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Voisin III somewhere in the middle east.
Voisin III (Type LA)
role : fighter
first flight : Februar 1914 operational : July 1914
country : France
design : Gabriel Voisin
production : more than1062 aircraft
general information :On 14 augustus 1914 Voisin aircraft made the first bombraid of WWI.
They attacked the Zeppelin sheds at Metz-Frascaty.
As early as september 1914 the French started to arm the Voisins of Escadrilles V14 and V21 with Hotchkiss machine guns.
On 05 October 1914 a Voisin III succeeded in shooting down a German Aviatik B.I (no. B.114/14) of FFA18 above Jonchery, near Reims. It was the first time in WWI that an allied aircraft shot down an enemy airplane.
The French Voisin III of reg.V.89, escadrille VB24 was flown by
Sgt Joseph Frantz and corporal Louis Quenault.
Quenault empties two 47-round drums on the enemy plane but then his gun jammed. The German Oberlt. Fritz von Zangen and Sgt. Wilhelm Schlichting of FFA18 shoot back with their riflegun. Quenault took his own riflegun and hit the German pilot whereafter the airplane spun out of control and crashed.
In august 1914 4 French Escadrilles of a total of 26 escadrilles were equipped with the Voisin I and II.
The Voisin III was the first aircraft that was really suited for warfare. It was strongly built with a construction of steel tubes and could quit take some punishment and rough handling. It could be armed with a machine gun and with it’s pusher layout it had a good clear field of fire forward.
More powerfull engines could be installed. The sturdy 4 wheel landinggear made it possible to operate from rough terrain. Car brakes on the rear axel provided for a short landing distance.
It was used in large numbers by many countries. It was a multi-role aircraft and was used as day and night-bomber, for reconnaissance, artillery spotting, ground attack, trainer and as fighter.
The world's first dedicated bomber group, GB1, was organized in September, 1914, comprising three Escadrilles of Voisin III airplanes. Commandant Goÿs, GB1's leader, developed the theory and practice of long range bombing sorties. Bomb aiming techniques progressed from three nails in the cockpit floor, to glass panes, and then to bombsights. GB1 prepared target dossiers which were used for their bombing raids. In early 1915, Goÿs led his Voisin III bombers almost without opposition, on May 26, bombing a poison gas factory, Badische Anilin Gesellschaft (BASF) at Ludwigshafen. Of the 18 machines taking part, only Goÿs himself failed to return.
BASF plant in Ludwigshafen 1881, produced poison gas during WW1 and was attacked several times during the war.
Following the success of GB1 other bomber groups were formed. The French continued to make large daylight bombing raids - with as many as 62 aircraft (25 Augustus 1915 raid on Dilligen with converted 155mm artillery shells www042) - throughout 1915, but they began to suffer losses as the Germans gained control of the air during Boelcke and Immelmann's "Fokker Scourge". When accompanied by Nieuport Bebe fighters the Voisins were safer, but this limited their range.
The observer operated the machine gun and had to shoot over the head of the pilot.
users : France (800), Belgium (30), Russia United Kingdom (RFC 50, RNAS 50), Italy (112)
crew : 2
armament : 1 movable 8.00 [mm] (0.315 in) Hotchkiss M1909 machine-gun for the observer
engine : 1 Salmson Canton-Unne M.9 liquid-cooled 9 -cylinder radial engine 130 [hp](95.6 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 14.75 [m], length : 9.51 [m], height : 3.8[m]
wing area : 45.0 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 1370 [kg]
empty weight operational : 950 [kg] bombload : 91 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 120 [km/u] op 200 [m]
climbing speed : 84 [m/min]
service ceiling : 3500 [m]
endurance : 3.5 [hours]
estimated action radius : 189 [km]
description :
3-bay biplane with fixed landing gear with nosewheel
two spar upper and lower wing
tail supported by two open tailbooms
engines, landing gear, fuel and bombs in or attached to the fuselage
airscrew :
fixed pitch 2 -bladed pusher airscrew with max. efficiency :0.62 [ ]
estimated diameter airscrew 2.68 [m]
angle of attack prop : 14.79 [ ]
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1200 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 1.67 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 172 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 1.53 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 1.66 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 9.67 []
estimated gap : 1.28 [m]
gap/chord : 0.84 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 533 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 3.3 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 27.6 [kg/hr] (37.6 [litre/hr]) at 71 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 3.91 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 150 [litre] (110 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 253.4 [kg] = 2.65 [kg/KW]
weight 18 litre oil tank : 1.5 [kg]
oil tank filled with 0.7 litre oil : 0.6 [kg]
oil in engine 5 litre oil : 4.8 [kg]
fuel in engine 1 litre fuel : 0.5 [kg]
weight 16 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 2.4 [kg]
weight radiator : 13.7 [kg]
weight exhaust pipes & fuel lines 12.0 [kg]
weight cowling 3.8 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 19.0 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 310 [kg](22.6 [%])
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weight tail boom : 48 [kg]
fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 7.68 [cm]): 144 [kg]
bracing : 10.1 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 11.1 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 3.6 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 7.0 [kg]
weight seats : 6.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 6.4 [kg]
weight 134 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 10.7 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 5 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 197 [kg](14.4 [%])
***************************************************************
weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 29 [kg]
total weight ribs (73 ribs) : 81 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 1088.0 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 128 [kg]
weight wings : 238 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 5.29 [kg]
weight 12 interplane struts & cabane : 15.5 [kg]
weight cables (87 [m]) : 17.5 [kg] (= 201 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 5.7 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (2.5 [m2]) : 13.7 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (4.3 [m2]): 23.1 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 308 [kg] (22.5 [%])
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weight machine-gun(s) : 12.0 [kg]
weight pivot mounting mg :5.0 [kg]
weight armament : 17 [kg]
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wheel pressure : 602.8 [kg]
weight 4 wheels (770 [mm] by 96 [mm]) : 34.9 [kg]
weight tailskid : 0.0 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 52.9 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 87.8 [kg] (6.4 [%]
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calculated empty weight : 920 [kg](67.2 [%])
weight oil for 4.2 hours flying : 14.1 [kg]
weight cooling fluids : 20.7 [kg]
weight 8 drums empty : 0.9 [kg]
weight ammunition (192 rounds) : 7.7 [kg]
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calculated operational weight empty : 962 [kg] (70.3 [%])
published operational weight empty : 950 [kg] (69.3 [%])
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weight crew : 162 [kg]
weight fuel for 1.5 hours flying : 41 [kg]
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operational weight : 1166 [kg](85.1 [%])
bomb load : 91 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 1257 [kg]
fuel reserve : 68 [kg] enough for 2.47 [hours] flying
possible additional useful load : 45 [kg]
operational weight fully loaded : 1370 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 1370 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (operational without bombload) : 12.19 [kg/kW]
total power : 95.6 [kW] at 1200 [r.p.m]
Type 13.50, treize-cinquante , two-bay biplane preceding the Voisin III.
Gnome 50 hp rotary engine
Voisin I (type L) use a 70 hp rotary engine, introduced early 1914
Voisin II had a 80 hp Le Rhone engine. Both models were in use by 4 French escadrilles in augustus 1914.
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 1.7 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 4.5 [g] ultimate load : 6.8 [g] loadfactor : 3.2 [g]
design flight time : 2.80 [hours]
design cycles : 500 sorties, design hours : 1400 [hours]
operational wing loading : 254 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 144 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.12 ["]
max.angle of attack (stalling angle) : 11.53 ["]
angle of attack at max.speed : 3.14 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.10 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.13 [ ]
lift coefficient at max.speed : 0.38 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0085 [ ]
drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0581 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0496 [ ]
Charles Nungesser, would later become a famous ace, flew from 8 april 1915 till 9 sep 1915 with VB106 and flew 53 missions in a Voisin III LA.S.
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 69 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 83 [km/hr]
min.drag speed (max endurance) : 83 [km/hr] at 1750 [m](power :52 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 96 [km/hr] at 1750 [m] (power:59 [%])
max.rate of climb speed : 76.8 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 108 [km/hr] op 1750 [m] (power:71 [%])
design speed prop : 116 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 120 [km/hr] op 200 [m] (power:98 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 139 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 250 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 9.28 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 4050 [m] with flying weight :1050 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight): 3350 [m] with flying weight :1166 [kg]
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 2350 [m] with flying weight :1342 [kg]
published ceiling (3500 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 12.44 [min]
max.dive speed : 305.2 [km/hr] at 1350 [m] height
load factor at max.angle turn 1.67 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 49 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 12.1 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 3.97 [hours] with 2 crew and 136 [kg] useful (bomb)load and 100.0 [%] fuel
published endurance : 3.50 [hours] with 2 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 149 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 441 [km] with 2 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 456 [litre] fuel : 1308 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 206 [kg]
production : 22.29 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 1.39 [kg]
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literature :
praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 1 page136,137
Jane’s Fighting Aircraft WOI page 125
Oorlogsvliegtuigen 1914-1918 page 32
Bombers 1914-19 page 99
Tussen vleugels van linnen page 62,63
Jagdflugzeuge WOI page13,22
Warplanes WOI page 28fd,33,36,37,42,84,87
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program.
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(c) B van der Zalm 04 January 2019 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.2(32-bit)