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

Voisin 12

  In 1917 the STAe announced the BN2 specification for a new night bomber. Voisin tried a new approach to meet the specification. The airplane was a four-engine biplane with a conventional fuselage, horizontal stabilizer, and rudder. The only similarity with the Voisins 1 through 10 was the sloped nose and quadricycle landing gear. The bomber was powered by two pairs of 220-hp Hispano 8Bc engines mounted back to back in nacelles on either side of the fuselage and attached to the lower wings. The landing gear consisted of paired main wheels below each of the engine nacelles and the previously mentioned nose wheels. A tail skid was also located beneath the rudder. The crew consisted of a pilot and flight engineer/bombardier. The BN2 specification did not call for any gunners because the airplane was to fly only under the cover of darkness. Another feature of the design was that the top and bottom wings could be folded to permit hangar storage (a similar feature was found on the RAF's Handley Page bombers).
  The performance of the new craft, designated Voisin 12, was impressive. It carried a payload of 20 120-kg bombs or 16 200-kg bombs. It also had a maximum speed 20 km/h faster than the Voisin 10.
  During testing the only external change was the addition of two small auxiliary fins to either side of the horizontal stabilizer. Construction of the Voisin 12 was completed by September 1918, too late to see service. At one point it was fitted with a cannon in an attempt to meet the S2/S3 specification for a ground-attack aircraft. However, the Armistice resulted in an end to the Aviation Militaire's interest in a new strategic bomber and the Voisin 12 was not selected tor production.


Voisin 12 Two-Seat Heavy Bomber with Four 220-hp Hispano 8Bc Engines
   Span 30.00 in; length 17.30 in; height 4.91 in; wing area 155.68 m
   Empty weight 3,500 kg; loaded weight 5,700 kg
   Maximum speed: 145 km/h at 2,000 m; climb to 2,000 m in 20 minutes; range 700 km; endurance 5 hours
   Armament: 20 120-kg bombs or 16 200-kg bombs; a cannon was also experimentally fitted
   One built



Voisin E.87

  The Voisin E.87 was a four-engine bomber probably intended to meet the BN3/4 heavy bomber specification. It was to have been powered by four 400-hp Hispano engines. Empty weight was 3,300 kg, loaded weight was 5,613 kg, and payload was 1,000 kg. The maximum speed was estimated at 141 km/h at 4,000 m. Climb to 4,000 m was estimated to take 30 minutes. The airplane carried enough fuel for five hours of flight. This design was never built but was developed into the Voisin 12.



Voisin BN3/4 Bomber - Salmson Engines

  Gabriel Voisin never lost his interest in the long-range heavy bomber. While his triplane designs of 1915 and 1916 had been failures, the Voisin firm produced several types to meet the BN3/4 requirements of 1918. One such design was for a large biplane powered by four 260-hp Salmson engines. Specifications included an empty weight of 3,300 kg, a loaded weight of 5,713 kg, and a payload of 1,000 kilograms. The wing surface area was 146 sq. m. Enough fuel was carried for seven hours of flight. Maximum speed was estimated at 157 km/h at 4,000 meters. Climb to 4,000 meters was estimated to take 30 minutes. By early April 1918 the design was still on paper and it appears that the aircraft was never built.



Voisin BN3/4 Bomber - Hispano-Suiza Engines

  The Voisin firm submitted several designs to meet the BN3/4 heavy bomber specification of 1918. One called for a huge biplane with four 300-hp Hispano-Suiza engines. Empty weight was 3,407 kg, loaded weight 5,713 kg, and payload 1,500 kg. The combined wing surface area was 146 sq. m. The aircraft had an endurance of five hours, an estimated maximum speed of 146 km/h at 4,000 meters, and estimated climb to 4,000 meters within 30 minutes. It was under construction in April 1918 but it does not appear that construction was ever completed. This design may have been a development of the E.50 or E.87 projects.