В.Кондратьев Самолеты первой мировой войны

SIA.7B/7B2/9B

   Цельнодеревянный двухстоечный биплан со смешанной обшивкой (фюзеляж - фанера, крылья и оперение - полотно). Спроектирован инженерами Савойя и Вердуцио на фирме SIA (Societa Italiana Aviazione - еще один авиастроительный филиал ФИАТ). Испытания прототипа начались летом 1917 г. Самолет сразу привлек к себе внимание, установив рекорд высоты полета с пассажиром и совершив беспосадочный перелет дальностью 1400 км.
   В ноябре 1917-го SIA.7B принят на вооружение итальянских ВВС. Фронтовая служба выявила, помимо целого ряда достоинств, существенные недостатки машины - недостаточную прочность бипланной коробки и плохой обзор. Поэтому уже в декабре появилась модификация SIA.7B2 с усиленными крыльями, более мощным мотором и несколько приподнятыми вверх кабинами пилота и летнаба. Кроме того на ней впервые в истории авиации была предусмотрена установка подвесных топливных баков. SIA.7B2 начал поступать в разведывательные и бомбардировочные эскадрильи итало-австрийского фронта в марте 1918 года. Однако, несмотря на доработки, прочность конструкции самолета продолжала вызывать опасения. В результате, в июле 1918-го все SIA.7B и 7В2 были переведены в учебные подразделения.
   В феврале 1918 года поднялся в воздух бомбардировщик SIA.9B, оснащенный наиболее мощным авиационным двигателем того периода - 700-сильным "Фиатом" A-14. Он также состоял на вооружении итальянских ВВС и принимал участие в налетах на австрийские военные объекты. Всего построен 501 SIA.7B, 71 SIA.7B2 и 62 SIA.9B.


ДВИГАТЕЛЬ

   "Фиат" A-12 (260 л.с.) или A-12bis (300 л.с.) или A-14 (700 л.с.)


ВООРУЖЕНИЕ (SIA.7B)

   1 тур. пулемет "Фиат-Ревелли" кал. 6.5 мм, 60 кг бомб.


ЛЕТНО-ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ (SIA.7B)
S.I.A.7B, 1917г.

   Размах, м 13,32
   Длина, м 9,06
   Высота, м 3,0
   Площадь крыла, кв.м 40,0
   Сухой вес, кг 750
   Взлетный вес, кг 1100
   Двигатель: "Фиат" A-12
   мощность, л. с. 300
   Скорость максимальная, км/ч 200
   Время набора высоты, м/мин 2000/8,2
   Дальность полета, км 550
   Потолок, м 6750
   Экипаж, чел. 2
   Вооружение 2-3 пулемета
   60 кг бомб

G.Swanborough, P.Bowers United States Military Aircraft Since 1909 (Putnam)

S.I.A. 7B

   In 1917, the Italian Government sent a pair of S.I.A. 7B reconnaissance-bombers to the United States for evaluation and consideration for production under the prevailing plan to mass-produce established European designs. Developed by the Societe Italiano Aviazione of Turin, the S.I.A. 7B was powered with a 300-h.p. Fiat engine and used the standard Italian structural feature of plywood-covered fuselage. The 7B was not put into production in the U.S. but 19 were bought in Italy for use by A.E.F. units sent there.
   Span, 43 ft. 8 in.; length, 29 ft. 9 in.; wing area, 460 sq. ft.; gross weight, 3,454 lb.; high speed, 111 m.p.h.

Jane's All The World Aircraft 1919

S.I.A. (Societa Italiano Aviazione).
Works at via Nizza 15, Turin. Flying ground at Lingotto. Turin. Capital paid-up: Lire 5,000,000.

   This title, with its Italian-Latin word-play, must not be confounded with the pre-war firm of the same initials which produced an excellent monoplane - nor with the S.I.A.. an Aero-Club much less with the S.I.A.T. (Societa Idrovolanti Alta Italia) a Savoia offshoot.
   This, the Turin S.I.A., builds a large tractor-biplane for the. F.I.A.T. engine, with which excellent heart the machine has created many records and places its ceiling some distance farther from the earth's crust than most others.
   The firm's growth was abnormal - its machines were flying before the Company was constituted it is claimed - and it is now able to supply aircraft to foreign powers.
   The S.I.A. biplane is a tractor type.
   The upper and lower wings are united by four pairs of vertical steel struts of oval section. The upper wings are fitted with ailerons.
   The fuselage is completely streamlined and consists of four longitudinal wood members with diagonal bracing and canvas covered.
   The motor is a F.I.A.T. 300 h.p. 6 cylinders vertical with direct-mounted propeller, carried behind a honeycomb radiator and under a bonnet, as in automobile practice.
   It has been officially announced that Lieut. Brach-Papa, Chief Pilot of the S.I.A., has created a new world's altitude record with passenger on a S.I.A. machine of the type illustrated.
   This was the third height world's record won by this pilot in 1917. Lieut. Brach-Papa is one of the oldest Italian aeroplane testers. To his credit stands the flying test of more than a thousand machines of twenty different types.
   The figures concerning this last record are the following, as issued in all the Italian daily papers :- Machine : S.I.A. 7.B. No. 5966. Load (Passengers and fuel): 350 kgs. (775 lbs.). 1,000 m. in 2 mins. 30 secs. 2,000 m. " 5 mins. 3,000 m. " 9 mins. 4.000 m. " 18 mins. 5,000 m. ,. 24 mins. 6,500 m. " 37 mins. 30 secs. 6,750 m. " 1 hour 3 mins. Ground level was .275 metres above the sea. Height above the sea level reached : 7,025 m. (23,000 ft.). Military Control Commission at a flying ground near Turin. Date: 14 Dec, 1917, in the afternoon.
   It may be of interest to technical readers to know that the machine was tuned before starting with the " Vibration" method recently adopted by Ingegnere Lerici (See "The Aeroplane," Nov. 7th, page 1342) in order to ensure the highest safety factor to the whole structure under such abnormal conditions of flight.


THE SIA " F.B." AEROPLANE.

   The S.I.A. - type F.B. biplane, which Captain Laureati flow, in lost than seven hours, from Turin to London, is associated with the following officially recorded performance :-
   August 26th - The height of 20,000 ft. (6.165 m.) is reached in 34 minutes with a load of 660 lb- (comprising a pilot and a passenger).
   June 28th.- The height of 24,000 ft. (7,310 m.) is reached in 56 minutes, with a load of 600 lb. (pilot alone).
   August 26th. - Capt. Laureati flies from Turin to Naples and back without descending, covering in 10 hours a distance of 1,000 miles (1,400 km.).

   The world's height records above-mentioned were beaten by the chief pilot of the Societa Sia, Lieut. Brach-Papa.
   The motor of the SIA 7B reconnaissance-bomber of 1917 is the 250-300 h.p. Fiat "A12" motor, of the standard type widely employed in all the Italian machines.
   The aeroplane was designed for being a "jack of all trades " type. Indeed, its carrying capacity, as well as its speed and climbing powers, enable it to be employed as a bomb-dropper as well as a racer.
   The machine was built in the workshops for aeronautical construction of the Societa Italiana Aviazione, commonly known as the " Sin," a sister company to the famous motor-car firm, F.I.A.T.. of Turin.
   The designers are the engineers, Torretta and Carlo Maurilio Lerici, of the technical staff of F.I.A.T. Co.
   The initials F.I.A.T. stand for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, and the word " Fiat" in pure Latin, means " Let it Be," or " So Be it " - which, freely translated, indicates that the F.I.A.T. is undoubtedly " It." The word " Sia " in modern Italian also means " Let it be so," with a precisely similar connotation to the word "Fiat." The play on initials is ingenious.


FIAT-SIA.
Specification.
Type of machine Biplane.
Name or type No. of machine R2.of 1918
Purpose for which Intended Scouting and Bombing.
Span 12.32 m.
Gap 1.95 m.
Overall length 8.75 m.
Maximum height 3.30 m.
Chord 1.95 m.
Total surface Of wings 45.60 sq. m.
Span of tail 3.40 m.
Total area of tail 3.05 sq. m.
Area of elevator 2.00 sq. m.
Area of rudder 1.05 sq. m.
Area of fin 2.08 sq. m.
Maximum cross section of body 0.835 m.
Fuselage, vertical and horizontal
   1.425 m. x 0.835 m.
Engine type and h.p. Flat A12 bis. 300 h.p.
Airscrew, diam., pitch and revs 2.80 m. 1.85 m. 1,500 revs.
Load per sq. m. 36.7 kgs.
Weight per h.p. 5.56 kgs.
Tank capacity In hours 4 hours.
Tank capacity In kilograms Petrol, 215 kg. ; Oil, 40 kg.
Performance.
   Speed at 200 metres 180 k.p.h.
   Speed at 2,000 metres 165 k.p.h.
   Landing speed 75 k.p.h.
   Climb.
   To 1.000 metres in minutes 6 mins.
   To 2,000 metres in minutes 14 mins.
   To 3,000 metres in minutes 23 mins.
   To 4,000 metres in minutes 38 mins.
   Total useful load 450 kgs.
   Total weight of machine loaded 1670 kgs.