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The "Arc-en-Ciel" (Or "Rainbow", Arc standing for "Avions René Couzinet") flew for the first time on February 11, 1932. Only one aircraft was ever built. It was the successor of the Couzinet 10 of 1928, the 28GR trimotor of 1930 and of the Couzinet 33 Biarritz. On January 16, 1933, in the hand of Jean Mermoz, it crossed the South Atlantic Ocean from Saint-Louis-of-Senegal to Natal in 14 hours and 27 minutes.
The Model 70 was a low cantilever wing monoplane, equipped with three Hispano-Suiza streamlined engines driving 3 blade propellers. Its profile was very innovative, in particular with a fuselage designed with identical shape on the top and the bottom, seamlessly integrating the rear fin. The general structure was made of wood and the aircraft received a pale white paint, with a seven colour strip representing a rainbow.
Constructed on Couzinet sole initiative, the machine had many difficulties to get its flight over sea certifications despite the interest the French Aeropostale showed for opening South Atlantic lines and the influence of Mermoz who was a great supporter of the project from the start. Authorisations were finally obtained in January 1933, and a few days later, Mermoz flew from Paris to Saint-Louis in Senegal, on course to Natal and finally Buenos-Aires. The return flight was done in May, the "Arc-en-Ciel" having flown a total of 25,000 km of which 7,000 were done over water at an average speed of 220 km/h. This definitely proved the capacity of a multiengine aircraft to perform transatlantic flights.
The Couzinet 70 was later modified to correct for some lateral instability, the aircraft was lengthened, received new fairings, new windows and the propellers were replaced. Those works were finished by the month of May 1934, and the aircraft was renamed as the Couzinet 71 thought it kept unchanged registration: F-AMBV). Only one transatlantic flight could be operated in this configuration, the runway in Natal not being adapted. In the meantime, the French Air Ministry had put its support to a new aircraft, the "Croix-du-Sud" hydroplane and the "Arc-en-Ciel" was again immobilised.
Sold in May 1937, the aircraft was bought by Couzinet and was finally destroyed in its hangar as a result of the war, in 1940.
In 1934, the French state ordered three Couzinet 73 aircraft that were to be identical to the model 70 but including retractable gear. Air France would operate those machines for transatlantic postal service. Production was started, but in February 1935, the order was cancelled without any explanation or compensation. This was fatal for the Couzinet Company.
Having found exile in Brazil during the conflict, René Couzinet died in December 1956.
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