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Страна: Франция

Год: 1918

Единственный экземпляр

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

Canton 52

  General Duval of the STAe requested in 1918 the development of a heavily-armored aircraft for ground attack. Undoubtedly he had been impressed not only with the Aviation Militaire's own experience using Breguet 14s for strafing and bombing troops but also by the highly effective Junkers J.1 sesquiplanes used by the German Luftstreitkrafte. However, while the French had successfully used army cooperation planes and bombers for ground attack, losses to ground fire had convinced the Aviation Militaire of the need for an armored craft. The request for an S class aircraft was submitted on 24 May 1918.
  The S2 specification called for a two-seat aircraft with armor capable of carrying 150 kg of bombs and multiple machine guns. Three designs were submitted to meet the classification - the Liore-et-Oliver S2, the Hochart S2, and the Canton S2.
  The Canton 2 was powered by two 230-hp Canton-Unne engines. It featured heavy armor-plating for the pilot, machine gunner, and engines. The wings were unstaggered and of unequal chord, and there were ailerons on the top wing. The rudder and elevators were balanced. The engines were mounted in tractor configuration and were located inside armored nacelles which also contained the fuel and oil tanks as well as the radiators. Armament was planned to be four Lewis machine guns firing ahead and downwards. An additional Lewis machine gun was mounted on a swiveling turret (possibly for use by a third crew member, although the original specification had only requested a crew of two). Also, the Canton 52 could carry 15 10-kg bombs. Because it was believed that the main threat to the crew would come from ground fire, only the floor of the cockpit was armored. This armor was surprisingly thin, only 4mm armor plate being used.
  Eteve states that the Canton design was rejected because the thickness of the armor was insufficient. However, a more important reason for the rejection was that it was seriously underpowered. Although no photographs of the type seem to have survived, the report of one of the test pilots, Adjudant Leau, still exists. It states that the Canton S2 could barely lift off the ground when fitted with armor. Leau reports near misses with a hangar and power lines close to the field while trying to gain altitude. Even when lightened by 200 kg the plane could barely reach 30 meters. One pilot, unable to climb above a line of trees, stripped the wings off the craft. Further development of the Canton S2 was abandoned; indeed, all three S2 designs were failures because of their inability to meet the specified performance while carrying the requisite armor.

Canton S2 Two-Seat Or Three-Seat Ground Attack Aircraft (All Performance Specifications Are Estimates)
   Loaded weight: 2,775 kg
   Maximum speed at ground level: 180 km/h; estimated ceiling 5,000 m (but, in actuality was approximately 30 m)
   Armament: five Lewis machine guns and 150 kg of bomb
   One built

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