Engineers reassessed their aircraft and elected to fit 2 x Dassault MD.30 turbojets to the wingtips instead of the original Turbomeca pairing - these engines were nothing more than license-produced forms of the British Armstrong-Siddeley "Viper" (ASV.5) series turbojets outputting 1,642lb of thrust. A first-flight with the new turbojets took place on March 17th, 1955 and proved more than successful as the desired performance increase was finally had. The following month, the aircraft achieved Mach 1+ speeds in level flight under power of the turbojets alone. With the rocket engaged, the aircraft boosted performance even more.
These early prototypes marked just one phase of two major phases in the Trident program. As such, on December 10th, 1956, the line was ended as the aircraft had achieved their goals for the most part. This opened a path to development of a more advanced form in the SO.9050 "Trident II" (commissioned back in 1954) and this model would better serve in showcasing the speedy platform as a true combat warplane.
The new design initiative carried over many of the strong qualities of the original Trident. The cockpit was refined and the air brake scheme revised while the wing mainplanes were thinned out and the undercarriage legs lengthened. As an interceptor aircraft, Trident II was slated to carry a weapons load out of air-to-air missiles as well as Air-Interception (AI) radar in the nose so provisions for these were included. One major propulsion change was to the two-chamber SEPR Model 631 series rocket motor promising 6,600lb of thrust.
A first-flight of the refined interceptor was had on July 19th, 1955 and the new rocket motor installation was then tested under flying conditions in December of that year with success. A second prototype followed on January 4th, 1956 but this specimen was lost (non-fatally) to a turbojet flame-out (both engines). A third prototype went airborne on March 30th, 1956 and, that same year, a pre-series contract (eventually to cover ten total aircraft) arrived - these now switching over to the French-made Turbomeca "Gabizo" turbojet of 2,425lb thrust each.
In 1957, SNCASO went defunct by way of merger with Sud-Est and, in its place, "Sud Aviation" was born. That same year (May), one of the SO.9050 prototypes was lost while practicing its routine for the Paris Air Show (the pilot was killed). That same month, a pre-series model went airborne for the first time and, to this point, the interceptor exhibited an excellent rate-of-climb and good performance but was known to suffer in low-altitude control envelopes - nevertheless it was a record-setter for its time.
Despite the program continue to gain maturity and coming through on the promises of performance in the interception role, politics seemingly doomed the program as it was cancelled in full on April 26th, 1958. Those airframes still under construction at the time were dismantled where they sat and sold off. The French Air Force, still in need of an indigenous interceptor, elected for the simpler, single-engine Dassault Mirage (becoming the "Mirage I" in formal service). The remaining, active Trident II forms continued their flying days as research platforms and nothing more with a final flight claiming a world altitude record. One of the examples ended up at the Bourget Museum.
The "Trident III" was a proposed Trident development intended to carry even thinner wings, for higher aerodynamic efficiency, and more powerful turbojet engines intended for March 2+ performance. in addition to this it was to be outfitted with an advanced radar suite in the nose but the proposal fell to naught.
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