III to VI @·AIRCRAFTUBE

  • Voisin III Voisin III
    Voisin III
  • Voisin LA (Type III) Voisin LA (Type III)
    Voisin LA (Type III)
  • Voisin LA (Type III) Voisin LA (Type III)
    Voisin LA (Type III)
  • Salmson engine<br>Amiens 1914-15 Salmson engine<br>Amiens 1914-15
    Salmson engine
    Amiens 1914-15
  • Cockpit<br>Escadrille V 114 Cockpit<br>Escadrille V 114
    Cockpit
    Escadrille V 114
  • Marcel and<br>Louis Courmes Marcel and<br>Louis Courmes
    Marcel and
    Louis Courmes
  • A pilot and his family A pilot and his family
    A pilot and his family
  • Belgian Voisin 3 LA - José Orta and Louis de Burlet Belgian Voisin 3 LA - José Orta and Louis de Burlet
    Belgian Voisin 3 LA - José Orta and Louis de Burlet
  • René Hedo and Gustave Declercq - Ten Bogaerde René Hedo and Gustave Declercq - Ten Bogaerde
    René Hedo and Gustave Declercq - Ten Bogaerde
  • Loading bombs - Ten Bogaerde Loading bombs - Ten Bogaerde
    Loading bombs - Ten Bogaerde
  • Voisin 3 LAS - Edmond Thieffry and Henri van Sprang Voisin 3 LAS - Edmond Thieffry and Henri van Sprang
    Voisin 3 LAS - Edmond Thieffry and Henri van Sprang
  • Voisin LAS on skis (Russia) Voisin LAS on skis (Russia)
    Voisin LAS on skis (Russia)
  • Voisin LAS (Russia) Voisin LAS (Russia)
    Voisin LAS (Russia)
  • Voisin LAS (Russia) Voisin LAS (Russia)
    Voisin LAS (Russia)
  • Voisin IV (LB) Voisin IV (LB)
    Voisin IV (LB)
  • Cannon-armed Voisin IV (LB) Cannon-armed Voisin IV (LB)
    Cannon-armed Voisin IV (LB)
  • Voisin IV<br>37 mm Hotchkiss cannon Voisin IV<br>37 mm Hotchkiss cannon
    Voisin IV
    37 mm Hotchkiss cannon
  • Voisin LAS (Type V or VI) Voisin LAS (Type V or VI)
    Voisin LAS (Type V or VI)

Voisin III to VI

The Voisin III was a French two-seat pusher biplane of the First World War, designed by Gabriel Voisin in 1914 as a more powerful development of the 1912 Voisin L. A multi-purpose aircraft, it is remembered for two firsts: it equipped the very first units dedicated to bombing, formed in the autumn of 1914, and on 5 October 1914 a Voisin III shot down an enemy aircraft with gunfire for the first time in history. More than 1,350 were built in France, Russia, Italy and Great Britain. It was followed by three close relatives: the cannon-armed Voisin IV, and the more powerful Voisin V and Voisin VI.

Designations

The Voisin family used two parallel systems of names, which often causes confusion:

  • Factory designations: LA for the initial production version, LAS for the improved version with the engine raised (surélevé), LB and LBS for the cannon-armed versions.
  • Official STAé designations: Voisin III for the LA and early LAS, Voisin IV for the cannon-armed LB and LBS, Voisin V for the 150 hp LAS with full-chord wings, and Voisin VI for the 155 hp version.

Design and development

The Voisin L had performed well in the French Army trials of 1912, and the type was selected for mass production when the war broke out. The Voisin III kept the same general layout: a short nacelle carrying the crew, with the engine at the rear driving a pusher propeller, two-bay biplane wings, and an open tail unit carried on four booms. Its robust welded steel-tube structure was unusual for the time and made the aircraft sturdy enough for the improvised airfields at the front. The characteristic four-wheel (quadricycle) landing gear protected it from nosing over on rough ground.

The first aircraft were powered by a 130 hp (97 kW) Salmson M9 (Canton-Unné) nine-cylinder water-cooled radial engine; later examples received the 150 hp (110 kW) Salmson P9 or R9. The pilot sat at the front of the nacelle with the observer behind him. The observer handled the bombs, the camera and the armament, usually a Hotchkiss machine gun mounted on a tripod above the pilot's head, which he fired standing up. Depending on the source and the engine, the bomb load ranged from about 55 kg to 150 kg (120 to 330 lb).

Operational history

The first aerial victory

On 5 October 1914, Sergeant Joseph Frantz and his mechanic-gunner Corporal Louis Quénault, of Escadrille V 24, attacked a German Aviatik B.I of Feldflieger-Abteilung 18 over Jonchery, near Reims. When their Hotchkiss jammed, Quénault went on firing with a rifle until the German aircraft went down, killing its crew, Oberleutnant Fritz von Zangen and Sergeant Wilhelm Schlichting. It was the first enemy aircraft ever shot down by gunfire from another aircraft; a few weeks earlier, the Russian Piotr Nesterov had brought down an Austrian aircraft, but by ramming it.

The first bomber units

France was the first country to create units devoted solely to bombing. The first bomber group, GB 1 (Groupe de Bombardement 1), was formed in the autumn of 1914 under Commandant Louis de Goÿs with three Voisin escadrilles, VB 1, VB 2 and VB 3 (later VB 101 to VB 103). Further groups followed (GB 2, GB 3 and GB 4), with escadrilles VB 104 to VB 112. Throughout the early months of 1915, GB 1 bombed railway stations, factories and depots with very little opposition. On 26 May 1915, in reprisal for the first German gas attacks, eighteen Voisins of GB 1 raided the BASF chemical works at Ludwigshafen; only one aircraft was lost, that of de Goÿs himself, who was taken prisoner. The future ace Charles Nungesser also began his combat career on Voisin LAS bombers with VB 106, flying 53 missions between April and September 1915.

Like most aircraft of its time, the Voisin III was also used for reconnaissance, artillery spotting, ground attack and training. By 1916, however, it had become slow and vulnerable to the new German fighters such as the Fokker Eindecker. Losses mounted and the Voisins were withdrawn from daylight operations and restricted to night bombing, before being replaced by the Voisin V and later types.

Belgium

An agreement for the delivery of seven Voisins was signed on 5 January 1915 between Commandant Emile Mathieu, head of the Belgian Compagnie des Aviateurs, and the French Colonel André Bouttieaux. The first Voisin 3 LA was ferried from Issy-les-Moulineaux to the Ten Bogaerde airfield (Sint-Idesbald, near Koksijde) on 25 February 1915. By early May 1915, six aircraft powered by the 130 hp Salmson were in service with Escadrille III, commanded by Lieutenant R. Dhanis, and eleven more were ordered on 3 March 1915, with deliveries starting in July. The Belgian Voisins kept their original French "V" serials and flew reconnaissance, artillery spotting and bombing missions. Among the crews was the future ace Edmond Thieffry.

Russia and other users

Russia was by far the largest foreign user: about 800 Voisins were ordered from France and some 400 more were built under licence by Dux in Moscow, Anatra in Odessa, Lebedev, Breshnev-Moller and Schetinin. Russian Voisins were used until the Revolution, and the Red Air Fleet kept flying the survivors until 1925; a few were operated on skis during the winter. In Italy, the Voisin III was built under licence by the Società Italiana Transaerea (SIT) and equipped several squadriglie. Fifty were built in Great Britain by Savages of King's Lynn for the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. Romania received eight aircraft, and the type also served in Serbia and Ukraine. One aircraft which force-landed in Switzerland in 1915 was taken over by the Swiss Fliegerabteilung.

Voisin IV (LB and LBS)

Developed in 1915, the Voisin IV differed from earlier Voisin combat aircraft in carrying a 37 mm Hotchkiss cannon (some sources also mention a 47 mm gun) in the nose of the nacelle. To compensate for the weight of the gun, the upper wing was staggered forward. About 200 were built. Intended to attack aircraft, balloons and ground targets, the cannon-armed Voisins had little success in air combat, being too slow, and in service some had their cannon removed. On 3 February 1915, a Voisin LB of GB 2 based at Saint-Pol-sur-Mer landed by mistake near Kats, on Noord-Beveland, and was interned by the neutral Netherlands.

Voisin V (LAS)

The payload of the Voisin III was limited by its 130 hp Salmson engine. As an interim solution, Voisin fitted the 150 hp Salmson P9, mounted higher on a platform and tilted to give a slightly downward line of thrust (hence the S of LAS, for surélevé). The airframe and landing gear were strengthened, the nacelle was streamlined, the wing chord was increased and the exhaust was improved. The Voisin V entered service in 1915 and soon replaced the Voisin III on the production lines; about 300 to 350 were built. The crews were not impressed: the "Voisin 150 hp", as they were known at the front, carried only a slightly larger load and were only 13 km/h faster. Like all Voisins, their pusher layout left them defenceless against attacks from the rear. They served alongside the Voisin III in front-line escadrilles until well into 1916, then in night bombing and training units.

Voisin VI

The Voisin VI, which appeared in 1916, was a further development of the V with a 155 hp Salmson engine. The gain was again marginal: the maximum speed reached only about 113 km/h and the rate of climb suffered from the extra weight. As the basic design was considered obsolete, only about 50 were built. One Voisin of this family received a second Salmson engine in the nose driving a tractor propeller, probably to test a push-pull layout for a new bomber; it flew in early 1916 but was not developed further.

The Voisin line continued with the larger Voisin VII, then with the Voisin VIII and Voisin X night bombers, which remained in service until the end of the war, while the Breguet XIV took over day bombing from 1917.

Operators

  • Belgium : Belgian Military Aviation (Escadrille III).
  • France :
    • Aéronautique Militaire : army co-operation units and bomber groups GB 1 to GB 4 (escadrilles VB 101 to VB 112).
    • French Navy.
  • Italy : Corpo Aeronautico Militare.
  • Romania : Romanian Air Corps (eight aircraft).
  • Russia : Imperial Russian Air Service and Imperial Russian Navy.
  • Serbia : Serbian Aviation.
  • Soviet Union : Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (until 1925).
  • Switzerland : Fliegerabteilung (one aircraft).
  • Ukraine : Ukrainian People's Republic Air Fleet.
  • United Kingdom : Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service.

Surviving aircraft

  • An original 1915 Voisin LAS, serial V 955, is displayed at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace at Le Bourget, near Paris.
  • The fuselage of a Voisin LAS is displayed at the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels. As no Belgian example had survived, it was obtained from the Musée de l'Air in exchange for an LVG C.VI.
  • An unmarked Voisin V is preserved at the Central Air Force Museum at Monino, near Moscow.
  • A full-size replica, loosely representing the Voisin L, LA and LAS family, is displayed at the Pearson Air Museum in Vancouver, Washington.

References

  • Bruce, J.M. (1982). The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-30084-X.
  • Davilla, Dr. James J.; Soltan, Arthur (1997). French Aircraft of the First World War. Mountain View, CA: Flying Machines Press. ISBN 978-1891268090.
  • Guttman, Jon et al. (2009). Pusher Aces of World War 1. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84603-417-6.
  • Lacaze, Henri (2018). Les Aéroplanes Voisin. Lela Presse. ISBN 978-2374680187.
  • Varriale, Paolo (2009). Voisin III/V at War. Windsock Datafile No. 135. Albatros Productions.
  • Parmentier, Bruno. Voisin IV, Voisin VI. Aviafrance (aviafrance.com).
  • Belgian Wings : Voisin 3 LA & 3 LAS (belgian-wings.be).

— — — = = — — —

This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Voisin III to VI of Wikipedia ( authors )

Voisin III to VI

  • Role : Bomber, reconnaissance and ground attack.
  • Manufacturer : Société Anonyme des Aéroplanes G. Voisin.
  • Designer : Gabriel Voisin.
  • First flight : 1914.
  • Status : retired (1925 in the Soviet Union).
  • Primary users :
    • Aéronautique Militaire (France).
    • Imperial Russian Air Service.
    • Corpo Aeronautico Militare (Italy).
    • Belgian Military Aviation.
  • Produced : 1914 to 1916.
  • Number built :
    • Voisin III : over 1,350 (including licence production).
    • Voisin IV : about 200.
    • Voisin V : about 300 to 350.
    • Voisin VI : about 50.
  • Developed from : Voisin L.
  • Developed into : Voisin VII, Voisin VIII, Voisin X.

    • Specifications (Voisin III LA, British-built)

  • Crew: two.
  • Length: 31 ft 2 in (9.50 m).
  • Wingspan: 48 ft 4 in (14.74 m).
  • Height: 9 ft 8 in (2.95 m).
  • Wing area: 535 sq ft (49.7 m²).
  • Empty weight: 2,094 lb (950 kg).
  • Gross weight: 2,976 lb (1,350 kg).
  • Powerplant: One Salmson M9 nine-cylinder water-cooled radial engine.
  • Power: 130 hp (97 kW).
  • Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch pusher propeller.
  • Maximum speed: 65 mph (105 km/h, 57 kts).
  • Range: 124 mi (200 km).
  • Endurance: 4 hours 30 minutes.
  • Service ceiling: 11,500 ft (3,500 m).
  • Armament: One Hotchkiss machine gun (.303 Lewis gun in British service) and up to 330 lb (150 kg) of bombs.

    • Specifications (Voisin VI)

  • Length: 31 ft 7 in (9.62 m).
  • Wingspan: 48 ft 5 in (14.75 m).
  • Height: 12 ft 6 in (3.80 m).
  • Empty weight: 2,205 lb (1,000 kg).
  • Maximum take-off weight: 3,241 lb (1,470 kg).
  • Powerplant: One Salmson P9 nine-cylinder water-cooled radial engine.
  • Power: 155 hp (116 kW).
  • Maximum speed: 70 mph (113 km/h, 61 kts).
  • Range: 155 mi (249 km).
  • Service ceiling: 11,500 ft (3,500 m).
  • Armament: One machine gun and 132 lb (60 kg) of bombs.

— — — = = — — —

This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Voisin III to VI of Wikipedia ( authors )
Voisin III to VI : Your comments on this subject
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    Why this site?

    Discovery

    This website is dedicated to one's aeronautical passion (which I hope we share) and was realised mainly as an educationnal tool. Knowing that, you'll notice that each new visit brings random topics for the purpose of making new discoveries, some achievements or characters certainly not deserving the oblivion into which they have sometimes fallen.

    By these pages, we also want to pay tribute to all those who gave at one time or another, their lives or health in the name of freedom, aeronautical security or simply our comfort.

    Centralisation

    Internet is full of websites dedicated to aviation, but most are dedicated to subjects or periods that are very limited in space or time. The purpose of this site is to be as general as possible and thus treats all events as well as characters of all stripes and times while putting much emphasis on the most significant achievements.

    The same years saw birth of technologies like photography and cinema, thus permitting illustration of a large part of important aeronautical events from the start. Countless (and sometimes rare) media recently put online by enthousiasts finally give us access to these treasures, but the huge amount of information often makes things a little messy. A centralization effort is obviously most needed at this level.

    All persons who directly or indirectly contributed to the achievement or posting of such documents are here gratefully acknowledged.

    General

    Fluid website

    This site automatically fits the dimensions of your screen, whether you are on a desktop computer, a tablet or a smartphone.

    Bilingual website

    You can change the language by clicking on the flag in the upper left or via "Options" in the central menu. Of course, the videos remain in the language in which they were posted ...

    Browser compatibility

    The site is not optimized, or even designed to run on older browsers or those deliberately deviating from standards. You will most probably encounter display issues with Internet Explorer. In this case, it is strongly recommended installing a modern (and free!) browser that's respecting the standards, like Firefox, Opera, Chrome or Safari.

    Cookies and Javascript

    This site uses cookies and JavaScript to function properly. Please ensure that your browser is configured accordingly. Neither of these technologies, or other means shall in no case be used on the Site for the retention or disclosure of personal information about its Visitors. See the "Legal" page for more on this subject.

    Website layout

    Left menus

    Because of the lack of space on smartphones and small tablets, these menus are hidden. Everything is nevertheless accessible via the main menu option, located between the video and photo sections. This menu is placed there for compatibility reasons with some browsers, which play the videos over the menus.

    "Search" and "Latest" :
    The link "In Titles" restricts the search to the titles of different forms. Use this option if you are looking for a plane, a constructor, a pilot or a particular event that could have been treated as a subject.

    The link "In Stories" will bring you to a search in all texts (the "Story" tab) and will take more time. The search term will appear highlighted in green when opening the corresponding story.

    Would you believe, "Timeline" will show all subjects in chronological order.

    "Random" will reload the entire page with a new random topic.

    The bottom section keeps you abreast of the latest five entries. New topics are added regularly. Don't hesitate to come visit us often : add bookmark.

    Blogs and Comments central section

    Under the photos section comes the comments tabs window :

    You can enter general comments in your own language via one of the two buttons on the left (BLOG EN and BLOG FR). Note that these buttons are accessible regardless of the language to allow some participation in the other language.

    All comments are subject to moderation and will be published only if they comply with the basic rules of decorum, while remaining relevant to the purpose of this site.

    The third tab allows you to enter comments on the shown topic and is bilingual. Personal anecdotes, supplements and other information questions will take place here.

    The "Story" tab shows the explanatory texts. They are most often taken from Wikipedia, a site where we participate regularly.

    The "Data" tab is reserved for list of features and specifications.

    Right menus

    On a smartphone, the lack of space is growing and this menu is moved to the bottom of the page to give priority to videos and pictures.

    The top right icons are links to videos posted by third parties (on their own responsabilities) or by ourselves. The link below these icons will take you to the channel of the one who posted the video. Feel free to suggest other videos if you think they are of some interest (Use the BLOG button or the "Contact" link).