Resistance Spot Welding in the Caravelle

AS a result of experience gained from the construction and operation of the Armagnac, Sud Aviation decided to make use of resistance welding for the construction of the Caravelle rear‐engined airliner. The Armagnac employed more than 150,000 spot welds, and although the welding machines used were of a comparatively early design, the results obtained with this type of fabrication had proved eminently satisfactory. In at least one Armagnac crash it had been shown that whereas lines of rivets had failed, the spot welding construction had held good, demonstrating that from both a safety and strength standpoint, spot welding offered advantages over riveted construction.