В.Кондратьев Самолеты первой мировой войны

ВУАЗЕН L/LA/LB/LAS / VOISIN L/LA/LB/LAS

   Ферменный двухместный биплан с толкающим винтом. Конструкция смешанная. Стержни хвостовой фермы, лонжероны крыла и стойки бипланной коробки - стальные трубы. Гондола обшита фанерой, крылья и оперение - полотном. Первая модификация, обозначенная литерой "L" и оснащенная ротативным мотором, построена знаменитыми французскими авиаконструкторами братьями Вуазен в начале 1914 года. В апреле того же года впервые поднялся в воздух "Вуазен LA" со звездообразным двигателем водяного охлаждения "Сальмсон" и увеличенным размахом верхнего крыла.
   К началу первой мировой войны "Вуазен LA" был принят на вооружение французской военной авиации. Парижский завод, принадлежавший одному из братьев Габриэлю Вуазену, развернул серийный выпуск машины. Всего во Франции в 1914-1915 годах построено более 800 аппаратов. Кроме того небольшой серией выпущен "Вуазен LB", вооруженный 37-мм полуавтоматической пушкой "Гочкисс".
   В ноябре 1914-го из "Вуазенов" сформировали первое во Франции бомбардировочное подразделение (Groupe de Bombardement). Самолет не обладал сколь-нибудь выдающимися летными данными, однако он уверенно держался в воздухе, был прочен, надежен и прост в управлении. Тогда это считалось вполне достаточным, и "Вуазены" получили широкое распространение как во фронтовых эскадрильях, так и в летных школах.
   В середине 1915 года запущен в серию "Вуазен LAS" (S - sureleve - улучшенный) с усиленным шасси, более мощным мотором и рядом других нововведений. До конца года выпущено 350 машин. Между тем, все более очевидной становилась непригодность "Вуазена" к активным боевым действиям в условиях западного фронта. Растущие потери тихоходных слабовооруженных машин вынудили французов осенью 1915-го временно приостановить дневные бомбовые рейды. "Вуазены" сначала переклассифицировали в ночные бомбардировщики, а в 1916 начали отводить с фронта в учебные и тыловые подразделения.
   Гораздо дольше эти машины применялись на восточном фронте. Летом 1914 года московский завод "Дукс" освоил выпуск "Вуазенов LA", а позднее и "LAS" по французской документации. Производство машины шло до конца 1917 года. Всего по разным оценкам сдано от 300 до 350 аппаратов. Кроме того 153 экземпляра построил завод В.А. Лебедева в Санкт-Петербурге и еще более 10 - мастерские Ф.Ф.Терещенко под Киевом. Таким образом относительно простые, технологичные и нетребовательные "Вуазены" стали в России самыми массовыми аэропланами первой мировой войны.
   На 1 сентября 1917 года во фронтовых авиаотрядах насчитывалось еще более 70 аппаратов этого типа. Не менее активно самолет участвовал и в гражданской войне. Итальянская фирма S1T построила по лицензии I 12 "Вуазенов LA", оснастив их рядными моторами водяного охлаждения "Фиат", "Изотта-Фраскини" или "Рено". Эти машины, поступившие на вооружение итальянских ВВС, получили полуофициальное наименование "Вуазен SIT". В британском Королевском воздушном корпусе служили 94 "Вуазена LA", из которых 44 были куплены во Франции, а остальные - построены английской фирмой Сэвиджз. Эти самолеты летали в Месопотамии, Палестине и в бассейне Эгейского моря.
  
  
ДВИГАТЕЛЬ
  
   "Гном", 70 л.с. или "Рон", 80 л.с. ("Вуазен L"). "Сальмсон", 120-130 л.с. ("LA"). "Сальмсон", 150, 155 или 160 л.с. ("LAS").
  
  
ВООРУЖЕНИЕ
  
   1-2 шкворневых пулемета и, в зависимости от модификации, от 47 до 230 кг бомб.

А.Шепс Самолеты Первой мировой войны. Страны Антанты

"Вуазен-III", "Вуазен-V" 1914 г.

   Недостаточные летные данные разведчиков типа "Фарман" заставили французских военных искать машины более пригодные к длительной эксплуатации в условиях фронта. Ими стала серия машин, предложенных фирмой "Вуазен". Это были ферменные трехстоечные бипланы с двигателем "Сальмсон" и толкающим винтом. Конструкция смешанная. Гондола имела деревянный каркас и фанерную обшивку. Пояса и стойки ферм, стойки крыльев и лонжероны двухлонжеронного крыла изготавливались из металлических труб. Нервюры крыла и оперения изготавливались из фанеры и бруса. Обтягивались крылья и оперение полотном.
   Руль поворота навешивался на заднюю стойку, соединяющую хвостовые фермы. Рули высоты без стабилизатора устанавливались на узле крепления хвостовых ферм. Двигатель 9-цилиндровый, жидкостного охлаждения, звездообразный. Трубчатые радиаторы устанавливались в хвостовой части гондолы. Шасси четырехколесное, на металлических V-образных стойках, имело резиновую шнуровую амортизацию. Пулемет устанавливался на шкворневой установке над головой пилота. Бомбы подвешивались по бортам гондолы и под ней. Машина получилась прочная, надежная, легко ремонтируемая, и хотя летные качества ненамного превышали данные самолетов "Фарман", самолет был устойчив, легко управляем, позволял выполнять крутые виражи. Этот самолет к 1915 году почти полностью заменил самолеты Фарман MF.16, MF.20, и MF.22 в боевых подразделениях. Он широко применялся на Западном фронте до 1917 года, а в России до конца Гражданской войны, когда стал заменяться машинами DH-9 и P-1.
  
  
Модификации
   "Вуазен-III L" - разведчик и легкий бомбардировщик с двигателем "Сальмсон" (130л. с., позднее 140 и 150 л. с.). Отличался вертикальными крайними стойками крыла бипланной коробки. Пилот размещался спереди, наблюдатель сзади.
   "Вуазен-III LA" - развитие предыдущего, отличался увеличенным размахом крыла. Крайние стойки крыла наклонные. Двигатель "Сальмсон" (140л. с.), позднее заменявшийся на "Сальмсон" (150л. с.).
   "Вуазен-V LAS" - тот же "Вуазен-III LA" с двигателем "Сальмсон" (150л. с.), все стойки крыла и ферм деревянные, каплевидные обтекатели.
   "Вуазен-V LBS" - развитие "Вуазен-V LAS", имел крыло несколько большего размера. Двигатель тот же.
   "Вуазен-V LBP" - самолет создан на базе "Вуазен-V LAS" и отличался более мощным двигателем "Сальмсон" (225л. с.) и установкой в носовой части 37-мм пушки "Кольт" для ведения огня по наземным целям.
  
   Все эти машины строились серийно и успешно применялись в боевых действиях. Однако из-за массированного применения истребителей к концу 1916 года эскадрильи "Вуазенов" понесли большие потери и стали заменяться на более современные и скоростные машины. Уже в середине 1917 года машины практически не применялись на французском фронте. Однако на Восточном, Итальянском и Ближневосточном театрах военных действий они применялись до конца войны.
  
  
  
ЛЕТНО-ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ
  
   Вуазен-III L Вуазен-III LA Вуазен-V LAS Вуазен-V LBS
   1914г. 1914г. 1915г. 1915г.
   Размах, м 13,51 14,74/12,54 14,74/12,54 15,71/14,50
   Длина, м 9,5 9,5 9,5 9,5
   Высота, м 2,95 2,95 3,65 3,63
   Площадь крыла, кв.м 39,0 42,0 42,0 47,0
   Сухой вес, кг 820 800 900 975
   Взлетный вес, кг 1120 1200 1250 1325
   Двигатель: "Сальмсон" "Сальмсон" "Сальмсон" "Сальмсон"
   мощность, л. с. 120 140 150 150
   Скорость макс., км/ч 100 115 105 105
   Набор высоты, м/мин 23/2000 23/2000
   Дальность полета, км 400 400 400 400
   Потолок, м 2800 3000 3000 3500
   Экипаж, чел. 2 2 2 2
   Вооружение 1 пулемет 1 пулемет 1 пулемет 1 пулемет
   200 кг бомб 60 кг бомб 60 кг бомб 60 кг бомб

В.Шавров История конструкций самолетов в СССР до 1938 г.

"Вуазен L". Был начат серийной постройкой в России в 1914 г. Двигатель - "Сальмсон" в 130 л. с., в 1915-1917 гг. - в 140 и 150 л. с. Характерный признак самолета - крайние стойки коробки крыльев вертикальные, все стойки без обтекателей.

   В гондоле летчик помещался впереди, наблюдатель сзади. Пулеметная установка - над головой летчика. Под нижними крыльями были держатели для 10-12 пудов разных небольших бомб.

   Самолет был устойчив в полете и надежен. Он быстро заменил разведчики Ф-16, Ф-20 и Ф-22. Применялся до 1921 г.

   "Вуазены LA и LAS" отличались от самолетов типа L размерами крыльев и наклонными крайними стойками коробки крыльев. В самолетах типа LA стойки были без обтекателей, в самолетах типа LAS с обтекателями. Размеры и конструкция и тех и других были одинаковы.

   Самолет с "Сальмсоном" в 140 л. с. назывался сокращенно "Вуала" ("Вуазен LA"), а позже "Вуалас" (LAS). Самолетам типа LA с "Сальмсоном" в 150л. с. было дано название "Вуаполт", но оно не удержалось и их называли также "Вуалас". Оба широко применялись на фронтах.

   При двигателе в 150 л. с. скорость достигала 105-108 км/ч, а потолок составлял 3000 м. Данные были невысокие даже для того времени, но самолет LAS был весьма летуч, устойчив, допускал крутые виражи. С "Сальмсоном" в 155 л. с. данные "Вуазена LAS" были несколько выше: потолок 3500 м при массе стрелкового вооружения 30 кг и бомбового 47 кг. Время разбега и пробега всех "Вуазенов" - около 12 с.

   "Вуазен LBS" отличался от самолета типа LAS лишь несколько большими размерами крыльев при той же конструкции. Двигатель - первоначально "Сальмсон" в 130л. с., потом в 150 и 160л. с. Строился в небольшом количестве на заводе "Дукс".


Самолет||///
Год выпуска||1914/1914/1915/1915
Назначение самолета||Разведчик
Число мест||2/2/2/2
Двигатель, марка||///
   Мощность, л.с.||130/140/150/160
Длина самолета, м||9,5/9,5/9,5/~9,5
Размах крыла, м||13,51/14,74(12.54)/14.74(12,54)/15,70 (4,50)
Площадь крыла, м2||39/42/42/47
Масса пустого, кг||820/900/900/975
Масса топлива+ масла, кг||140+25/140+26/140+26/140+26
Масса полной нагрузки, кг||300/350/350/350
Полетная масса, кг||1120/1250/1250/1325
Удельная нагрузка на крыло, кг/м2||28,8/29,8/29,8/28,2
Удельная нагрузка на мощность, кг/лс||8,6/8,9/8,3/8,3
Весовая отдача,%||27/28/28/26
Скорость максимальная у земли, км/ч||100/100/105/105
Скорость посадочная, км/ч||70/70/70/68
Время набора высоты||
   1000 м, мин||13/12/11/10
   2000м, мин||28/26/23/22
   3000 м, мин||?/?/55/40
Потолок практический, м||2800/2800/3000/3500
Продолжительность полета, ч||4/4/4/4

L.Opdyke French Aeroplanes Before the Great War (Schiffer)

O.Thetford British Naval Aircraft since 1912 (Putnam)

VOISIN III LA.S

   About 30 Voisin III LA.Ss were in service with the RNAS between 1915 and 1917. They operated as bombers with No.1 Squadron (later NO.1 Wing) and with No.2 Wing at Mudros. Four Voisins were also used by No.8 (Naval) Squadron in East Africa from March 1916. One 140 hp Canton Unne engine. Loaded weight, 2.959 lb. Maximum speed, 62 mph at 6.500 ft. Service ceiling, 10,000 ft. Span, 48 ft 5 in. Length. 31 ft 3 in.

J.Davilla Italian Aviation in the First World War. Vol.3: Aircraft M-W (A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes 75)

Voisin 3

  After receiving 12 Voisin 3s in early 1915, the Italian Servizio Aeronautico (Air Service) decided to produce the type under license.
  The SIT firm of Turin was asked to produce 40 Voisins to supplement the 12 purchased from France. More than 100 were built by the SIT (Societe Italiana Transaera) firm. Their Salmson M9 engines were built under license by the Isotta-Fraschini firm. The Salmsons proved troublesome in operational units. Problems afflicting the rotary Salmsons installed on the Voisin were attributed to the lack of familiarity of pilots and engineers with this type of engine. By mid-1915 only 28 had been completed.
  Alegi lists mid-1916 production as:
  Voisin 3 with 140-hp Canton-Unne engines - 11
  Voisin 3 with 150-hp Canton-Unne engines - 15
  Voisin 3 with 150-hp Isotta Fraschini V.4 engines - 7
  Voisin 3 trainers with 125-hp Salmson or 100-hp Gnome - 7
  By the end of 1916 SIT had produced 112 Voisin 3s.
  Other engines used were the 190-hp Isotta-Fraschini V.4, 100-hp Fiat A.10, and (on at least one Italian Voisin) a 120-hp Le Rhone with external reduction gear. Deliveries began in January 1916. On some Italian Voisins a second gun, usually a 9-mm Revelli machine pistol, was carried.
  Although the Voisin 3s were antiquated, unlike the Caudron G.3s and Parasol Macchis, the Voisin 3s could operate in bad weather. The Voisin-equipped units were able operate successfully over the entire front at Carso.

  The April 1916 production plan was to create four Voisin squadriglias, of which two would have Salmson engines and 2 Isotta Fraschini engines for front line service.
  Although the Voisin 3s were used primarily in the army cooperation role, they could also serve as bombers. The Voisin 3s had performed strategic attacks for the Aviation Militaire in 1915 and 1916. In Italy they were used to supplement the reprisal raids carried out by the Caproni squadriglias.
  For example, in response to Austro-Hungarian raids on Italian cities in the first two months of 1916 on 16 February 5a and 7a Squadriglias sent nine Voisins Kostanjevica, hoping to hit the headquarters and depots at Carso. The Voisins take off was in darkness, fog, and heavy cloud cover. Six Voisins returned at the first light of the day and another two, at the limit of their range, landed at Colonna, near Romans, and near Forte Alberoni, between Chioggia and Venice. The last, a machine of 5a Squadriglia piloted by capitano Ernesto Jacometti with observer tenente Marcus Aurelius Ripamonti, reached the area of Castagnevizza. Immediately after releasing his bombs he was repeatedly hit by the anti-aircraft fire. The Voisin sought refuge in the clouds and flew towards the sea, but with the compass out of order and the flight controls damaged they ended up off course, making a crash landing on the coast of Istria, near Dignano, where the crew was taken prisoner.
  On 26 April, three Capronis joined with four Voisin 3s of 25a and 26a Squadriglias to attack the Ovcia Draga railway terminal; the aircraft were badly damaged by AAA.
  On 15 August, 1916 four Voisins from 25a and four from 26a Squadriglias, escorted by 3 Nieuports of 7a, bombed the Reifenberg station, engaging in several fights against KuK Brandenburgs and Fokkers, one of which was claimed as shot down. The Reifenberg station, on the Trieste-Gorizia line, was once attacked on August 17 by a formation of Voisins, again from 25a and 26a Squadriglias.
  During the Seventh Battle of the Isonzo, on 18 September, Voisin 3s and Farman M.F.11s from I Gruppo, escorted by 76a Squadriglia hit the Comen station twice in attacks that were closely integrated with the action of the ground forces.
  In 1916, Voisins also were used to fly combat patrols, as when Voisins, drawn from 25a, 26a, and 35a Squadriglias, flew two-aircraft patrols between Podgora and Gradisca and between Gradisca and the sea, to prevent enemy aircraft from crossing into Italian territory.
  By 1917, the Voisins were clearly no longer suitable for frontline use and were to be withdrawn from service. However, problems with Savoia Pomilio S.P.2s and S.P.3s, and delays in production, resulted in a few still being present in front line units. Even in late 1917, at Caporetto, 25a Squadriglia was still using the type.
  It is hard to imagine a more unequal series of combats in aviation history as the Voisins went up against the German Luftstreitkrafte. 25a had sent four old Voisins “protected” by Savoia Pomilios S.P.3s and three from 28a Squadriglia, for a mission over Tolmin. The entire formation was attacked by four or five German Albatros D.Vs. Voisin 1303 with capitano osservatore Giuseppe Gabbin and tenente Giuseppe Ciuffelli was the last and lowest in the formation, probably due to engine failure. This was the oldest aircraft in the unit, and in any event was obsolete and should never have been put into a combat situation, especially where the escort was incapable of putting up an adequate defense. Their epitaph was provided by sergente Molino: “It is therefore in the obstinacy of having to perform one’s duty at all costs, despite the enormous obstacle that has arisen, that the two glorious aviators have found death”.
  In the same attack, the plane of tenente Francesco Nociti and sergente Ezio Guerra were shot down, as was tenente osservatore Giacomo Macchi, and sergente Pietro Molino; they both survived. Only tenente osservatore Ignazio Lanza and tenente Umberto Gelmetti managed to return to their field. As a result of these catastrophic losses 25a Squadriglia was officially disbanded on 10 November. It is unfortunate that it took a slaughter of this magnitude, in which three Voisin 3s and four men were lost, to at last bring about the retirement of a successful design that had been pushed well beyond its limits due to the failure of the Italian aviation industry.
  The Voisin 3 s were withdrawn from front-line units and assigned to reconnaissance training. Others were used to drop spies behind enemy lines. For these missions they were fitted with special mufflers to quiet engine noise; this represented one of the first uses of stealth technology.


Voisin 3 (LA) Two-Seat Bomber with One 120-hp Salmson M9 Built by S.l.T. in Italy
  Wingspan 14.74 m; length 9.50 n height 3.60 m, wing area 53.60 sq. m
  Empty weight 800 kg; loaded weight 1,200 kg
  Maximum speed: 120 km/h; climb to 1,000 m in 7 minutes; endurance 3 hours 30 minutes
  A total of 112 were built

Сайт Pilots-and-planes

Voisin 5
  
   The Voisin 3 had proved a successful bomber, but its payload was limited by the Salmson M9 engine, which produced only 120-hp. The Aviation Militaire wished to obtain a more powerful airplane but with the concours puissant (competition for a heavy bomber) not due to take place until mid-1915, it was decided to produce a Voisin 3 with a new engine. A Voisin 3 airframe was fitted with a 150-hp Salmson P9 engine, and the airframe was strengthened and the central nacelle streamlined. The new engine was placed on a raised platform to provide clearance for the propeller and was angled to provide downward thrust. The landing gear was strengthened and the wing chord was increased from the roots to the wing tips. The new aircraft was given the STAe designation Voisin 5, while the factory designation was LAS. The S stood for sureleve (raised) which indicated the raised engine mount. While the exhaust system on the Voisin 3 permitted fumes to escape freely, that of the Voisin 5 ejected the fumes upward through two exhaust pipes.
   One Voisin 5 was transformed into a twin-engine aircraft in 1916. This was accomplished by adding a second Salmson in the front of the fuselage driving a tractor propeller. it is believed this was done to test a possible configuration for a new bomber planned by Voisin. The twin-engine Voisin 5 first flew in early 1916; apparently the type was not developed further.
   The first Voisin 5 reached VB 101 in 1915 and soon replaced the Voisin 3 on the production lines. However, the Voisins 150hp (as they were referred to at the front) were held in low regard by their crews. Despite the more powerful engine, the Voisin 5s' payload was only marginally better and the maximum speed was only 13 km/h faster. Approximately 300 Voisin 5s were built, and these served alongside the Voisin 3s in front-line escadrilles during 1915 and well into 1916.
  
  
   Voisin 5 (LB) Voisin 5 (LBS) Voisin 5
   Two-Seat Bomber Two-Seat Reconnaissance Two-Seat Cannon-Armed Fighter
   150-hp Salmson P9 160-hp Salmson 225-hp Salmson built in Russia
   Built in Russia
Span 14.74 m 15.70 m 18.80 m
Length 10.28 m 9.5 m 11.0 m
Height 3.80 m 2.95 m 2.95 m
Wing area 45 sq. m 47.00 sq.m 63.00 sq. m
Weights:
   Empty 1,000 kg (970 kg) 975 kg 1315 kg
   Loaded 1,450 kg (1,370 kg) 1,325 kg 1,865 kg
Bomb load 180 kg
Performance:
   Max speed 109 km/h at 2,000 m 105 km/h at 2,000 m 120 km/h at 2,000 m
   climb to
   1,000 m 10 minutes 9 minutes
   2,000 m 22 minutes 22 minutes 20 minutes
   3,000 m 40 minutes 36 minutes
   Ceiling 3,500 m 4,000 m
   Endurance 4 hours 4 hours 2.8 hours

Журнал Flight

Flight, October 8, 1915.

THE VOISIN WARPLANE.

   ATTENTION has been called, from time to time, in our columns to the use made by our enemies of captured French machines for school and other purposes. Thus, it may be recollected, we have given illustrations of a captured M. Farman decorated with the black cross that forms the identification mark of all German military machines.
   Among the various types captured by the Germans have also been one or more Voisin biplanes, a fighting machine that has found great favour with our allies across the Channel, who have made, and are making, very extended use of it. As the accompanying illustration, reproduced from Flugsport, shows, the Germans have succeeded in capturing one of these machines intact, and are now employing it for teaching pilots the handling of a type which was considered by their military experts obsolete until French pilots gave practical proof to the contrary. The accompanying scale drawings, which we reproduce by courtesy of our New York contemporary, Aerial Age, and the following description by Mr. Walter H. Phipps, should give a good idea of the general arrangement of this successful French fighting biplane.
   "The Voisin gun-carrier, which is the subject of our description this week, is one of the most interesting developments of the European war. It is a type which is rapidly finding favour for offensive purposes, as its size and weight-carrying ability, coupled with its great range of vision and unobstructed mounting for a large machine gun, make it a terror to all machines coming within its range.
   "The machine is chiefly characteristic on account of its all-steel construction, a feature which, contrary to previous accepted theory, has found great favour for military work on account of its not being affected by climatic conditions. Other outstanding characteristics of the Voisin machine are the excellent four-wheel shock-absorbing chassis, the small gap between the planes, and the large balanced elevator in the rear.
   "The chassis, which is quite different to those fitted to other machines, consists of two sets of wheels, one pair mounted on a single axle at the extreme front of the machine and connected to the nacelle by long telescopic spring absorbers, the other pair directly under the rear main beam and similarly connected by means of shock absorbing -telescopic springs to the rear end of the nacelle. This provides a most excellent landing gear for military work, where landings must frequently be made on very rough ground without fear of capsizing.
   "The nacelle or body is built up in the usual way, the construction being mainly wood with steel for the engine and chassis bearers and braces. It provides accommodation for pilot and observer, the former sitting in front with the observer directly in back of him.
   "Supported by steel tubes and immediately over the pilot's head is the gun, so mounted that it can easily be handled by the observer, who stands up when working the gun.
   "A sloping dash in the nose of the nacelle deflects the air above the heads of the occupants. Behind the passenger's seat and inside the nacelle is mounted a large gasolene tank, sufficient for over 5 hours' flight.
   "The engine, 135 h.p. nine-cylinder water-cooled Salmson, is mounted between double bearings in the rear of the nacelle and drives through a long extension shaft a large diameter propeller which revolves behind the main planes. The engine can be started from the passenger's seat by means of a starting handle.
   "The main planes, which have a comparatively small gap in relation to the chord, are built up of wooden ribs over steel tube spars. Inter-connected ailerons are fitted to both upper and lower planes, and the chord of the ailerons is greater at the tip than at their inner ends in order to render them more efficient.
   "The elevators, which are of tremendous size, are carried on an outrigger formed of four steel tubes, and are unusual in that the elevators, which are of the balanced type, are supported rigidly at only one point on the outrigger, the remainder of the bracing being carried out by wires running to the bottom of the outriggers, and to a short mast on top. Mounted on the rear vertical tube of the outrigger is the large balanced elevator, which is unusual for its great length compared to breadth.
   "A refinement worth noticing are the wheel brakes fitted to the rear wheels.
   "By means of these brakes, which are operated from the pilot's seat, the machine can be held back by the pilot, whilst running the engine all out, so that it is possible by the aid of these brakes, and the starting handle behind the passenger's seat, to start the machine without any outside assistance whatever, a feature which should prove useful for cross-country work where, after having made a forced landing en route, experienced assistants are not always available, and where the help of inexperienced, though willing, assistants may easily cause considerable damage to the machine. Another advantage of the wheel brakes is that on making a landing in restricted grounds this machine can be brought to a standstill, where others would probably be wrecked by running into obstacles."


Flight, November 5, 1915.

EDDIES.

   In spite of the busy-ness of Hendon and the many more or less "near things" that occur almost daily up there, there is no case on record of a machine landing on top of another without, practically, any damage being done to either. The incident illustrated in our photographs occurred at a French aerodrome some little time ago. The machines were both landing, and the Voisin, piloted by an N.C.O. and having a pupil as passenger, was gliding along about six feet from the ground. The Bleriot was also coming down, and the fuselage and wings of the monoplane prevented the pilot from seeing the Voisin. At the instant when the biplane touched the ground the wheels of the Bleriot alighted on its upper plane, and so gentle was the impact that the pilot of the Voisin did not immediately realise that anything unusual had happened. All the repairs that were necessary when the machines had been parted were a new wheel for the Bleriot and a couple of ribs for the top plane of the Voisin.