Thomas-Morse S4
| Thomas-Morse S-4 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Trainer aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
June 1917 |
| Commissioning: |
1917 |
| Production time: |
1917 to 1918 |
| Number of pieces: |
about 500 |
The Thomas-Morse S-4 Scout was a single-seat training aircraft for fighter pilots from 1917.
development
The chief designer of the aircraft was B. D. Thomas, a former Curtiss employee . 100 machines of this type were ordered by the US Army Signal Corps , which wanted to use them for training advanced pilots. These machines were then called the S-4B and were powered by a Gnome Monosoupape engine. In January 1918, another 400 machines were ordered, powered by the weaker but more reliable Le Rhône 4C engine. This model was then called the S-4C. Immediately after the First World War , the type was taken out of service by the military. The machines were sold to the civilian sector and used there, among other things, as a racing aircraft.
Technical data (S4-C)
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| span | 8.01 m |
| length | 5.82 m |
| height | 2.73 m |
| Empty mass | 426 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 603 kg |
| crew | 1 |
| Top speed | approx. 155 km / h |
| Range | 2 hours of flight |
| Engine | a Le Rhône 4C with 59.9 kW (approx. 80 PS)
with closed panel |
| features | single-handled biplane
with wings of the same span |
| particularities | Abrasive spur |
literature
- Tony Holmes (ed.): Type manual - classic military aircraft . Heel, Königswinter 2006, ISBN 3-89880-561-1 .
