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

B.A.J. C2

  The B.A.J. was a two-seat fighter designed to meet the C2 specifications of 1918. The C2 category was for an aircraft armed with a 7.7- or 11-mm machine gun synchronized to fire through the propeller arc, two machine guns (or a single cannon) in a turret controlled by the gunner, and a machine gun firing through the underside. The aircraft was to have a payload of 375 kg, a maximum ceiling of 8000 m, a cruising altitude of 5000 m, and a maximum speed of 220 km/h.
  The aircraft submitted to meet the C2 specification included a number of types which used the Hispano-Suiza 8Fb of 300-hp. These were the Hanriot-Dupont HD.5, the Borel-Boccacio type 3000, and the B.A.J. C2.
  In 1916 Charles Audenis had designed two military aircraft that were not accepted for production. His next design appeared in 1918 and was designated B.A.J. C2, the initials B.A.J. standing for Boncoun-Audenis-Jacob. Jacob was a lieutenant with AR 1 who had been killed during the war; the inclusion of his name in the designation implies that before his death he collaborated with Audenis on the design.
  The aircraft was powered by a 300-hp Hispano-Suiza 8Fb and had a two-bay wing. The upper wing had a slight dihedral; the lower wing had none. Single interplane struts braced the wings. The interplane bracing wires were attached to the spars. The wing bracing proved satisfactory during static testing; the wings did not fail until a load factor of nine had been reached. The ailerons were horn-balanced (as were the rudder and elevators) and were on the lower wings only. Armament was a synchronized 7.7-mm Vickers machine gun fired by the pilot and two 7.7-mm Lewis guns on a T.O.3 ring mount for the observer.
  The B.A.J. C2 was completed by 1 May 1918 and arrived for testing at Villacoublay in late November of that year. However, it was not flown until 28 January 1919. A second prototype was also subsequently tested at Villacoublay. The type was not adopted by the Aviation Militaire.


B.A.J. C2 Two-Seat Fighter with 300-hp Hispano-Suiza 8Fb
   No known specifications
   Armament: a synchronized 7.7-mm Vickers machine gun and two 7.7-mm Lewis guns on a T.O.3 ring
   Two built