Renault has pushed the 1934 Renault Caudron Rafale C.460 back into public flight, and the move does more than polish an old badge. It gives the modern Renault Rafale a real engineering bloodline: low mass, aerodynamic intent, compact power, and French speed obsession. The aircraft flew on 23 and 24 May 2026 at Le Temps des Helices in La Ferte-Alais, near Paris, after Renault's heritage division completed a demanding airworthiness program.
Looking at the data, the Caudron Rafale C.460 earned its status through ruthless packaging. Marcel Riffard's design used a tight single-seat fuselage, short-span wings, a retractable undercarriage, and a supercharged Renault six-cylinder engine to cut drag and push speed. In 1934, Helene Boucher helped turn the Rafale name into a record-setting aviation signal. In 2026, Renault uses that same name to connect aircraft logic with the road-going Renault Rafale E-Tech.
Renault Caudron Rafale C.460 Technical Data
| Data point | Renault Caudron Rafale C.460 |
|---|---|
| Era | 1930s racing aircraft |
| Designer | Marcel Riffard |
| Crew | 1 pilot |
| Length | 7.12 m / 280.3 in |
| Wingspan | 6.75 m / 265.7 in |
| Height | 1.80 m / 70.9 in |
| Wing area | 6.90 sq m / 74.3 sq ft |
| Original engine type | Renault 456 inverted six-cylinder |
| Output | About 310 hp |
| Claimed top speed | Around 506 km/h / 314 mph |
Specifically, the C.460 used small aircraft logic with race-car discipline. The spruce and birch plywood structure kept mass down, while magnesium tanks and cowling parts cut weight in areas where every kilogram affected acceleration and climb. The retractable landing gear reduced parasitic drag, though the system added mechanical complexity compared with the fixed-gear C.450.
