Voisin L | |
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Role | Reconnaissance, Trainer |
Manufacturer | Voisin Anatra Dux |
Designer | Gabriel Voisin |
First flight | 1912 |
Primary users | Aéronautique Militaire Aéronavale Imperial Russian Air Service |
Number built | 70 (France) 400 (Russian Empire) |
Developed into | Voisin III |
The Voisin L was a pusher biplane developed for the French Army's 1912 trials [1] where it performed successfully. About 70 were built in France [2] with around 400 manufactured under license in the Russian Empire. [3] The aircraft was the first in a series of military pusher biplanes from Voisin all of which had similar design characteristics. [1]
The Voisin L had equal-span wings with no dihedral. A cruciform tail was attached to the wings with booms. A streamlined nacelle carried a pilot and observer in front with a single rotary engine at the rear. [1] Steel tubing was used throughout the structure making the Voisin-L a robust aircraft for its time-period. [4]
Land-based versions of the aircraft featured a distinctive quadricycle landing gear. A floatplane version was produced with the quadricycle landing gear replaced with three flat bottomed pontoons. [1]
Voisin-Ls can be identified as they used air-cooled rotary engines and so lacked the bulky radiators seen on later Voisin pushers which were powered by water-cooled Salmson 9, Peugeot 8Aa and Renault 12Fe aero-engines. [5]
At the start of World War I, Voisin L aircraft (types 1 and 2) were in service with four French squadrons. The aircraft were used for artillery observation and as daylight bombers. [4] Voisin-Ls were in front line service till 1915 when the French airforce was reorganised with production focused on a smaller number of dedicated types. One of the types selected for mass production was the Voisin III. [6]
In the Russian Empire, Voisin L aircraft were manufactured by Anatra in Odesa [7] and the Duk Factory in Moscow. Both manufacturers also license built Voisin III aircraft. [7] [3] Voisin L aircraft remained in front line with the Imperial Russian Air Service into 1916. [8]
Type 1 and 2 are designations applied retrospectively. [5] Contemporary names for the aircraft included the Voisin model 1912 [1] and Voisin 13.5 meter. [9] In all cases Voisin L was the aircraft's factory designation. [1]
Data fromRenato [5]
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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