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Voisin III
The Voisin III was a French World War I two-seat pusher biplane multi-purpose aircraft developed by Voisin in 1914 as a more powerful version of the 1912 Voisin L. It is notable for being the aircraft used for the first successful shooting down of an enemy aircraft on October 5, 1914, and to have been used to equip the first dedicated bomber units, in September 1914.
The first Voisin III was initially powered by a single 97 kW (130 hp) Salmson M9 engine water-cooled 9 cylinder radial engine, while later examples used the similar 110 kW (150 hp) Salmson P9 or R9. It had a range of 200 km (120 mi), a top speed of 105–113 km/h (65–70 mph) and a ceiling of 3,350–6,000 m (10,990–19,690 ft) depending on engine and manufacturer. The pilot was ahead of the passenger, who could fire weapons, release bombs or take photos, depending on the mission. It incorporated a light steel frame structure which made it more durable when operating out of makeshift wartime military aviation airfields.
Many aircraft were armed with a Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun mounted on the fuselage operated by a standing observer. Some variants could carry up to 150 kg (330 lb) of bombs.
As one of the main types that the French Aviation Militaire chose to standardize on in 1914, the Voisin III quickly became one of the most common Allied bombers early in the war. Significant numbers were purchased by the French and the Imperial Russian Air Force. Russia ordered more than 800 from France and built a further 400 under license at Anatra, Breshnev-Moller, Dux, Lebedev and Schetinin. Over 100 were built in Italy by Societe Italiana Transaera (S.I.T.), and 50 in the United Kingdom, while small numbers were purchased by Belgium and Romania. One French aircraft was forced to land in Switzerland in 1915 after running low on fuel in combat with a German aircraft and was put into service with the Swiss Fliegerabteilung.
Like many aircraft of its era, Voisin III was a multi-purpose aircraft. Its missions included day- and night bombing, reconnaissance, artillery spotting and training.
While flying a Voisin III, Sergeant Joseph Frantz and Corporal Louis Quénault of Escadrille V.24 shot down a German Aviatik B.I flown by Oberleutnant Fritz von Zangen and Sergeant Wilhelm Schlichting of FFA 18 over Jonchery, near Reims on October 5, 1914. This was the first time an aircraft had been brought down with small arms fire from another aircraft.
Quénault fired two 48-round magazines from an 8 mm (0.31 in) Hotchkiss M1909 machine gun at the Germans who returned fire with rifles. When the machine gun jammed, he continued firing with a rifle until he succeeded in bringing the German aircraft down.
Previously, Pyotr Nesterov had successfully brought down an enemy aircraft, however that was by ramming.
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Voisin III
The Voisin III was a French World War I two-seat pusher biplane multi-purpose aircraft developed by Voisin in 1914 as a more powerful version of the 1912 Voisin L. It is notable for being the aircraft used for the first successful shooting down of an enemy aircraft on October 5, 1914, and to have been used to equip the first dedicated bomber units, in September 1914.
The first Voisin III was initially powered by a single 97 kW (130 hp) Salmson M9 engine water-cooled 9 cylinder radial engine, while later examples used the similar 110 kW (150 hp) Salmson P9 or R9. It had a range of 200 km (120 mi), a top speed of 105–113 km/h (65–70 mph) and a ceiling of 3,350–6,000 m (10,990–19,690 ft) depending on engine and manufacturer. The pilot was ahead of the passenger, who could fire weapons, release bombs or take photos, depending on the mission. It incorporated a light steel frame structure which made it more durable when operating out of makeshift wartime military aviation airfields.
Many aircraft were armed with a Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun mounted on the fuselage operated by a standing observer. Some variants could carry up to 150 kg (330 lb) of bombs.
As one of the main types that the French Aviation Militaire chose to standardize on in 1914, the Voisin III quickly became one of the most common Allied bombers early in the war. Significant numbers were purchased by the French and the Imperial Russian Air Force. Russia ordered more than 800 from France and built a further 400 under license at Anatra, Breshnev-Moller, Dux, Lebedev and Schetinin. Over 100 were built in Italy by Societe Italiana Transaera (S.I.T.), and 50 in the United Kingdom, while small numbers were purchased by Belgium and Romania. One French aircraft was forced to land in Switzerland in 1915 after running low on fuel in combat with a German aircraft and was put into service with the Swiss Fliegerabteilung.
Like many aircraft of its era, Voisin III was a multi-purpose aircraft. Its missions included day- and night bombing, reconnaissance, artillery spotting and training.
While flying a Voisin III, Sergeant Joseph Frantz and Corporal Louis Quénault of Escadrille V.24 shot down a German Aviatik B.I flown by Oberleutnant Fritz von Zangen and Sergeant Wilhelm Schlichting of FFA 18 over Jonchery, near Reims on October 5, 1914. This was the first time an aircraft had been brought down with small arms fire from another aircraft.
Quénault fired two 48-round magazines from an 8 mm (0.31 in) Hotchkiss M1909 machine gun at the Germans who returned fire with rifles. When the machine gun jammed, he continued firing with a rifle until he succeeded in bringing the German aircraft down.
Previously, Pyotr Nesterov had successfully brought down an enemy aircraft, however that was by ramming.