04/30/2011. Design of this gyroplane was started by Pierre Mercier the Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud-Est (SNCASE) immediately after the German occupation in June 1940. Of wooden construction the fuselage was of extremely aerodynamical shape with a minimum of protrusions. It was the first rotorcraft with a retractable landing gear, the nose leg retracting into the fuselage, while the main wheels were almost entirely obscured by tall and slender fairings, which also served as additional fins.
Intended for liaison duties, the cabin seated a pilot and two passengers, powerplant was a 220 hp Renault 6Q-01 engine was used. Construction was started in the summer of 1944 and on May 25, 1945, test pilot Henri Stakenburg flew the aircraft for the first time at Marignane. The aircraft performed rather well and showed great prospects, however, the aircraft was badly damaged in an unsuccessful landing on January 6, 1946. It was decided not to rebuild it and focus on fine-tuning the improved SE.700A, but due to the unavailability of the Bearn 6D-07 engine this second prototype never flew, and the S.E.700 program was ended.