J.Davilla, A.Soltan French Aircraft of the First World War (Flying Machines)

R.E.P. C1

  The R.E.P. firm constructed a single-seat fighter to meet the Aviation Militaire's C1 specification. Powered by a 230-hp Salmson 9Z engine, it was a single-bay biplane of steel tube construction with fabric covering. It had an abbreviated rudder and large tailplane/elevators similar to those of the R.E.P. N and Parasol. The lower wing was attached to the bottom of the fuselage by a prominent fairing. This arrangement permitted the upper wing to be placed just above the pilot's cockpit. The pilot's lateral view was good because his head projected thorough a large cutout in the wing. His downward vision, however, was very limited. Armament consisted of two Vickers machine guns, one mounted just to the right of the center section strut and the other farther down the left side of the cowling. The R.E.P. C1 was tested at Villacoublay in March and April of 1918. However, its maximum speed and climb rate were virtually identical to the SPAD 13 already in production, and it was not selected by the Aviation Militaire.


R.E.P. C1 Single-Seat Fighter with 230-hp Salmson 9Z
   Span 8.38 m; length 6.35 m; height 2.53 m; wing area 20.466 sq. m
   Empty weight 658 kg; loaded weight 968 kg
   Maximum speed:
1,000 m 217 km/h
2,000 m 212 km/h
3,000 m 207 km/h
4,000 m 196 km/h
   Climb:
1,000 m 2 minutes 7 seconds
3,000 m 8 minutes 31 seconds
4,000 m 13 minutes 51 seconds
5,000 m 20 minutes 59 seconds
   Endurance 1.5 hours
   Armament: two 7.7-mm Vickers machine guns One built