De Pischoff 1907 biplane

The de Pischoff 1907 biplane was a French experimental aircraft designed by Alfred de Pischoff in 1907. It is notable for being the first known example of a tractor biplane.[1] It was built by Lucien Chauvière, later known for his laminated wood propellers.[2]

de Pischoff 1907 biplane
Role Experimental aircraft
National origin France
Manufacturer Chauvière
Designer Alfred de Pischoff
Introduction 1907
Number built 1

Design and development

de Pischoff had previously experimented with a biplane glider derived from Ferdinand Ferber's Type VI of 1904, and some elements of the earlier machine may have been used for the 1907 machine. This was an unequal-span, single bay biplane powered by a 25 hp (18 kW) Anzani engine mounted in the middle of the gap between the wings. Booms carried the aft-mounted elongated triangular fin and horizontal stabiliser, with rectangular rudder and elevator. It was mounted on a tricycle undercarriage with two front wheels below the wings' leading edge and a third aft of the trailing edge.[2]

Flight trials at Issy-les-Moulineaux in November 1907 were largely unsuccessful, although a flight of 500 metres was made on 17 December [3] and after the aircraft was damaged in an accident it was abandoned. De Pischoff did not attempt to develop the design and the next aircraft he built was a tandem seat monoplane designed in collaboration with Paul Koechlin.

Specifications

Data from Opdycke 1999 p.205

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Wingspan: 10 m (32 ft 10 in)
  • Wing area: 25 m2 (270 sq ft)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Anzani 3 cylinder air cooled fan-configuration, 19 kW (25 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed Chauvière

Notes
  1. Gibbs-Smith 2003, p.150
  2. Opdycke 1990, p204
  3. Progress of Mechanical Flight Flight, 2 January 1909, p. 12

References
  • Gibbs-Smith, C.H. Aviation: An Historical Survey London: NMSI, 2003. ISBN 1-900747-52-9
  • Opdycke, L French Aeroplanes Before the Great War Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1999 ISBN 0-7643-0752-5
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.