SEA IV

{{Infobox aircraft

|name = SEA IV

|image = SEA IV.jpg

|image_size=300

|caption =

|type = Fighter

|manufacturer = Société d'Etudes Aéronautiques (SEA)

|designer = Henry Potez, Louis Coroller, and Marcel Bloch

|first_flight = 1918

|introduction =

|retired =

|status =

|primary_user =

|more_users =

|produced =

|number_built = 115

|unit cost =

|developed_from =

|variants =

}}

The SEA IV was a French two-seat military aircraft of World War I and the immediate post-war era.

Development

The SEA IV was designed and built in 1917 by Henry Potez, Louis Coroller, and Marcel Bloch. It was a derivative of their previous SEA II design, equipped with a more powerful Lorraine engine of 261 kW (350 hp). It made its first flight during the first quarter of 1918, probably near Plessis-Belleville. It was initially tested by Gustave Douchy, a flying ace of 9 victories, then by the pilots of the Centre d'essais en Vol at Villacoublay. The "Ministère de l'Armement et des Fabrications de guerre" (Ministry of Armament and War Production) soon placed an order for 1,000 machines, making the SEA IV the first Dassault-designed aircraft to reach production.{{cite book |last1=Davilla |first1=Dr. James J. |last2=Soltan |first2=Arthur M. |title=French aircraft of the First World War |publisher=Flying Machines Press |isbn=1891268090 |pages=460–462}}

Operational history

On August 24, 1918, General Duval, commander of Aéronautique at General Headquarters foresaw the need for two variants to equip the escadrilles at the beginning of 1919: the SEA IV A2 for observation and the SEA IV C2 for fighting. In October, General Headquarters ordered the commissioning of a flotilla to operate these aircraft, and therefore required production to reach 200 planes per month during the first quarter of 1919, to have a force of 400 on hand by April 1.

The Armistice, however, meant that the initial order of 1,000 was cancelled, and in the end, only 115 examples were built. These C2s were used for a number of years by several escadrilles in the "Regiments d'Aviation" at Le Bourget.

A further 25 were built by Aéroplanes Henry Potez as the Potez VII, a luxury touring aircraft, and one further example formed the basis of a racing aircraft.

Variants

;SEA IV: Basic production variant

;SEA IV P.M.:A long-distance aircraft with additional fuel tanks giving an endurance of 6 hours.

;SEA IV floatplane: Under construction at the time of the Armistice in November 1918

Operators

; {{FRA}}

Specifications (SEA IV C2)

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=French aircraft of the First World War, Aviafrance:SEA IV{{cite web |last1=Parmentier |first1=Bruno |title=SEA IV |url=https://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=4171&ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=1132&ANNEE=0&ID_MISSION=0&MOTCLEF= |website=Aviafrance |accessdate=7 December 2018 |location=Paris |language=French |date=8 December 2017}}

|prime units?=met

|crew=2

|capacity=

|length m=8.5

|span m=12

|height m=3

|wing area sqm=36.8

|aspect ratio=

|airfoil=

|empty weight kg=1040

|gross weight kg=1620

|max takeoff weight kg=

|max takeoff weight lb=

|max takeoff weight note=

|fuel capacity=

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Lorraine-Dietrich 12Da

|eng1 type=V-12 water-cooled piston engine

|eng1 hp=370

|prop blade number=2

|prop name=wooden fixed-pitch propeller

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop dia note=

|max speed kmh=218

|max speed note=at sea level

:::::{{cvt|215|km/h|mph kn}} at {{cvt|1000|m}}

:::::{{cvt|210|km/h|mph kn}} at {{cvt|2000|m}}

:::::{{cvt|206|km/h|mph kn}} at {{cvt|3000|m}}

:::::{{cvt|203|km/h|mph kn}} at {{cvt|4000|m}}

:::::{{cvt|197|km/h|mph kn}} at {{cvt|5000|m}}

|cruise speed kmh=

|cruise speed mph=

|cruise speed kts=

|cruise speed note=

|stall speed kmh=

|stall speed mph=

|stall speed kts=

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed mph=

|never exceed speed kts=

|never exceed speed note=

|range km=700

|combat range km=

|combat range miles=

|combat range nmi=

|combat range note=

|ferry range km=

|ferry range miles=

|ferry range nmi=

|ferry range note=

|endurance=2.25 hours

|ceiling m=7400

|ceiling ft=

|ceiling note=

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|glide ratio=

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude={{cvt|1000|m}} in 3 minutes 1 second

:::::{{cvt|2000|m}} in 6 minutes 18 seconds

:::::{{cvt|3000|m}} in 10 minutes 45 seconds

:::::{{cvt|4000|m}} in 16 minutes

:::::{{cvt|5000|m}} in 23 minutes 29 seconds

|wing loading kg/m2=

|wing loading lb/sqft=

|wing loading note=

|fuel consumption kg/km=

|fuel consumption lb/mi=

|power/mass=

|thrust/weight=

|more performance=

|armament=* 1 × fixed forward-firing synchronised {{cvt|.303|in|2|order=flip}} Vickers machine gun

2 × {{cvt|.303|in|2|order=flip}} Lewis guns on a flexible T.O.3 mount for the observer

}}

References

Bibliography

{{cite journal |last1=Coroller|first1=Jean-Louis|title=Les Avions S.E.A.: ou la préhistoire des Avions Marcel Bloch et des Avions Henry Potez |journal=Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire |date=December 1997 |issue=57 |pages=35–41 |trans-title=The Aircraft of S.E.A., or the Prehistory of the Marcel Bloch and Henry Potez Aircraft Companies |language=French |issn=1243-8650}}