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Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0756.PDF
THE VOISIN WARPLANE. ATTENTION has been called, from time to time, in our columns to the use made by our enemies of captured French machines for school and other purposes. Thus, it may be recollected, we have given illustrations of a captured M. Farman decorated with the black cross that forms the identification mark of all German military machines. Among the various types captured by the Germans have also been one or more Voisin biplanes, a fighting machine that has found great favour with our Nacelle of the Voisfn fighting biplane. Note the bomb-dropping arrangement on the side. allies across the Channel, who have made, and are making, very extended use of it. As the accompanying illustration, reproduced from Flugsport, shows, the Germans have succeeded in capturing one of these machines intact, and are now employing it for teaching pilots the handling of a type which was considered by their military experts obsolete until French pilots gave practical proof to the contrary. The accompanying scale drawings, which we reproduce by courtesy of our New York contemporary, Aerial Age, and the following description by Mr. Walter H. Phipps, should give a good idea of the general arrangement of this successful French fighting biplane. "The Voisin gun-carrier, which is the subject of our description this week, is one of the most interesting developments of the European war. It is a type which is rapidly finding favour for offensive purposes, as its size and weight-carrying ability, coupled with its great range of vision and unobstructed mounting for a large machine gun, make it a terror to all machines coming within its range. " The machine is chiefly characteristic on account of its all-steel construction, a feature which, contrary to previous accepted theory, has found great favour for military work on account of its not being affected by climatic conditions. Other outstanding characteris tics of the Voisin machine are the excellent four-wheel shock-absorbing chassis, the small gap between the planes, and the large balanced elevator in the rear. " The chassis, which is quite different to those fitted to other machines, consists of two sets of wheels, one pair mounted on a single axle at the extreme front of the machine and connected to the nacelle by long telescopic spring absorbers, the other pair directly under the rear main beam and similarly connected by means of shock absorbing -telescopic springs to the rear end of the nacelle. This provides a most excellent landing gear for military work, where landings must frequently be made on very rough ground without fear of capsizing. " The nacelle or body is built up in the usual way, the construction being mainly wood with steel for the engine and chassis bearers and braces. It provides accommoda- A captured French Voisin biplane being used by the Germans for school -work. tion for pilot and observer, the former sitting in front with the observer directly in back of him. " Supported by steel tubes and immediately over the pilot's head is the gun, so mounted that it can easily be handled by the observer, who stands up when working the gun. "A sloping dash in the nose of the nacelle deflects the air above the heads of the occupants. Behind the pas- .^ ,^fc* A. • L_ >i^^f' W ^l^wi .,$*•? V 31. fl$ r \ V ^x^'^ \ 4* t:-:. S^L* ">-.v ^S ^s\ BiP^ Photograph reproduced from Flugsport showing how the Hotchkiss gun is mounted above the head of the pilot in the Voisin biplane. 75<5
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