line with the number of orders placed; Nord built the wings and engine nacelles, VFW the centre fuselage and horizontal tail, and HFB the forward and rear fuselage. The aircraft's tail fin was to be built by [[Dornier Flugzeugwerke|Dornier]]. Three production lines were set up to assemble these components at each of the three main partners.<ref name="aijun81 p286"/><ref name="wilson68 p616"/>

The first production airframes were delivered to France and Germany from 1967.<ref name="wilson68 p616"/> The first batch included 110 ''C-160D''s for the German Air Force (''Luftwaffe''), 50 ''C-160F''s for the [[French Air and Space Force|French Air Force]], and nine ''C-160Z''s for the [[South African Air Force]]. Four C-160Fs were converted to ''C-160P'' air mail transport aircraft, and were operated by [[Air France]].<ref name="aijun81 p289">Pletschacher ''Air International'' June 1981, p. 289.</ref> Production continued until October 1972.<ref name="aijun81 p286"/> Britain expressed interest in both procuring and manufacturing C-160s; while talks took place between Transall, the [[British Aircraft Corporation]], and the British Government, the C-130 was opted for instead.<ref name="wilson68 p617">Wilson ''Flight International'' 25 April 1968, p. 617.</ref>

In July 1977, France placed an order for 25 aircraft to be built to an improved standard.<ref name="aijun81 p285">Pletschacher ''Air International'' June 1981, p. 285.</ref> Production work for the new variant was split 50-50 between [[Aérospatiale]] (the successor to Nord) and [[Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm|MBB]] (which had absorbed VFW and HFB), with a single assembly line in [[Toulouse]]. The cargo loading door on the port side of the fuselage was replaced by provision for additional fuel tanks in the wing centre section. When fitted these tanks increased fuel capacity from {{convert|4190|impgal|L|order=flip}} to {{convert|6170|impgal|L|order=flip}}. The aircraft were also fitted with updated avionics.<ref name="aijun81 p286-7">Pletschacher ''Air International'' June 1981, pp. 286–287.</ref> The first second generation C-160 took flight in 1981.<ref name ="chant 472">Chant 1987, p. 472.</ref> Aircraft produced in this batch included 29 for France (an additional four non-standard aircraft were constructed for special missions), and 6 for Indonesia.<ref name="blum 2">Blumschein 1999, p. A26-2.</ref>