Wibault 7
| Wibault 7 | |
|---|---|
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| Type: | Fighter plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1924 |
The Wibault 7 (also Wibault Wib 7) was a single-engine high-wing aircraft - fighter aircraft in all-metal construction of the French manufacturer Société des Avions Michel Wibault from the 1920s.
history
With the Wibault 7C.1, in 1923 the company took part in the C1 tender for a single-seat fighter ( Avion monoplace de chasse ) of the French state coordination center for developments in the aviation sector ( Service de l'Aéronautique , STAé). A total of six manufacturers with twelve aircraft applied.
As with the previous Wibault 3 design , the lightweight metal construction process patented by Wibault was used. The machine designed by M. Martinet was powered by a 480 hp Gnôme-Rhône 9Ad Jupiter radial engine and two 7.7 mm Vickers machine guns were used as armament . The first flight took place in 1924. In the following year the slightly modified second prototype was created, which was tested in Villacoublay in August 1925 . The changes compared to the first prototype consisted of a modified landing gear, reinforced wing struts, a redesigned vertical stabilizer and a 420 hp Gnôme-Rhône 9Ac engine. In addition, the previously smooth dural outer skin of the hull was replaced by corrugated sheet metal. In addition to the previous two machine guns in the fuselage, there were now two additional 7.7 mm Darne machine guns in the wings.
Although the Wib 7 reached a top speed of 234 km / h at an altitude of 4000 m in the comparison flight in Villacoublay, the Nieuport-Delage 42 and Gourdou-Reading 32 were determined as the winner and runner-up. Both plants received an order to build 25 machines. Surprisingly, the eleventh-placed Wibault machine was also to be built in the same number after an order placed in January 1927. By then, a third prototype had already been created, which was followed by the 25 pre-series machines. The latter differed from the second and third prototype in that the wing MGs were omitted. The influx of the two escadrilles de chasse des 32 e Régiment des Aviation Mixte began in 1928.
variants
A Wib 7 equipped with a Bristol Jupiter VI (455 hp) had already been delivered to England in November 1927 , where it was to serve as a prototype for the Vickers Type 121 . An airframe that was equipped with a 400 hp Hispano Suiza 12Jb 12 cylinder V engine for comparison purposes in 1926 was initially given the designation Wibault 71, which was then changed to Wibault 9 before it was completed.
With a follow-up order from the Aviation Militaire for 60 Wibault 72s , the 32 e regiment , renamed 7 e Escadre de Chasse from October 1, 1932 , was equipped. The only difference between the Wib 72 and the Wib 7 was its reinforced wing structure. In Poland, PZL manufactured 30 machines under license, 26 of them as the Wib 72 and 4 as the Wib 73 . The Wib 73 had a 450 HP Lorraine-Dietrich-12EB 12-cylinder W-engine as its engine . In 1929 seven Wib 73s were delivered to the Paraguayan Air Force. In April 1929 a Wib 7 was used on a trial basis on the aircraft carrier Béarn , after which the Aviation Maritime placed an order for 18 Wibault 74s . This version received a catch hook and the wing was moved a little back to compensate for the shift in the center of gravity. The Wib 74 was delivered to the Escadrille 7C1 in March 1932 , which it kept in use until 1938.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Wib 7C.1 |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| length | 7.45 m |
| span | 11.00 m |
| height | 2.90 m |
| Wing area | 22.00 m² |
| Empty mass | 827 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 1444 kg |
| Top speed | 227 km / h at 5000 m |
| Climb performance | 15.3 min at 5000 m |
| Service ceiling | 8500 m |
| Engines | 1 × Gnôme-Rhône 9Ad Jupiter radial engine with 480 PS (353 kW) power |
See also
literature
- AIR International - Fighter A to Z , July 1996, p. 62
- World Aircraft Information Files - AZ of Aircraft , File 911, Sheet 03
- AERO - the illustrated collection , issue 152, p. 4250 f.
- Aircraft - The new encyclopedia of aviation , issue 212, p. 5935
