Sage Type 4
{{Short description|Prototype floatplane of the First World War}}{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2017}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=Sage Type 4 | image=File: Sage Type 4a.jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Floatplane | national origin=United Kingdom | manufacturer=Frederick Sage & Company | designer= | first flight=3 July 1917 | introduced= | retired= | status= | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=2 | program cost= | unit cost= | developed from=Sage Type 3 | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Sage Type 4 was a prototype British floatplane of the First World War. It was a designed as a two-seat reconnaissance aircraft for the Royal Naval Air Service, but was chosen for service as a floatplane trainer, although the end of the war resulted in production being cancelled.
Design and development
In early 1917, the Peterborough based woodworking company of Frederick Sage & Company designed a two-seat patrol floatplane for the Royal Naval Air Service based on Sage's Type 3 landplane trainer. Like the Type 3, the new design, the Sage Type 4, was a single-engined biplane. Pilot and observer sat in separate tandem cockpits, with the pilot occupying the front cockpit, while the wireless operator/observer sat in the rear cockpit, with both crew members having good visibility. The aircraft was powered by a single 150 hp (112 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8 water-cooled V-8 engine in the nose driving a tractor propeller. Undercarriage consisted of two main floats under the wing the a further tail float.Uppendaun 2004, p. 69.Flight 24 July 1919, pp. 974–975.
The prototype Sage Type 4a (serial number N.116Bruce 1957, p. 468.) first flew on 3 July 1917.Bruce 1957, p. 465. The type demonstrated excellent handing during testing, being capable both of flying aerobatic manoeuvres while still being stable enough to be easily flown "hands-off".Flight 24 July 1919, p. 975. Despite this, the type was rejected for service as a patrol aircraft, but it was recommended that it instead be adapted into a float-plane trainer. The aircraft was fitted with dual controls and the engine mounting was modified to allow any one of a variety of 200 hp (149 kW) engines to be fitted. N.116 was converted to the new standard, being fitted with a Sunbeam Arab and flew as the Sage Type 4b on 17 May 1918.
Sage also designed a revised version, the Sage Type 4c with folding wings of increased wingspan (39 ft {{frac|7|1|4}} in (12.07 m) compared with 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m) for the earlier aircraft and powered by a 200 hp Hispano Suiza engine, with a prototype flying on 12 October 1918.Bruce 1957, p. 466.
Both the Type 4b and 4c were adopted as standard training floatplanes for the RNAS, but the end of the First World War resulted in production plans being abandoned.{{#tag:ref|Some sources indicate that an order for 29 Sage Type 4s was cancelled in October 1918 to pay for Norman Thompson N.T.2B flying boat trainers.Goodall 1995, p. 19.|group=nb}}
Variants
;Type 4a
:Two-seat patrol seaplane, powered by {{convert|150|hp|kW|abbr=on}} Hispano-Suiza 8A engine. One prototype built. Converted to Type 4b.Bruce 1957, p. 464.
;Type 4b
:Two seat floatplane trainer, powered by {{convert|200|hp|kW|abbr=on}} Sunbeam Arab engine. Converted from Type 4a.Bruce 1957, p. 465.
;Type 4c
:Revised floatplane trainer with folding wings. Powered by {{convert|200|hp|kW|abbr=on}} Hispano-Suiza 8B engine. One example built.Bruce 1957, p. 466.
Specifications (Sage 4c)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=British Aeroplanes 1914–18Bruce 1957, pp. 466–469.
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=2
|capacity=
|length m=
|length ft=37
|length in=6
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=39
|span in=7.25
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=11
|height in=7
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=386
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=2215
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=2875
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|35+1/2|impgal|USgal L|abbr=on}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Hispano-Suiza 8B
|eng1 type=water cooled V8 engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=200
|prop blade number=1
|prop name=two bladed propeller
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=9
|prop dia in=
|prop dia note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=97.2
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=at {{convert|3000|ft|m|-1|abbr=on}}
|max speed mach=
|stall speed mph=45
|stall speed note=(landing speed)
|range km=
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range miles=
|combat range nmi=
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|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=2 h 30 min
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=13700
|ceiling note=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
- 8 min to 5,000 ft (1,520 m)
- 21 min 20 s to 10,000 ft (3,050 m)
|more performance=
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|guns=
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|avionics=
}}
See also
Notes
{{Reflist|group=nb}}
References
{{reflist}}
=Bibliography=
{{refbegin}}
- Bruce, J.M. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. London:Putnam, 1957.
- Goodall, Michael H. The Norman Thompson File. Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1995. {{ISBN|0-85130-233-5}}.
- "[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1919/1919%20-%200969.html "Milestones" The Sage Machines]". Flight, 24 July 1919. pp. 971–975.
- Uppendaun, Bob. "Sage-Like Thoughts:The Products of Frederick Sage & Co". Air Enthusiast, No.110, March/April 2004. pp. 68–69.
{{refend}}
{{Sage aircraft}}
{{wwi-air}}
Category:1910s British military reconnaissance aircraft
Category:1910s British military trainer aircraft