Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.2

The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.2 (Scout Experimental) was an early British single-seat scout aircraft. Designed and built at the Royal Aircraft Factory in 1912–13 as the B.S.1, the prototype was rebuilt several times before serving with the Royal Flying Corps over the Western Front in the early months of the First World War.

Development and design

In 1912, a team at the Royal Aircraft Factory, led by Geoffrey de Havilland, started design of a single seat scout, or fast reconnaissance aircraft, the first aircraft in the world specifically designed for this role. The design was a small tractor biplane, and was named the B.S.1 (standing for Blériot Scout) after Louis Blériot, a pioneer of tractor configuration aircraft. It had a wooden monocoque circular section fuselage, andsingle-bay wings. Lateral control was by wing warping, while the aircraft was initially fitted with a small rudder without a fixed fin (a scaled down version of that fitted to the B.E.3), and a one-piece elevator. It was powered by a two-row, 14-cylinder Gnome rotary engine rated at 100 hp (75 kW)

he B.S.1 was first flown by Geoffrey de Havilland early in 1913, demonstrating excellent performance, with a maximum speed of 91.7 mph (147.6 km/h), a stalling speed of 51 mph (82 km/h) and a rate of climb of 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s), despite the engine only delivering about 82 hp (61 kW) instead of the promised 100 hp. De Havilland was not satisfied with the control afforded by the small rudder and designed a larger replacement, but on 27 March 1913, before the new rudder could be installed, he crashed the B.S.1, breaking his jaw and badly damaging the aircraft.

Following this accident, it was rebuilt, with an 80 hp single-row Gnome and new tail surfaces, with triangular fins above and below the fuselage, a larger rudder and conventional divided elevators.^[5] While the rebuilt aircraft was initially designated B.S.2, it was soon redesignated S.E.2 (for Scout Experimental).^[3] It was flown in this form by de Havilland in October 1913.

In April 1914, the S.E.2 was again rebuilt, this time under the supervision of Henry Folland, as de Havilland had left the Royal Aircraft Factory to become chief designer of Airco (the B.S.1/S.E.2 was the last design de Havilland produced for the Factory). The tail surfaces were again revised, with a larger fin and rudder, with new tailplane and elevators. The monocoque rear fuselage, which had been criticised as too expensive for mass production, was replaced by a conventional wood and fabric structure. Better streamlined struts were fitted, as well as streamline sectioned bracing wires (Raf-wires). It was first flown in this form on 3 October 1914. This modified version is often referred to as the "S.E.2a" - this designation was not used at the time, and was probably not official.

The S.E.2 was handed over the Royal Flying Corps on 17 February 1914, with the serial number 609 being issued to No. 5 Squadron, where it made a good impression, and then to No. 3 Squadron before being returned to the Royal Aircraft Factory in April.

By the time the rebuilt "S.E.2a" version was completed, the First World War had broken out, and the modified S.E.2 was sent across the English Channel to join No. 3 Squadron on 27 October.^[7] It was fitted with an improvised armament of a pair of rifles mounted on the side of the fuselage, angled outwards to avoid the propeller, together with the pilot's revolver. It was one of the fastest aircraft available in the early months of the war, with it being said that:"Its speed enabled it to circle around the enemy machines and gave it a decided ascendancy." It remained in use with 3 Squadron until March 1915, when it was damaged by an exploding bomb and was sent back to England.

Specifications (S.E.2)

Data from The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing) 

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 20 ft 10 in (6.35 m)
• Wingspan: 27 ft 6¼ in (8.39 m)
• Height: 9 ft 4⅛ in (2.82 m)
• Wing area: 188 sq ft (17.5m²)
• Empty weight: 720 lb (327 kg)
• Loaded weight: 1,132 lb (515 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Gnome Rotary engine, 80 hp (60 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 91 mph (79 knots, 147 km/h)
• Endurance: 3 hr

Armament

• Guns: 2× .303 in rifles

A.1 Balilla WWI

The Ansaldo A.1, nicknamed "Balilla" after the Genoan folk-hero was Italy's only domestically-produced fighter aircraft of World War I. Arriving too late to see any real action, it was however used by both Poland and the Soviet Union in the Polish-Soviet War.

Development

The A.1 resulted from continued efforts by the Ansaldo company to create a true fighter. Their SVA.5 had proved unsuitable in this role, although it made an excellent reconnaissance aircraft and had been ordered into production as such. Ansaldo engineer Giuseppe Brezzi revised the SVA.5 design, increasing the size of the lower wing, and redesigning the interplane strut arrangement. While this produced more drag, it increased the stiffness of the wing structure and reduced stresses in the airframe. Engine power was increased to 150 kW (200 hp) and a safety system to jettison the fuel tank through a ventral hatch (in case of onboard fire) was installed.
The first prototype was completed in July 1917, but acceptance by the air force did not occur until December. Test pilots were not enthusiastic in their evaluation. While they found a marked increase in performance over the SVA.5, the A.1 was still not as maneuverable as the French types in use by Italy's squadrons. This resulted in a number of modifications, including a slight enlargement of the wings and rudder, and a further 10% increase in engine power. This initially proved satisfactory to the air force, and the modified A.1 (designated A.1bis) was ordered into service with 91 Squadriglia for further evaluation.
Reports from pilots were mixed. While the fighter's speed was impressive, it proved unmaneuverable and difficult to fly. Nevertheless, with a need to clear a backlog of obsolete fighter types then in service, the air force ordered the A.1 anyway.

Operational history

The first of an original order of 100 machines entered service in July 1918. The A.1s were kept away from the front lines and mostly assigned to home defence duties. In the four months before the Armistice, A.1s scored only one aerial victory, over an Austrian reconnaissance aircraft. It was during this time that Ansaldo engaged in a number of promotional activities, including dubbing the aircraft as Balilla, flying displays in major Italian cities, and in August donating an example to Italian aviator Antonio Locatelli as his personal property amidst a press spectacle. (This latter publicity stunt backfired somewhat when one week later a mechanical fault in the aircraft caused Locatelli to make a forced landing behind enemy lines and be taken prisoner). Despite all this, the air force ordered another 100 machines, all of which were delivered before the end of the war. At the armistice, 186 were operational, of which 47 aircraft were ordered to remain on hand with training squadrons, and the remainder were to be put into storage.

In Polish service

The A.1 found a new lease of life, however, when a purchasing committee from the Polish army visited Italy in 1919 in search of new weapons. A contract for ten evaluation aircraft was signed, and these were delivered to Warsaw in January 1920. The initial impression of pilots there (mostly American volunteers) was extremely favourable, on account of its high speed and fuel capacity and, curiously, the maneuverability disdained by Italian airmen. On May 25, the A.1s were deployed to the front line. All but one of them were destroyed during the Red Army counterattack in the Ukraine. Nevertheless, the Polish government had already purchased another 25 aircraft and a licence to locally produce another 100. The new aircraft only arrived after hostilities had ended, and in July 1921 the first of 36 licence-built machines rolled out of the Lublin factory.
The Lublin-built machines were some 80 kg (180 lb) heavier than the original Italian design and exhibited frequent problems with their engines and with the quality of their welds. Numerous accidents ensued, including at least nine fatal crashes. In 1924, the production order was reduced to 80 machines, and soon thereafter to 57 (the number actually constructed at the time). The following year, the armament was removed from all A.1s then in service, and by 1927, the type had been withdrawn from service completely.

In Soviet service

In 1920, the White Russian army ordered thirty aircraft, of which 18 were eventually delivered in April 1922. These were initially deployed in the Kharkov region, flying unarmed (they had been ordered sans weapons). They eventually served around the Baltic and Black Sea until mid-1928. During Winter, they were equipped with skis.

In Latvian service

In 1921, Latvia became another buyer, ordering 13 aircraft even though the demonstration flight in Riga ended in a fatal crash for Ansaldo's test pilot. The Latvian machines differed from other examples by the addition of insulation to protect the engine from the cold.
Promotions in the Americas
In an attempt to secure post-war markets, Ansaldo undertook a number of promotional activities in both North and South America. The firm sent six aircraft to the United States in 1919 in an attempt to attract private buyers - at $US 6,000 apiece. The aircraft's high speed proved attractive to record-hunters; US aviation ace Eddie Rickenbacker set a national airspeed record in one in 1920, and one was flown with a Curtiss D-12 engine to third place in the 1921 US Pulitzer air race.
Four aircraft were flown on tour to Argentina and then to Uruguay in an attempt to interest the respective governments in the type, Ansaldo even offering each country two of the promotional aircraft with its complements. However, no order ensued from either of them. The company then displayed two aircraft in Peru, and one in Honduras, but without any success there either. With the failure of the South American promotional tour to attract any business, Ansaldo abandoned the A.1, and the firm was soon absorbed into Fiat.
Mexico acquired one example in 1920 and served in the Fuerza Aérea Mexicana for few years.

The Adolphe Bernard

The Adolphe Bernard AB 1 was a two engine French biplane medium bomber, built near the end of the First World War. Ten were produced for the Armée de l'Air but did not reach squadron service; post-war, two civil derivatives were considered but only one such aircraft was built.

Design and development

The AB 1, built near the end of the First World War, was the first original design from the Adolphe Bernard factory which had previously produced SPAD aircraft to government contracts. It was a twin engine biplane bomber, carrying 600 kg (1,323 lb) of bombs.
The AB 1 was a wooden three bay biplane, without stagger but with greater span on the upper planes. Only the lower wings carried dihedral. The outer and mid interplane struts were outward leaning pairs but the inner bay was defined by a complex of struts supporting the engines mid-way between the wings. Head on, these appeared as a V based on the lower wing but had M and W arrangements seen side-on above and below the engine. The AB 1 used Hispano-Suiza V-8 piston engines, of which type there was a surplus after the Armistice. It had ailerons on both upper and lower wings, externally connected.
The fuselage of the AB 1 was flat sided, with a narrowed but flat topped decking. There was a gunner's position in the extreme nose fitted with a 7.7 mm machine gun on a TO 4 mounting. The fuselage tapered rearwards with the cantilever tailplane, which carried separate elevators, mounted on top. The fin carried a horn balanced rudder which extended down to the bottom of the fuselage, moving between the elevators.
Its main undercarriage had a wide track, with twin wheels on short axles mounted below each engine on inverted V struts, themselves further braced to the lower fuselage longerons.
The first AB 1 was built in 1918 and probably flew that year. There were plans for a variant using more powerful Hispano-Suiza 8Ba engines, the AB 2, but this was not built. Post war, two civilian variants were started, the post-carrying AB 3 and the passenger only or passenger plus post AB 4. The AB 3, one of which was completed in 1920, could carry a useful load of 905 kg (1,95 lb). The AB 4, which had the same engines as the proposed AB 2, carried a maximum of seven passengers. Its fuselage was on display at the 6th Paris Aero Show in December 1919, but it was not completed.
Operational history
Ten AB 1s were produced after the Armistice but do not seem to have achieved squadron service.

Variants

AB 1
The bomber version of 1918, as supplied to the Armée de l'Air. Eleven built.
AB 2
Proposed version with 200 hp (150 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8Ba engines. Not built.
AB 3
Post carrying civil version of AB 1. One built 1920.
AB 4
Airliner/post carrier version of AB 2. Maximum seven passengers, depending on postal load. One part built 1919.
Specifications (AB 1)[edit]
Data from Liron pp.224, 215[1]
General characteristics
Crew: 2?
Length: 11.30 m (37 ft 1 in)
Upper wingspan: 18.95 m (62 ft 2 in)
Height: 3.65 m (12 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 80.0 m2 (861 sq ft)
Empty weight: 1,570 kg (3,461 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 2,859 kg (6,303 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Hispano-Suiza 8 Ab water cooled V-8 piston engine, 130 kW (180 hp) each
Propellers: 2-bladed (later 4)

Performance

Maximum speed: 167 km/h (104 mph; 90 kn)
Service ceiling: 4,900 m (16,076 ft)
Rate of climb: 2.1 m/s (410 ft/min) to 2,000 m (6,560 ft)
Armament

Breguet 14

The Breguet 14 was a French biplane bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of World War I. It was built in very large numbers and production continued for many years after the end of the war. Apart from its widespread usage, it was noteworthy for becoming the first aircraft in mass production to use large amounts of metal rather than wood in its structure. This allowed the airframe to be lighter than a wooden airframe of the same strength, in turn making the aircraft very fast and agile for its size, able to outrun many of the fighters of the day. Its strong construction was able to sustain much damage, it was easy to handle and had good performance. The Breguet 14 is often considered one of the best aircraft of the war.

Design and development

The aircraft was designed by Louis Breguet, who flew the first prototype (originally designated Breguet AV Type XIV) on its first flight on 21 November 1916. The design was a come-back for Breguet to designing conventional planes, after designing the pusher-type Breguet BUM. Later that month, the French Army's Section Technique de l' Aéronautique (S.T.Aé.) issued requirements for four different new aircraft types. Breguet submitted his new design for two of those categories - reconnaissance aircraft, and bomber.
Following evaluation in February, the Breguet 14 was accepted for both these roles, and in March, orders were placed for 150 reconnaissance aircraft and 100 bombers, designated Breguet 14 A.2 and 14 B.2 respectively (by 1918 written Breguet XIV A2/B2). The A.2 was equipped with a camera, with some carrying radios, while the lower wing of the 14 B.2 was modified slightly in order to accommodate bomb racks (built by Michelin). Both variants featured automatic, bungee-cord operated aerodynamic flaps, but these were not fitted to production aircraft. A number of B2 models were equipped with the U.S. built Liberty engine and were denoted Breguet 14 B2 L.
Other minor variants flown in small numbers during the war included the 14 B.1 long-range single-seat bomber, the 14 GR.2 long-range reconnaissance, the 14 H floatplane, the 14 S air ambulance and the 14 Et.2 trainer. Later variants 14bis A2 and 14bis B2 featured improved wing. An improved variant with bigger wings was the 16. There was also the two-seat fighter 17, which was built in small numbers only.

Operational history

Following successful deployment by the French, the type was also ordered by the Belgian Army (40 aircraft) and the United States Army Air Service (over 600 aircraft). Around half the Belgian and US aircraft were fitted with Fiat A.12 engines due to shortages of the original Renault 12F. By the end of World War I, some 5,500 Breguet 14s had been produced.
The type continued to be widely used after the war, equipping the French occupation forces in Germany and being deployed to support French troops in the colonies. A special version was developed for the harsh conditions encountered overseas, designated 14 TOE (Théatres des Operations Extérieures). These saw service in putting down uprisings in Syria and Morocco, in Vietnam and in France's attempted intervention in the Russian Civil War. The last trainer examples were not withdrawn from French military service until 1932.
Other air arms using the type included Brazil (30), China (70), Czechoslovakia (10), Denmark, Finland (38), Greece, Japan, Siamese Air Force, Uruguay (9) and Spain. Polish Air Force used 158 Breguet 14s, about 70 of them were used in combat in the Polish-Soviet war. In Japan, Breguet 14s were licence built by Nakajima.
Post war, Breguet had also begun to manufacture dedicated civil versions. The 14 T.2 Salon carried two passengers in a specially modified fuselage. An improved version of this was the 14 Tbis manufactured as both a land-plane and seaplane. The 14 Tbis also formed the basis of the improved 14 Tbis Sanitaire air ambulance version, and 100 mail planes custom-built for Pierre Latécoère's fledgling airline, Lignes Aeriennes Latécoère. After changing name to CGEA, the airline used among others 106 Breguet 14s for flights over the Sahara desert. The 18 T was a single 14 T re-engined with a Renault Ja engine and equipped to carry four passengers. When production finally ceased in 1928, the total of all versions built had reached 7,800 (according to other sources, 8,000 or even 8,370).

General characteristics

Crew: Two
Length: 8.87 m (29 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 14.36 m (47 ft 1 in)
Height: 3.30 m (10 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 47.50 m² (511 ft²)
Empty weight: 1,010 kg (2,227 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 1,536 kg (3,386 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Renault 12Fe, 224 kW (300 hp)
Performance
Maximum speed: 190 km/h (95 kn, 109 mph)
Range: 900 km (486 nmi, 560 mi)
Service ceiling: 6,000 m (19,685 ft)
Rate of climb: 292 m/min (960 ft/min)
Wing loading: 32 kg/m² (at max. takeoff weight) (6.6 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 145 W/kg (at max. takeoff weight) (0.09 hp/lb)
Armament
Guns: 1 × fixed 7.7 mm (.303 in) Vickers machine gun
2 × flexible 7.7 mm (.303 in) Lewis Gun for observer
Bombs: 300 kg (660 lb)

Breguet Bre.5

The Breguet Bre.5 B.2 bomber

The Breguet Bre.5 B.2 bomber and Breguet Bre.5 Ca.2 escort fighter were French and biplanes of World War I which were developments of the Breguet Bre.4 bomber. The Bre.6 and Bre.12 were in turn developments of the Bre.5

Design and development

This aircraft was a refinement of the escort fighter that Breguet Aviation had designed and was manufactured by Michelin as the Breguet-Michelin BUC. Initially intended to carry the same 37 mm (1.46 in) Hotchkiss cannon that armed the BUC, the Bre.5 was revised at the request of the French Army to carry a 7.7 mm (.303 in) Lewis Gun fired rearward from atop the biplane's upper wing.

Operational history

A small number of cannon-armed machines were produced from April 1916 onwards and allotted to bomber units. The British Royal Naval Air Service operated 35 of which ten came from Breguet, and 25 were built in the United Kingdom by Grahame-White as the G.W.19.
The Bre.6 was similar but powered by a Canton-Unné engine, and was developed in case production of the Bre.5's Renault engine was unable to keep up with demand. It was also produced both as an escort fighter and as a bomber.
As the Bre.5 reached obsolescence, a number were rebuilt as Bre.12 night fighters and night bombers. The fighter carried a 37 mm (1.46 in) cannon and a searchlight.
Variants
Bre.5
Renault-powered version.
Bre 5 B.2
Bomber version.
Bre.5 Ca.2
Cannon-armed escort fighter version.
Grahame White G.W.19
British-built version for RNAS with Rolls-Royce Falcon engine.
Bre.6
Canton-Unné-powered version.
Bre.6 B.2
Bomber version.
Bre.6Ca.2
Cannon-armed escort fighter.
Bre.12
Bre.5s remanufactured for night fighting
Bre.12 B.2
Night bomber.
Bre.12 Ca.2
Cannon-armed night fighter.

The Breguet Bre.4 WWI

The Breguet Bre.4, also known variously as the Type IV and BUM, was a French biplane bomber of World War I. A fighter version of it also was produced as the BUC and BLC; some of these saw service with the British Royal Navy, which called them 'the Breguet 'de Chasse.
Design and development
The Bre.4 was developed during 1914 when French military planners began to express a preference for pusher- over tractor-configured aircraft, leading Breguet Aviation to cease further development of its original Type IV design and pursue military contracts with an aircraft of the preferred layout. The Type IV was a two-bay, equal-span, unstaggered biplane that seated the pilot and observer in tandem open cockpits in a nacelle that also carried the pusher engine at its rear, and the tricycle undercarriage.
As the prototype neared completion, the Breguet factory at Douai was threatened by the advancing German Army, and the machine and its builders were evacuated to Villacoublay where construction and testing were completed. At this point, André and Édouard Michelin approached the French government with an offer to sponsor the construction of 100 bombers for the French Army, and were awarded a licence to the Breguet design. This was put into production as the BUM (B for pusher-driven, U for Canton-Unné-powered, M for Michelin). A later revised bersion, the BLM, was the definitive Renault-powered version.
Soon after the BUM entered service, the French Army requested that an escort fighter version be developed to protect the bombers from interception. Breguet responded with a lightened design armed with a 37 mm (1.46 in) Hotchkiss cannon intended to pick off enemy fighters before they closed to within range of their machine guns. This entered production as the BUC (C for chasse, or pursuit) in its original Canton-Unné powered version and BLC in its Renault version.
Operational history
French service
Few of the BUC and BLC escort fighters were built, as their performance and utility were discovered to be lacking, and the doctrine of the cannon-armed escort fighter was soon abandoned in favour of countering fighters with other similar fighters.
Royal Naval Air Service
Breguet built 17 BUC/BLCs for the British Royal Navy's Royal Naval Air Service using British 225-hp (168-kW) Sunbeam Mohawk engines. The Royal Navy called them the Breguet de Chasse. They served alongside Caudron G.4s with No. 5 Wing RNAS – the Royal Navy's first air unit specifically trained for long-range bombing – in Belgium from April to June 1916.
Variants
Type IV (BU3)
Breguet prototype.
BUM (BrM2B.2)
Michelin-built, Canton-Unné-powered bomber version.
BLM (BrM4B.2)
Michelin-built, Renault-powered bomber version.
BUC
Michelin-built, Canton-Unné-powered escort fighter version.
BLC
Michelin-built, Renault-powered escort fighter version.
Breguet de Chasse
Version of BLC for RNAS, powered by Sunbeam Mohawk or Rolls-Royce Falcon engine.

Breguet Type III WWI

The Breguet Types III was an early biplane built by Louis Breguet in France in 1910.
Design and development
The Breguet Type III, which first flew in April 1910, was a development of the Type II which Breguet had built and flown earlier that year. Eliminating the upper booms that had helped to carry the tail surfaces of the earlier aircraft, it had what is now seen as the conventional biplane configuration, with a fuselage containing a front mounted engine driving a tractor propeller and control and stabilising surfaces mounted at the rear. At the time this was an unusual layout: the Goupy II which had first flown the previous year was the first aircraft of this configuration to be successful. Like Breguet's earlier aircraft, extensive use of metal was made in its construction: the structure of the rectangular-section fuselage, wing spars and interplane struts were steel, and the ribs were aluminium pressings.
The lower wings were mounted on a short spar mounted below the lower longerons and the upper wing was supported by only four struts, two inboard supporting the centre section of the wing and one on either side connecting the mainspars of the wings near to the wingtips. The mainspars of the wing panels were connected to the centre section spar by knuckle joints, so that the wings could easily be folded back for road or rail transport.
Four small vertical stabilisers were mounted below the upper wing, and a pair of supplementary control surfaces were mounted below the fuselage. These were intended for lateral control, and were operated in conjunction with wing-warping The rear-mounted empennage initially consisted of a fixed fin and rudder and a rectangular elevator, with no fixed horizontal surface, but this was soon replaced by a cruciform assembly combining rudder and elevator connected to the fuselage by a universal joint. This unusual arrangement became a characteristic of the aircraft manufactured by Breguet before World War I.
The prototype was powered by a 50 hp (37 kW) Gnome Omega driving a three-bladed aluminium propeller through a 2:1 reduction gear. Later aircraft were produced with other power units.

pecifications (example shown at 1910 Paris Aero Salon)
Data from
General characteristics
Length: 9.2 m (30 ft 2 in)
Upper wingspan: 13.2 m (43 ft 4 in)
Lower wingspan: 9.9 m (32 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 38 m2 (410 sq ft)
Empty weight: 475 kg (1,047 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × R.E.P. 1910 60hp 5-cyl. 2-row semi-radial, 45 kW (60 hp)

Borel-Odier Bo-T

Borel-Odier Bo-T

The Borel-Odier Bo-T (also known as the Borel-Odier torpedo floatplane) was a French twin-engined float biplane designed by Borel but built by Antoine Odier for the French Navy.

Design and development

The Bo-T was a biplane powered by two 164 kW (220 hp) Hispano-Suiza 8Ba inline piston engines and fitted with twin floats.[1] It had room under the fuselage for a torpedo.[1] The prototype was destroyed on the first flight in August 1916 but the French Navy still placed and order for 91 aircraft. Deliveries did not start until 1917 and were stopped when the Armistice was signed. Only a few aircraft saw operational use on coastal patrols in the mediterranean.
In 1919 a ten-passenger transport variant was flown designated Bo-C but it was destroyed during testing.

Specifications (Bo-T)
Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft
General characteristics
Length: 11.23 m (36 ft 10½ in)
Wingspan: 20.00 m (65 ft 7½ in)
Height: 3.93 m (12 ft 10¾ in)
Empty weight: 1200 kg (2646 lb)
Gross weight: 2400 kg (5291 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Hispano-Suiza 8Ba inline piston engines, 164 kW (220 hp) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 124 km/h (77 mph)
Armament
2 × 7.7mm (0.303in) Lewis machine-guns on flexible mounts
1 × 650kg (1433lb) Torpedo

Borel Hydro WWI

The Borel Hydro-monoplane was a French seaplane produced in 1912.
Design and development

The Borel hydro-monoplane, which was developed from the 1911 Morane-Borel monoplane, was a tractor monoplane powered by a 80 hp Gnome Lambda rotary engine. The rectangular section fuselage tapered to a vertical knife-edge at the rear: at the front the longerons on each side were curved inwards, meeting at the front engine bearer. A curved aluminium cowling covered the top of the engine, and the sides of the fuselage were covered with aluminium as far aft as the rear of the cockpit. The two seats were arranged in tandem, with the pilot sitting in front. Dual controls were fitted. Tail surfaces consisted of a narrow-chord fixed horizontal surface with a much broader elevator with horn balances hinged to the trailing edge and a balanced rudder which extended below the sternpost and carried a small float. The main undercarriage consisted of a pair of unstepped flat-bottomed floats. Lateral control was by wing warping.

Operational history
An example was entered in the 1913 Schneider Trophy competition, but crashed during the elimination trials.
Another example, flown by George Chemet, was the winner of the 1913 Paris-Deauville race.

Specifications
Data from Flight, 26 July 1913, p. 814
General characteristics
Crew: one
Capacity: one passneger
Length: 8.38 m (27 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 11.68 m (38 ft 4 in)
Wing area: 18 m2 (190 sq ft)
Powerplant: 1 × Gnome Lambda 7-cylinder rotary engine, 60 kW (80 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed, 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in) diameter

Blériot XI WWI

The Blériot XI is the aircraft that was used by Louis Blériot on 25 July 1909 to make the first flight across the English Channel made in a heavier-than-air aircraft. This achievement is one of the most famous accomplishments of the pioneer era of aviation, and not only won Blériot a lasting place in history but also assured the future of his aircraft manufacturing business. The event caused a major reappraisal of the importance of aviation; the English newspaper The Daily Express led its story of the flight with the headline "Britain is no longer an Island".
It was produced in both single- and two-seat versions, powered by a number of different engines and was widely used for competition and training purposes. Military versions were bought by many countries, continuing in service until after the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Two restored examples — one each in the United Kingdom and the United States — of original Blériot XI aircraft are thought to be the two oldest flyable aircraft in the world

The Blériot XI, largely designed by Raymond Saulnier, was a development of the Blériot VIII, which Blériot had flown successfully in 1908. Like its predecessor, it was a tractor-configuration monoplane with a partially covered box-girder fuselage built from ash with wire cross bracing. The principal difference was the use of wing warping for lateral control. The tail surfaces consisted of a small balanced, "all-moving" vertical rudder with no fixed fin, at the very rear vertical member of the fuselage structure, and a single-level, horizontal tailplane surface with elevator surfaces comprising the outermost cell of the stabilizer's structure on each end, pivoting together with a torque tube running through the fixed inner sections linking the "tip elevators", mounted under the lower longerons of the fuselage. Like its predecessor, it had the engine mounted directly in front of the leading edge of the wing and the bracing and warping wires attached to a cabane structure made from steel tubing above the fuselage, with its five members oriented like the edges of a simple single-gabled house roof in shape, and an inverted four-sided pyramid-form ventral cabane, also of steel tubing, below it. When first built, it had a wingspan of 7 m (23 ft) and a small teardrop-shaped fin mounted on the cabane,[3] which was later removed. The main undercarriage was also like that of the Type VIII, the wheels being mounted in castering trailing arms, which could slide up and down steel tubes, the movement being sprung by bungee cords. This simple and ingenious design allowed crosswind landings with less risk of damage. A sprung tailwheel was fitted to the rear fuselage in front of the tailplane, with a nearly identical castoring arrangement in its design to the maingear strutwork.
When shown at the Paris Aero Salon in December 1908, the aircraft was powered by a 35 hp (26 kW) 7-cylinder R.E.P. engine driving a four-bladed paddle-type propeller. The aircraft was first flown at Issy-les-Moulineaux on 23 January 1909,[4] but although the aircraft handled well, the engine proved extremely unreliable and, at the suggestion of his mechanic Ferdinand Collin, Blériot made contact with Alessandro Anzani, a famous motorcycle racer whose successes were due to the engines that he made, and who had recently entered the field of aero-engine manufacture. On 27 May 1909, a 25 horsepower (19 kW) Anzani 3-cylinder fan-configuration (semi-radial) engine was fitted.[5] The propeller was also replaced with a Chauvière Intégrale two-bladed propeller made from laminated walnut wood. This propeller design was a major advance in French aircraft technology and was the first European propeller to rival the efficiency of the propellers used by the Wright Brothers.
During early July, Blériot was occupied with flight trials of a new aircraft, the two-seater Type XII, but resumed flying the Type XI on 18 July. By then, the small cabane fin had been removed and the wingspan increased by 79 cm (31 in). On 26 June, he managed a flight lasting 36 minutes 55 seconds, and on 13 July, Blériot won the Aero Club de France's first Prix du Voyage with a 42 km (26 mi) flight between Etampes and Orléans.
The Channel crossing

The Blériot XI gained lasting fame on 25 July 1909, when Blériot crossed the English Channel from Calais to Dover, winning a £1,000 prize awarded by the Daily Mail. For several days, high winds had grounded Blériot and his rivals: Hubert Latham, who flew an Antoinette monoplane, and Count de Lambert, who brought two Wright biplanes. On 25 July, when the wind had dropped in the morning and the skies had cleared, Blériot took off at sunrise. Flying without the aid of a compass, he deviated to the east of his intended course, but, nonetheless, spotted the English coast to his left. Battling turbulent wind conditions, Blériot made a heavy "pancake" landing, nearly collapsing the undercarriage and shattering one blade of the propeller, but he was unhurt. The flight had taken 36.5 minutes and had made Blériot a celebrity, instantly resulting in many orders for copies of his aircraft.
The aircraft, which never flew again, was hurriedly repaired and put on display at Selfridges department store in London. It was later displayed outside the offices of the French newspaper Le Matin and eventually bought by the Musee des Arts et Metiers in Paris.

Subsequent history
After the successful crossing of the English Channel, there was a great demand for Blériot XIs. By the end of September 1909, orders had been received for 103 aircraft.[8] After an accident at an aviation meeting in Istanbul in December 1909, Blériot gave up competition flying, and the company's entries for competitions were flown by other pilots, including Alfred Leblanc, who had managed the logistics of the cross-channel flight, and subsequently bought the first production Type XI, going on to become one of the chief instructors at the flying schools established by Blériot.
In February 1912 the future of the Type XI was threatened by the French army placing a ban on the use of all monoplanes. This was the result of a series of accidents in which Blériot aircraft had suffered wing failure in flight. The first of these incidents had occurred on 4 January 1910, killing Léon Delagrange, and was generally attributed to the fact that Delagrange had fitted an over-powerful engine, so overstressing the airframe. A similar accident had killed Jorge Chavez at the end of 1910, and in response to this the wing spars of the Blériot had been strengthened. A subsequent accident led to a further strengthening of the spars.[9] Blériot, understandably, took this matter very seriously, and produced a report for the French government which came to the conclusion that the problem was not the strength of the wing spars but a failure to take into account the amount of downward force to which aircraft wings could be subject to, and that the problem could be solved by increasing the strength of the upper bracing wires. This analysis was accepted, and Blériot's prompt and thorough response to the problem enhanced rather than damaged his reputation.

Further development
The Type XI remained in production until the outbreak of the First World War, and a number of variations were produced. Various types of engine were fitted, including the 120° degree Y-configuration, "full radial" three-cylinder Anzani (like the restored example at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome still flies with) and the 50 hp (37 kW) and 70 hp (52 kW) Gnome rotary engines. Both single and two-seat versions were built, and there were variations in wingspan and fuselage length. In later aircraft the tip elevators were replaced by a more conventional trailing edge elevator, the tailwheel was replaced by a skid, and the former "house-roof" five-member dorsal cabane being replaced by a simpler, four-sided pyramidally framed unit similar to the ventral arrangement for the later rotary-powered versions. Blériot marketed the aircraft in four categories: trainers, sport or touring models, military aircraft, and racing or exhibition aircraft.

Civil use
The Type XI took part in many competitions and races. In August 1910 Leblanc won the 805 km (500 mi) Circuit de l'Est race, and another Blériot flown by Emile Aubrun was the only other aircraft to finish the course.[10] In October 1910, Claude Grahame-White won the second competition for the Gordon Bennett Trophy flying a Type XI fitted with a 100 hp (75 kW) Gnome, beating a similar aircraft flown by Leblanc, which force-landed on the last lap. During the race Leblanc had established a new world speed record. In 1911, Andre Beaumont won the Circuit of Europe in a Type XI and another, flown by Roland Garros, came second.

Louis Blériot established his first flying school at Etampes near Rouen in 1909. Another was started at Pau, where the climate made year-round flying more practical, in early 1910 and in September 1910 a third was established at Hendon Aerodrome near London. A considerable number of pilots were trained: by 1914 nearly 1,000 pilots had gained their Aero Club de France license at the Blériot schools, around half the total number of licences issued.[12] Flight training was offered free to those who had bought a Blériot aircraft: for others it initially cost 2,000 francs, this being reduced to 800 francs in 1912. A gifted pupil favoured by good weather could gain his license in as little as eight days, although for some it took as long as six weeks. There were no dual control aircraft in these early days, training simply consisting of basic instruction on the use of the controls followed by solo taxying exercises, progressing to short straight-line flights and then to circuits. To gain a license a pilot had to make three circular flights of more than 5 km (3 mi), landing within 150 m (490 ft) of a designated point.

Military use
The first Blériot XIs entered military service in Italy and France in 1910, and a year later, some of those were used in action by Italy in North Africa (the first use of aircraft in a war) and in Mexico.[14] The Royal Flying Corps received its first Blériots in 1912. During the early stages of the First World War, eight French, six British and six Italian squadrons operated various military versions of the aircraft, mainly in observation duties but also as trainers, and in the case of single-seaters, as light bombers with a bomb load of up to 25 kg.

Famous Blériot Monoplane pilots

Oskar Bider – Swiss aviator who flew over the Pyrenees and the Alps in 1913.
Baron Carl Calle Cederström, who made the first flight of a heavier-than-air craft in Norway on 14 October 1910. He made a flight of 23 minutes and reached a height of 300 metres (983.9 feet).
Jean Conneau (André Beaumont) In 1911 won the Paris-Rome race, the Circuit d'Europe (Tour of Europe) on 7 July and the Daily Mail Circuit of Britain Race on 26 July 1911.
Jorge Chavez – French-Peruvian aviator who crossed the Alps in 1910, but crashed on arrival and was killed.
Denys Corbett-Wilson – Anglo-Irish aviator who made the first successful flight from Britain to Ireland in April 1912.
Leon Delagrange – One of the first people to fly an aircraft in France, killed on 4 January 1910 flying a Blériot XI when a wing failed.
Carlo Piazza - On October 22/23 1911, Captain Piazza of the Italian Royal Army Air Services conducted the first aerial reconnaissance flight between Tripoli & Aziza during the Italo-Turkish War.
John Domenjoz (1886–1952) – Performed aerobatics in South, Central and North America in 1914–1918. His Gnome rotary-powered Blériot-XI is displayed at the National Air & Space Museum, Washington.
Roland Garros - Won second place in the 1911 Circuit of Europe race, and set two world altitude records in 1912 in an adapted Type XI, flying to 5,000 m (16,000 ft) on 6 September 1912
Claude Grahame-White Won the 1910 Gordon Bennett Trophy race held in New York flying a Blériot
Eugène Gilbert – Went to the Blériot school in 1910 after having built his own small unsuccessful aircraft in 1909. During a flight across the Pyrenees Mountains in the 1911 Paris to Madrid air race he and his Blériot XI were attacked by a large eagle, which Gilbert drove off by firing a pistol.
Tryggve Gran – Norwegian aviator, first to cross the North Sea from Scotland to Norway in 1914.*
Maurice Guillaux – French aviator, visited Australia April–October 1914. Flew Australia's first air mail and air freight from Melbourne to Sydney, 16–18 July 1914.
Gustav Hamel – Flew the world's first regular airmail service between Hendon and Windsor in September 1911.
Vasily Kamensky – a famous Russian Futurist poet, one of the pioneering aviators of Russia.
Jan Kašpar – Czech aviator, first person to fly in Czech lands on 16 April 1910.
Hubert Le Blon - A former racing car driver. He took up aviation and designed his own monoplane design. On April 2, 1910, flying a Bleriot XI, he became the second(after Delagrange) fatality of the type falling on to the rocks at San Sebastian, Spain.
Alfred Leblanc – Broke the flight airspeed record on 29 October 1910 while flying a Blériot XI. His speed was calculated at 68.20 mph (109.76 km/h): on 11 April 1911 he raised the record to 111.8 kph
Jan Olieslagers (1883–1942) – Lieutenant in the Belgian Army during the First World War.
Earle Ovington – First airmail pilot in the United States, used a Blériot XI to carry a sack of mail from Garden City, New York to Mineo, Long Island
Adolphe Pégoud – First man to demonstrate the full aerobatic potential of the Blériot XI, flying a loop with it in 1913. Together with John Domenjoz and Edmond Perreyon, he successfully created what is considered the first air show.
Harriet Quimby – First licensed female pilot in the United States; first female to fly the English Channel solo.
Rene Simon (1885-192?) – In February 1911, the Mexican government engaged Rene Simon, a member of an aerial circus touring the southwestern United States, to reconnoiter rebel positions near the border city of Juarez.
Emile Taddéoli – Swiss aviator who first flew on 22 March 1910, in his newly bought Blériot XI, and flew about 150,000 kilometres (93,000 mi) during the next five years, using various aircraft, among them, the Blériot XI, Morane-Borel monoplane, Dufaux 4, Dufaux 5 and SIAI S.13 seaplane.

Variants
Blériot XI (REP)
1908, the first Type XI, powered by a 22 kW (30 hp) REP engine, displayed at the 1908 Paris Salon Exposition, first flown at Issy on 18 January 1909.
Blériot XI (Anzani)
1909, the first aircraft re-engined with a 19 kW (25 hp) Anzani engine and with wings enlarged from 12 to 14 m2 (130 to 150 sq ft). Fitted with a flotation bag for Blériot's cross channel flight.
Blériot XI Militaire
Military single-seater, powered by a 50 hp (37 kW) Gnome engine.[38]
Blériot XI Artillerie
Very similar to the Militaire version, but with a fuselage divided into two sections so that it could be folded for transport.
Blériot XI E1
Single-seat training version.
Blériot XI Type Ecole
A trainer with considerable wing dihedral looped cane tailskid, tip elevators and other modifications.
Blériot XI R1 Pinguin
Rouleur or ground training aircraft, fitted with clipped wings and a wide-track undercarriage with a pair of forward-projecting skids to prevent nose-overs. Some examples were fitted with a 35 hp (26 kW) Anzani engine and others with old 50 hp (37 kW) Gnome engines that were no longer producing their full power output.
Blériot XI (1912)
From March 1912 with two-piece elevators and high fuselage skid.
Blériot XI Parasol
aka Blériot-gourin, modified by Lieutenant Gouin and Henri Chazal with a parasol wing and split airbrake/rudder.
Blériot XIbis
In January 1910 the bis introduced more conventional tail feathers and elliptical elevators with a half-cowled Gnome engine.
Blériot XI-2 Tandem
Standard tandem 2-seat touring, reconnaissance, training model, powered by a 70 hp (52 kW) Gnome 7B rotary piston engine.
Blériot XI-2 bis "côte-à-côte"
February 1910 2-seat model, with side-by-side seating and a non-lifting triangular tailplane with semi-elliptical trailing-edge elevators, with several variations such as floats extended nose, modified tail-skid and other changes.[38] (Length 8.32 m (27.3 ft), Wingspan 10.97 m (36.0 ft)
Blériot XI-2 Hydroaeroplane
Two-seater floatplane with wingspan of 11 m (36 ft) powered by a 80 hp (60 kW) Rhône engine.[40] First flown with an extended rudder with a float on the bottom: this was later replaced by a standard rudder and a float fitted under the rear fuselage.
Blériot XI-2 Artillerie
Military 2-seat model, powered by a 70 hp (52 kW) Gnome rotary piston engine. Two aircraft or versions of the same aircraft with differing elevators.
Blériot XI-2 Génie
Military version, designed for easy transport, it could be broken down/reassembled in 25 minutes.
Blériot XI-2 Vision totale
XI-2 modified with a parasol wing in July 1914.
Blériot XI-2 Hauteur
Powered by an 80 hp (60 kW) Gnome rotary piston engine and used by roland Garros in altitude record flights in August 1912 and March 1913.
Blériot XI-2 BG
Two-seat high-wing parasol model.
Blériot XI-3 Concours Militaire
Tandem 3-seat model, powered by a twin-row 14-cylinder, 140 hp (100 kW) Gnome Double Lambda rotary engine. Span 11.35 m (37 ft 3 in), length 8.5 m (28 ft)
Thulin A
Licence-built in Sweden

B.A.J. IVC.2 WWI

The B.A.J. IVC.2 (or the Boncourt-Audenis-Jacob Type IV) was a French two-seat fighter designed and built by Boncourt-Audenis-Jacob at Bron. Design and development[edit]
The IVC.2 was an equal-span two-bay biplane powered by a 300 hp (224 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8Fb inline piston engine. It was fitted with a fixed and synchronised forward firing Vickers machine-gun and the observer had a mounted twin Lewis Gun. The type was ordered by the French government in May 1918 as the IVC.2 and by November the prototype was test flying from Villacoublay. The testing went well and the prototype was returned to Bron for repairs and was replaced by the second prototype. A fire in late 1918 at Bron led to the development of the type being abandoned.

Specifications
General characteristics
Crew: 2
Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 8Fb inline piston engine, 220 kW (300 hp)
Armament
Guns: One fixed 0.303in Vickers machine-gun and an observer operated twin 0.303in Lewis gun

JN Jenny-4 WWI

The Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" was one of a series of "JN" biplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft for the U.S. Army, the "Jenny" (the common nickname derived from "JN-4", with an open-topped four appearing as a Y) continued after World War I as a civil aircraft, as it became the "backbone of American postwar [civil] aviation."[1] Thousands of surplus Jennys were sold at bargain prices to private owners in the years after the war and became central to the barnstorming era that helped awaken America to civil aviation through much of the 1920s.

Curtiss combined the best features of the model J and model N trainers, built for the Army and Navy, and began producing the JN or "Jenny" series of aircraft in 1915. Curtiss built only a limited number of the JN-1 and JN-2 biplanes. The design was commissioned by Glenn Curtiss from Englishman Benjamin Douglas Thomas, formerly of the Sopwith Aviation Company.

The JN-2 was an equal-span biplane with ailerons controlled by a shoulder yoke located in the aft cockpit. It was deficient in performance, particularly climbing, because of excessive weight. The improved JN-3 incorporated unequal spans with ailerons only on the upper wings, controlled by a wheel. In addition, a foot bar was added to control the rudder.

The 1st Aero Squadron of the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps received eight JN-2s at San Diego in July 1915. The squadron was transferred to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in August to work with the Field Artillery School, during which one JN-2 crashed, resulting in a fatality.[8] The pilots of the squadron met with its commander, Capt. Benjamin Foulois, to advise that the JN-2 was unsafe because of low power, shoddy construction, lack of stability, and overly sensitive rudder. Foulois and his executive officer Capt. Thomas D. Milling disagreed, and flights continued until a second JN-2 crashed in early September, resulting in the grounding of the six remaining JN-2s until mid-October. When two new JN-3s were delivered, the grounded aircraft were then upgraded in accordance with the new design. In March 1916, these eight JN-3s were deployed to Mexico for aerial observation during the Pancho Villa Expedition of 1916–1917.

After the successful deployment of the JN-3, Curtiss produced a development, known as the JN-4, with orders from both the US Army and an order in December 1916 from the Royal Flying Corps for a training aircraft to be based in Canada.[N 1] The Canadian version was the JN-4 (Canadian), also known as the "Canuck", had some minor differences from the US version, including a lighter airframe, ailerons on both wings, a bigger and more rounded rudder, and differently shaped wings, stabilizer, and elevators.

The Curtiss JN-4 is possibly North America's most famous World War I aircraft. It was widely used during World War I to train beginning pilots, with an estimated 95% of all trainees having flown a JN-4.[10] The U.S. version was called "Jenny", a derivation from its official designation. It was a twin-seat (student in front of instructor) dual-control biplane. Its tractor propeller and maneuverability made it ideal for initial pilot training with a 90 hp (67 kW) Curtiss OX-5 V8 engine giving a top speed of 75 mph (121 km/h) and a service ceiling of 6,500 ft (2,000 m).[6][11] The British used the JN-4 (Canadian), along with the Avro 504, for their primary World War I trainer using the Canadian Aeroplanes Ltd. indigenous variant.Many Royal Flying Corps pilots earned their wings on the JN-4, both in Ontario and later in winter facilities at Camp Taliaferro, Texas.

Although ostensibly a training aircraft, the Jenny was extensively modified while in service to undertake additional roles. Due to its robust but easily adapted structure able to be modified with ski undercarriage, the Canadian Jenny was flown year-round, even in inclement weather.[14] The removable turtle-deck behind the cockpits allowed for conversion to stretcher or additional supplies and equipment storage, with the modified JN-4s becoming the first aerial ambulances, carrying out this role both during wartime and in later years.[15] Most of the 6,813 Jennys built were unarmed, although some had machine guns and bomb racks for advanced training. With deployment limited to North American bases, none saw combat service in World War I.

The Curtiss factory in Buffalo, New York, was the largest such facility in the world, but due to production demands, from November 1917 to January 1919, six different manufacturers were involved in production of the definitive JN-4D.[10] Production from spare or reconditioned parts continued sporadically until 1927, although most of the final orders were destined for the civil market in Canada and the United States.

Like the re-engined 'JN-4H' version of the most-produced JN-4 subtype, the final production version of the aircraft was the JN-6, powered by a Wright Aeronautical license-built, 150-hp (112-kW) Hispano-Suiza 8 V-8, first ordered in 1918 for the US Navy. A floatplane version was built for the Navy which was so modified, it was essentially a different airframe. This was designated the N-9. In U.S. Army Air Service usage, the JN-4s and JN-6s were configured to the JNS ("S" for "standardized") model. The Jenny remained in service with the US Army until 1927.

After World War I, thousands were sold on the civilian market, including one to Charles Lindbergh in May 1923, in which he then soloed.[17][18] Surplus US Army aircraft were sold, some still in their unopened packing crates, for as little as $50, essentially "flooding" the market. With private and commercial flying in North America unhampered by regulations concerning their use, pilots found the Jenny's slow speed and stability made it ideal for stunt flying and aerobatic displays in the barnstorming era between the world wars, with the nearly identical Standard J-1 aircraft often used alongside it. Some were still flying into the 1930s.

JN-4 airframes were used to produce early Weaver Aircraft Company / Advance Aircraft Company / Waco aircraft, such as the Waco 6.[16]

Notable firsts

Between 1917 and 1919, the JN-4 type accounted for a number of significant aviation "firsts" while in service with the US Army Signal Corps Aviation Section and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) including flying the first U.S. Air Mail in May 1918.

In a series of tests conducted at the U.S. Army's Langley Field in Hampton, Virginia, in July and August 1917, the world's first "plane-to-plane" and "ground-to-plane, and vice versa" communications by radiotelephony (as opposed to radiotelegraphy which had been developed earlier) were made to and from modified US Army JN-4s[N 5] by Western Electric Company (Bell Labs) design engineers Lewis M. Clement and Raymond Heising, the developers of the experimental wind generator-powered airborne wireless voice transmitter and receiver equipment.

In early 1919, a United States Marine Corps (USMC) JN-4 was also credited with what is believed to be the first aircraft to successfully execute a "dive bombing" attack during the United States occupation of Haiti. USMC pilot Lt Lawson H. Sanderson mounted a carbine barrel in front of the windshield of his JN-4 (previously, an unarmed trainer that had a machine gun mounted in the rear cockpit) as an improvised bomb sight that was lined up with the long axis of his aircraft, loaded a bomb in a canvas mail bag that was attached to the JN-4's belly, and launched a single-handed raid at treetop level, in support of a USMC unit that had been trapped by Haitian Cacos rebels.[22] Although the JN-4 almost disintegrated in the pullout, the attack was effective and led to Sanderson in 1920 developing further pioneering dive-bombing techniques to provide Marine pilots with close aerial support to infantry comrades.

Variants

Although the first series of JN-4s were virtually identical to the JN-3, the JN-4 series was based on production orders from 1915–1919.

JN-4A — production version of the JN-4, 781 built

JN-4B — This version was powered by an OX-2 piston engine; 76 were built for the U.S. Army, and nine for the U.S. Navy.

JN-4C — experimental version, only two were built

JN-4 (Canadian) Canuck — Canadian-built version, 1,260 built by Canadian Aeroplanes Ltd. for the RFC in Canada/RAF in Canada and USAAC: Independently derived from the JN-3, it had a lighter airframe, ailerons on both wings, a bigger and more rounded rudder, and differently shaped wings, stabilizer, and elevators. Its use by the USAAC was curtailed as the lighter structure was claimed to cause more accidents than the US-built aircraft, although no air fatalities were attributed to the structural integrity of the type.

JN-4D — improved version, adopting the control stick from the JN-4 (Canadian) 2,812 built

JN-4D-2 — One prototype only, the engine mount was revised to eliminate the down thrust position.

JN-4H — two-seat advanced trainer biplane with ailerons on both wings, 929 built for the U.S. Army, notable for introducing the use of the Hispano-Suiza 8 V-8 engine for greater power and reliability

JN-4HT — two-seat, dual-control trainer version

JN-4HB — bombing trainer version

JN-4HG — gunnery trainer version

JN-4HM — communications conversion of JN-4HT, powered by Wright-Hisso E 150-hp (112-kW), six converted, used to fly the first US Air Mail (May–August, 1918)

JN-5H — advanced trainer biplane, only one built

JN-6 — improved version of JN-5 trainer biplane series, notably used four ailerons, 1,035 built for the US Army and five for the U.S. Navy

JN-6H — improved version of the JN-6

JN-6BH — bomber trainer version

JN-6HG-1 — two-seat, dual-control trainer version, 560 built from JN-6 production, 34 for US Navy

JN-6HG-2 — single-control gunnery trainer. 90 delivered

JN-6HO — single-control observer trainer version, 106 delivered

JN-6HP — single-control pursuit fighter trainer version

JNS ("standardized") — During the postwar years of the early 1920s, between 200 and 300 U.S. Army aircraft were upgraded to a common standard of equipment and modernized.

Special

Allison Monoplane — conversion of JN-4 (Can) G-CAJL by the Allison Company, Kansas, that mounted a parasol wing in place of the biplane configuration, only one conversion made

Curtiss Special (1918) — a smaller, custom-built, single-seat variant for Katherine Stinson, powered by a 100-;hp (74.5-kW) OXX-6

Ericson Special Three — Some reconditioned aircraft built by Canadian Aeroplanes Ltd. were fitted with a third cockpit.

Hennessey Monoplane — a 1926 monoplane conversion by James R. Hennessey, three-place transport, 90-hp Curtiss OX-5, span: 36 ft (11 m) length: 25 ft (7.6 m)

Severski 1926 biplane — a JN-4 modified with a roller/ski undercarriage, one experimental aircraft converted by the Seversky company

Sperry Monoplane — conversion offered by the Sperry Company that mounted a parasol wing in place of the biplane configuration

Twin JN — An enlarged twin-engined version of the JN-4, they were powered by two OXX-2 piston engines, built in 1916 as the JN-5 for an observation role; among the many other modifications was an enlarged wingspan and new rudder adapted from the Curtiss Model R-4. Two of the series saw action with the US Army on the Mexican border in 1916–1917. A total of eight Twin JNs were built, with two in US

C-1 Canada WWI

The Curtiss C-1 Canada was a twin-engined bomber aircraft of the First World War which was designed by Curtiss of America to be built by their Canadian subsidiary for the British Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Flying Corps. Although large orders were placed, only twelve were built, the type being rejected in favour of more capable aircraft such as the Handley Page O/100.
Design and development[edit]
In 1915, Curtiss designed a twin-engined landplane bomber based on its Curtiss Model H flying boat that had been designed for an attempt to fly across the Atlantic Ocean non-stop, and was in production for Britains's Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). The RNAS was interested in Curtiss's design, and placed an order for a single prototype. As Curtiss's Hammondsport and Buffalo, New York factories were busy building JN trainers and H-4 flying boats, it was decided to give responsibility for the new bomber, the C-1, to Curtiss's new Canadian subsidiary, Canadian Aeroplanes Ltd., based at Toronto, giving rise to the name Curtiss Canada.[1][2]
The Canada used the uneven span biplane wings and 160 hp (119 kW) Curtiss V-X engines of the H-4 flying boat, but the rest of the design was new. The fuselage was a long nacelle attached to the lower wing, with two gunners sitting side-by-side in an open cockpit in the nose of the nacelle, with the pilot sitting alone in a separate cockpit at the rear of the nacelle, behind the wings. The tail surfaces, with had a single vertical fin, were carried on twin tailbooms extending from the rear of the engine nacelles, with a third, lower, tailboom from the rear of the fuselage nacelle. It had a conventional landing gear with twin, tandem mainwheels and a tailskid. An early form of autopilot, the Sperry stabilizer, was fitted to improve stability for bombing.
Construction of the prototype started in May 1915, and was first flown on 3 September 1915, powered by two 90 hp (67 kW) Curtiss OX-5 engines as the planned V-Xs were unavailable. Further orders were placed for 100 production aircraft for the RNAS, and another prototype and ten production aircraft for the Royal Flying Corps.
Operational history
The first Curtiss Canada was delivered by ship to Britain in late 1915, being reassembled at Farnborough for the RFC, flying again in January 1916. It was damaged in a crash in February, being rebuilt with modified wings. When tested in April, its performance proved to be poor. While the ten production aircraft for the RFC were delivered un-assembled to Farnborough by July that year, the RFC had abandoned the Canada, and these aircraft were never re-assembled. The RNAS received one prototype, cancelling its orders as the greatly superior Handley Page O/100 was coming into service
Specifications[edit]
Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1948[7]
General characteristics
Crew: 3
Length: 33 ft 4 in (10.17 m)
Upper wingspan: 75 ft 10 in (23.11 m)
Lower wingspan: 48 ft (15 m)
Height: 15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)
Empty weight: 4,700 lb (2,132 kg)
Gross weight: 6,300 lb (2,858 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Curtiss V-X inline, 160 hp (120 kW) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 90 mph (145 km/h; 78 kn)
Range: 600 mi (521 nmi; 966 km)
Armament
Guns: 2× .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis guns
Bombs: provision for bombs

French Foreign Legion

The French Foreign Legion (French: Légion Étrangère (French pronunciation: ​[leʒjɔ̃ etʁɑ̃ʒɛʁ]), L.É.) is a military service branch of the French Army established in 1831, unique because it was created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces.

Commanded by French officers, it is also open to French citizens, who amounted to 24% of the recruits in 2007. The Foreign Legion is today known as a unit whose training focuses not only on traditional military skills but also on its strong esprit de corps. As its men come from different countries with different cultures, this is a way to strengthen them enough to work as a team. Although it is part of the French Military, it is the only unit of the military that does not swear allegiance to France, but to the Foreign Legion itself. Consequently, training is often described as not only physically challenging, but also very stressful psychologically. A soldier who becomes injured during a battle for France can immediately apply for French citizenship under a provision known as "Français par le sang versé" ("French by spilled blood"). As of 2008, members come from 140 countries.

The Foreign Legion was primarily used to protect and expand the French colonial empire during the 19th century. The Foreign Legion was initially stationed only in Algeria, where it took part in the pacification and development of the colony. Subsequently the French Foreign Legion (FFL) was deployed in a number of conflicts, including the First Carlist War in 1835, the Crimean War in 1854, the Second Italian War of Independence in 1859, the French intervention in Mexico in 1863, the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the Tonkin Campaign and Sino–French War in 1883, supporting growth of the French colonial empire in Sub-Saharan Africa and pacifying Algeria, the Second Franco-Dahomean War in 1892, the Second Madagascar expedition in 1895, and the Mandingo Wars in 1894.

In World War I, the Foreign Legion fought in many critical battles on the Western Front. It played a smaller role in World War II than in World War I, though having a part in the Norwegian, Syrian and North African campaigns. During the First Indochina War (1946–54), the Foreign Legion saw its numbers swell. The FFL lost a large number of men in the catastrophic Battle of Dien Bien Phu. During the Algerian War of Independence (1954–62), the Foreign Legion came close to being disbanded after some officers, men, and the highly decorated 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1REP) took part in the Generals' putsch. Notable operations during this period included the Suez Crisis, the Battle of Algiers and various offensives launched by General Maurice Challe including Operations Oranie and Jumelles.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Legion had a new role as a rapid deployment force to preserve French interests – not only in its former African colonies but in other nations as well; it also returned to its roots of being a unit always ready to be sent to hot-spots all around the world. Some notable operations include: the Chadian–Libyan conflict in 1969–72 (the first time that the Legion was sent in operations after the Algerian War), 1978–79, and 1983–87; Kolwezi in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 1978; Rwanda in 1990–94; and the Ivory Coast in 2002 to the present. In 1990, the Foreign Legion were sent to the Persian Gulf as a part of Opération Daguet. In the 1990s, the Foreign Legion helped with the evacuation of French citizens and foreigners in Rwanda, Gabon and Zaire. The Foreign Legion was also deployed in Cambodia, Somalia, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the mid- to late-1990s, the Foreign Legion was deployed in the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville and in Kosovo. In the 2000s, the Foreign Legion was deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Operation Licorne in Ivory Coast, the EUFOR Tchad/RCA in Chad, and Operation Serval in the Northern Mali conflict.

Other nations have tried to emulate the French Foreign Legion model. There have been units composed of foreign recruits in China, Israel, the Dutch Koninklijk Nederlandsch-Indische Leger (KNIL), the Rhodesian Light Infantry of the 1960s and 1970s, and Russia and Spain.

Astra-Torres AT-1

The Astra-Torres airships were non-rigid airships built by Société Astra to a design by Spaniard Leonardo Torres Quevedo in France between about 1908 and 1922. They had a highly-characteristic tri-lobed cross-section rather than the more usual circular cross-section. This was the result of moving most of the blimp's bracing wires inside the envelope in an attempt to minimise drag. Early Astra-Torres airships could be trimmed by moving the entire gondola fore-and-aft.

Astra-Torres airships were used by the French Navy during World War I and for a few years before and after. A few of these were transferred to the American expeditionary forces in Europe, and AT-1, AT-13, and AT-17 were eventually taken back to the United States.

Britain's Royal Navy purchased AT-14, AT-17, and AT-19, these becoming HMA No. 3, HMA No. 8, and HMA No. 16 respectively. All were taken out of service in May 1916, although the Astra-Torres design was imitated in Britain's own Coastal class blimps that served through to the end of the War.

After the war, AT-16 was operated by Transaérienne, carrying sightseeing passengers over Paris, and AT-24 was purchased by the Japanese Navy.

 French Navy
 Imperial Japanese Navy
The IJN purchased a Nieuport AT-2 from France in 1922, shortly after losing its first airship, a British SS class airship, in an explosion. It was assembled at Tokorozawa in 1923 and stationed at Kasumigaura Air Base later that year. It was dismantled in 1924.


 Royal Navy