Wibault 3
| {{Infobox Aircraft Begin
|name=Wibault 3 |image=Wib 3 0.png |caption= }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type |type=Single seat fighter aircraft |national origin=France |manufacturer=Pierre Levasseur |designer=Michel Wibault |introduced= |retired= |status= |primary user= |more users= |produced= |number built= |program cost= |unit cost= |developed from= |variants with their own articles= }} |
The Wibault 3 or Wibault Wib 3 C.1 was a French parasol wing prototype fighter aircraft from the 1920s, designed for high altitude operations. Its development was abandoned after repeated materials failure in its supercharger.
Design and development
The Wib 3, or Wib 3 C.1 (the C for Chasseur or fighter, 1 indicating single seat) was Wibault's response to a call from the Service Technique de l'Aéronautique (S.T.Aé, Technical Department of Aeronautics) for a high altitude fighter. This was required to have a top speed of {{convert|240|km/h|mph|abbr=on|0}} at {{convert|7000|m|ft|-2}} and a service ceiling of {{convert|8500|m|ft|-2}}; to achieve this performance at altitude, the specification called for a turbocharged engine.
It was an all-metal aircraft in the contemporary sense, with a structure of duralumin but largely fabric covering. A parasol wing, with a cut-out in the trailing edge over the open cockpit, ensured the pilot a good all round view. The wing was straight edged with constant chord and was fitted with long span ailerons. It was braced to the lower fuselage on each side with a pair of parallel, faired struts to about half span. The wing section to half span was moderately thick but thinned outboard, giving an overall maximum lift to drag ratio of almost 20.
The Wib 3 was powered by a {{convert|300|hp|kW|lk=on|0|abbr=on|disp=flip}} Hispano-Suiza 8Fb upright water-cooled V-8 engine with a Lamblin cylindrical radiator on each side of the fully enclosed cowling. A Rateau supercharger maintained power up to {{convert|15000|ft|m|-2|disp=flip}}. The fuselage was aluminium skinned from its nose to the cockpit; aft, it was fabric covered. Its wire braced, almost triangular tailplane carried split elevators, the inner ends cropped to allow movement of the broad rudder. The Wib 3 had a fixed conventional undercarriage, with mainwheels on a rigid axle supported by a pair of V-struts mounted at the roots of the interplane struts. The axle was enclosed within an aerofoil shaped fairing which added {{convert|1.50|m2|sqft|abbr=on|2}} to the wing area.
On its first flight early in 1923, the Rateau turbo-supercharger was not fitted, its development having been interrupted by repeated failures caused by the difficulty of producing suitable high temperature resistant alloys. As a result, it was cancelled by the (S.T.Aé). The Wib 3 continued its flight testing until the autumn of 1923, after which the high altitude specification was withdrawn.
Specifications
File:Wibault 3 C.1 fighter 3v.png
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Green & Swanborough pp.595-6
|prime units?=met
|genhide=
|crew=One
|length m=8.20
|length note=
|span m=11.72
|span note=
|height m=3.04
|height note=
|wing area sqm=25.00
|wing area note=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=994
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=1420
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|500|lb|kg|abbr=on|0|disp=flip}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Hispano-Suiza 8Fb
|eng1 type=water-cooled V-8, supercharged
|eng1 hp=300
|eng1 note=
|power original=
|more power=
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop dia note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=241
|max speed note=at sea level
|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=
|minimum control speed kmh=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed kts=
|minimum control speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=530
|range nmi=
|range note=at {{convert|16550|ft|m|abbr=on|0|disp=flip}}
|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=3.0 hr
|ceiling m=7000
|ceiling note=service
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading lb/sqft=10.8
|power/mass= 160 W/kg (0.097 hp/lb) from Flight, who give a power loading of 10.3 lb/hp
|more performance=
|guns= 2×{{convert|7.7|mm|in|abbr=on|3}} synchronised Vickers machine guns, firing through propeller arc
}}
{{aircontent
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References
Bibliography
- {{cite journal |last1=Bruner|first1=Georges|title=Fighters a la Francaise, Part One|journal=Air Enthusiast |date=1977|issue=3 |pages=85–95 |issn=0143-5450}}
Further reading
- {{cite journal|title=L'avion de Chasse Monoplan Wibault 3C1|journal=L'Aérophile|date=15 May 1923|pages=138–141|url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6555017m/f144|accessdate=30 August 2014|language=French}}
{{Wibault aircraft}}