Nord Aviation
Nord 1500 Griffon
The Nord 1500 Griffon was a French experimental fighter‑interceptor built by Nord Aviation in the early 1950s. Conceived in response to the French Air Force’s requirement for a high‑speed, high‑altitude interceptor capable of countering the new generation of jet bombers, the Griffon first flew on 23 August 1955. Its most striking feature was the mixed‑power arrangement: a conventional turbo‑jet (the SNECMA Atar 101) driving the main propulsor, complemented by a small auxiliary ramjet mounted in the tail that ignited at supersonic speeds. This combination allowed the aircraft to accelerate through the sound barrier without afterburner, reaching a maximum speed of roughly Mach 1.3 at 12 km altitude. The airframe employed a low‑set swept wing and a fuselage of metal alloys with substantial internal fuel capacity to feed both engines. Although only two prototypes were built and the program was cancelled in 1957, the Griffon demonstrated the feasibility of dual‑propulsion concepts and supplied valuable data on ram‑jet integration, influencing later research on mixed‑power and supersonic interceptor designs. Its legacy endures as a bold example of Cold‑War innovation in French aeronautics. The project also inspired subsequent European studies on combined‑cycle propulsion.
