| D.III | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Emile Védrines in the D.III at Rheims for the Gordon-Bennett race | |
| Role | Racing aircraft |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Avions Ponnier |
| Designer | Alfred Pagny |
| First flight | 1913 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Ponnier D.III was a French monoplane racing aircraft, designed to compete in the 1913 Gordon Bennett Trophy race. It finished a close second.
During 1911 René Hanriot hired Alfred Pagny, previously at Nieuport, as a designer. After Hanriot military prototypes failed to win orders at the Concours Militaire in late 1911 he sold his aircraft interests to another of his designers, Louis Alfred Ponnier . [1] Pagny designed two similar single seat monoplanes for Hanriot and Ponnier, the Hanriot D.I and the Ponnier D.III; [2] the latter was sometimes referred to as the Hanriot D.III. [3] His designs reflected Nieuport practice, particularly with the replacement of Hanriot's graceful boat-like shell fuselages with flat sided, deep chested ones. [1]
The Ponnier D.III was a single seat, mid wing monoplane designed to compete in the 1913 Gordon Bennett Trophy race. Pairs of landing wires on each side met over the fuselage at a pyramidal four strut pylon and parallel flying wires went to the lower fuselage. An oil deflecting cowling, open at the bottom, surrounded the powerful double row, fourteen cylinder Gnome Lambda-Lambda rotary engine, which delivered 160 hp (119 kW) to a 2 m diameter propeller. The oval, open cockpit was placed at mid-wing, just aft of the pylon centre. It had a finless rudder at the extreme rear of the fuselage and a straight edged tailplane mounted on the upper fuselage ahead of it. The elevators were aerodynamically separate but interconnected, controlled by central wires. The D.III had a fixed, conventional undercarriage with mainwheels on a single axle mounted to the fuselage by pairs of wire cross-braced V-struts, plus a simple elliptical leaf spring tailskid. [4]
Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1913 describes a longer (6.65 m (21 ft 10 in)) Hanriot D.III with a 100 hp (75 kW) Gnome engine; this motor does not appear in other cited contemporary accounts. [3]
The D.III participated in the Gordon-Bennett Trophy race held at Rheims and piloted by Emile Védrines. The elimination race over 100 km (62 mi) left four aircraft in the final, flown over 200 km (124 mi) on Monday 29 September. After an hour's flight the Ponnier finished second, just 66 seconds behind Maurice Prévost in a Deperdussin Monocoque; both aircraft used the same double row engine. [5]
Data from Flight 22 November 1913 [4]
General characteristics
Performance
The Morane-Borel monoplane was an early French single-engine, single-seat aircraft. It was flown in several European air races.
The Bristol Prier monoplane was an early British aircraft produced in a number of single- and two-seat versions.
The Bristol Gordon England biplanes were a series of early British military biplane aircraft designed by Eric Gordon England for the Bristol Aeroplane Company that first flew in 1912. Designed for easy ground transport, the aircraft could be quickly disassembled.
Aéroplanes Hanriot et Cie. or simply 'Hanriot' was a French aircraft manufacturer with roots going back to the beginning of aviation. Founded by René Hanriot in 1910 as The Monoplans Hanriot Company Ltd. the company survived in different forms until 1916 when it established itself with the Hanriot-Dupont (HD.) fighters and observation aircraft. The company lasted through several takeovers and structural changes until in 1936 it merged with Farman to become the Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Centre (SNCAC). 'Central Air Works' consortium.
The Deperdussin Monocoque was an early racing aircraft built in 1912 by the Aéroplanes Deperdussin, a French aircraft manufacturer started in 1911 and reorganized as the Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés (SPAD) in 1913. It is so named because of the method of construction of its fuselage. The aircraft is noted for winning the Gordon Bennett Trophy in 1912 and 1913, and for raising the world speed record for aircraft to 130 mph (210 km/h).
The Dyott monoplane was a single-engined, single-seat mid-wing monoplane designed by George Miller Dyott for his own use as a sports and touring aircraft. It proved successful, making a six-month tour of the United States soon after its first flight in 1913.
The Gnome 7 Lambda was a French designed, seven-cylinder, air-cooled rotary aero engine that was produced under license in Britain and Germany. Powering several World War I-era aircraft types it was claimed to produce 80 horsepower (60 kW) from its capacity of 12 litres although recorded figures are lower.
The Deperdussin 1912 Racing Monoplane was a French aircraft built by Société de Production des Aéroplanes Deperdussin especially for racing. It is notable for being the first aircraft to exceed 100 mph (161 km/h) in level flight.
The Nieuport II was a mid-wing monoplane racing or sport aircraft built by the Société Anonyme des Établissements Nieuport between 1910 and 1914 and was noted for its high performance using a small twin-cylinder engine, and winning many races, primarily in France before being used as a trainer during World War I by French flying schools.
The Gordon Bennett Aviation Trophy is an international airplane racing trophy that was awarded by James Gordon Bennett Jr., the American owner and publisher of the New York Herald newspaper. The trophy is one of three Gordon Bennett awards: Bennett was also the sponsor of an automobile race and a ballooning competition.
The Hanriot 1909 monoplane was an early French aircraft constructed by Rene Hanriot, a successful automobile racer.
The Gabardini monoplane was a successful early monoplane constructed in Italy which made several notable flights, often carrying passengers, just before World War I. During the war, a number of lower-powered Gabardini monoplanes served as a training aircraft for the military.
The SNCAC NC-600 was a prototype French twin-engined long-range fighter aircraft, developed by SNCAC from the earlier Hanriot H.220 fighter. The type never entered service, with development being ended by the French surrender in June 1940.
The Hanriot H.31 was a single engine, single seat French biplane fighter aircraft built in 1925 to compete in a government programme. It was not successful and only one prototype was completed.
The SNCAC NC.510 was a twin-engine French reconnaissance, army co-operation or advanced training aircraft, built in the late 1930s. Three were built and refined but production orders were not forthcoming.
The Ponnier L.1 was an early French biplane single seat scout, built just before World War I. It did not reach production.
The Hanriot D.I was a French monoplane racing aircraft, designed in France in 1912 and strongly influenced by Nieuport practice. Examples were built and raced both in France and the UK during 1912.
The Blériot XXIII was a racing monoplane produced in 1911 by Blériot Aéronautique. Two were built, both of which were flown in the 1911 Gordon Bennett Trophy competition at Eastchurch; one, flown by Alfred Leblanc, achieving second place. Leblanc had previously set a world speed record of 125 km/h (78 mph) on 12 June 1911 at the eliminating trial for the French Gordon Bennett entrant.
The Caudron Types M and N were small, fast French sports monoplanes, flown 1911–13 under a wide range of engine powers. There was also a military version.
In October 1917 Nieuport began construction of a prototype monoplane fighter known as the Nieuport Madon, a strut braced monoplane.
