The aircraft was donated to the Polish Aviation Museum collection as a long-term deposit by the Finnish aviation museum Paijat-Hameen ilmailumuseo, located at Lahti-Vesivehmaa airport.
A fighter aircraft designed by engineer Marcel Riffard at the Caudron company, based on earlier racing aircraft of the firm, in response to a competition announced by the French military aviation command for a light fighter of simple wooden construction that could quickly enter production without disrupting current manufacturing. These aircraft were powered by low-power engines and achieved high speeds thanks to excellent aerodynamic design. In September 1938, the prototype of the C 714 was first flown. After testing, it entered serial production in 1939 under the designation Caudron Renault CR 714C1 “Cyclone”.
By the time of the German attack on France, 62 examples had been produced at the Renault factory in Guyancourt. These aircraft caused numerous technical problems from the start, so production was halted. After the USSR’s aggression against Finland, the French government sent six aircraft to Finland, which arrived there after the peace treaty with the USSR had already been signed. They were used only for training flights and were withdrawn in September 1941 due to breakdowns and accidents. During the fighting in France, combat flights on the CR 714C1 were flown only by Poles (and individual French pilots).
These aircraft were used at the Aviation Training Centre in Lyon and entered service with fighter squadron GC 1/145. It was redeployed from Lyon to the vicinity of Paris. The CR 714 aircraft experienced problems with engines, landing gear, and the propeller pitch change mechanism, but due to the lack of new aircraft, the Poles continued to fly combat missions on them. Between 8-11 June 1940, the pilots of GC 1/145 shot down 8 German aircraft.
The exhibited example, serial number 8538, side number CA-556, is one of only two preserved in the world. It is one of the six Caudrons delivered to Finland. From May 1941, it served as a teaching aid at an aviation mechanics school.
| Wingspan | 8.96 m |
| Length | 8.53 m |
| Empty weight | 1400 kg |
| Takeoff weight | 1750 kg |
| Maximum speed | 486 km/h |
| Range | 900 km |
| Ceiling | 9100 m |
| Armament | four MAC 1934 machine guns, 7.5 mm calibre, in underwing pods |
| Engine | 12-cylinder inline engine in inverted V configuration, Renault 12R-03, air-cooled, 450 hp. |
