The NC.850 series was developed from the Aérocentre NC.840 in response to a competition sponsored by the French government under the auspices of the SALS movement to find a domestically produced machine for club use.^[2][3] Aérocentre's entry was an ungainly high-wing, strut-braced monoplane with a fully enclosed cabin and fixed, tailwheel undercarriage. The fuselage construction was tubular, and the wings had a metal structure, the entire aircraft being skinned in fabric.^[4]

The competition was won by the SIPA S.90, but SALS nevertheless also ordered 100 examples of this, the runner-up design.^[2] These production examples, designated NC.853, differed from the prototypes in having twin tails, the fins mounted on the ends of the horizontal stabiliser.^[2] Only 27 of the order had been completed, however, when Aérocentre was liquidated and its assets bought by Nord.^[2] The new owners continued production, with their machines identified with designation NC.853S.

In March 1951, Nord flew a heavily modified version of the design for use as an observation aircraft by the French Army.^[2] Known as the NC.856 Norvigie, this featured a more powerful engine and a lengthened and more extensively glazed cockpit.^[2] The army ordered 112 examples which were mostly flown in the artillery spotting role,^[5] and while a civil version was also offered, orders were not forthcoming^[6] and only two were built.^[5] The sole example of a floatplane version was presented as a gift to King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.^[6]

• NC.850 - prototype with single tail and Mathis G4F engine (one built)
• NC.851 - version with Minié 4.DA.28 engine (nine built)
• NC.852 - version with Regnier 4EO engine (two built)
• NC.853 - major production version with twin tails and Minié 4.DC.32 engine (29 built)
  • NC.853S - NC.853 built by Nord (95 built)
  • NC.853G - NC.853 fitted with aile flottante system (one converted)
• NC.854 - NC.853 with Continental A65 engine (two built, plus many converted from NC.853)
  • NC.854SA - militarised NC.854 (two built)
• NC.856 - NC.853 with Walter Minor engine (one built)
  • NC.856A - military production version with redesigned cockpit, extensive glazing, and Regnier 4LO-4 engine (112 built)
  • NC.856B - four-seat version of NC.856 (one built)
  • NC.856H - floatplane version of NC.856 with triple tail (one built)
  • NC.856N - four-seat, civil version of NC.856A with Regnier 4LO-8 (two built)
• NC.858S - conversions of NC.853 with Continental C90 engine
• NC.859S - glider tug version of NC.853 with Walter Minor engine (nine built)

  France

• Private owners and Aero clubs
• Aviation légère de l'armée de terre

Data from ^[4]

General characteristics

• Crew: two
• Length: 7.3 m (24 ft 0 in)
• Wingspan: 12.2 m (40 ft 0 in)
• Height: 2.1 m (7 ft 0 in)
• Wing area: 17.0 m² (183 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 651 kg (1,432 lb)
• Gross weight: 902 kg (1,984 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Regnier 4L.O4 four cylinder air cooled inverted inline engine , 104 kW (140 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 189 km/h (118 mph, 103 kn)
• Cruise speed: 170 km/h (106 mph, 92 kn) ^[7]
• Stall speed: 70 km/h (43.5 mph, 37.8 kn) ^[7]
• Endurance: 3 hours^[7][8]
• Rate of climb: 5.0 m/s (984 ft/min) ^[7]

• "The Paris Show... A First View of the Scene". Flight. 17 June 1955. pp. 832–40.
• Bridgman, Leonard, ed. (1953). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1953–54. London: Jane's.
• Simpson, R. W. (1995). Airlife's General Aviation. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing.
• Stevens, James Hay (4 July 1952). "Flying a French Lightweight". Flight. pp. 8–9.
• Stevens, James Hay (26 June 1953). "French Originality". Flight. pp. 811–15.
• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.