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

R.E.P. Parasols

  In 1914 the R E.P. firm produced two parasol designs. Both were of steel construction, and had fuselages with triangular cross-sections. Control was by wing warping. One version was a single-seater and had a 60-hp Le Rhone; the other a two-seater with an 80-hp Gnome. Given the Aviation Militaire's insistence that reconnaissance machines provide the crew with the best possible field of vision, it would seem that the R.E.P. parasols would have been favored over the R.E.P. N with its shoulder-mounted wings. However, the R.E.P. parasols were not adopted; instead, the R.E.P. N was selected.
  Approximately 12 R.E.P. Parasols were ordered by the RNAS. They were assigned serials 8454 to 8565 and were fitted with 70-hp engines. The first two, 8454 and 8455, arrived in August 1915 and were assigned to No.4 Wing. No.1 Wing also received at least one.
  One of No.1 Wing's aircraft became lost and was interned in the Netherlands in 1916. It was purchased from the British and given Dutch serial LA 23. It was at some time armed with a forward-firing Hotchkiss gun mounted laterally so that its field of fire was outside of the propeller's arc. It was later assigned serial REP 3.


R.E.P. Single-Seater Parasol with 60-hp Le Rhone
   Span 10.25 in; length 6.74 m; wing area 19 sq. in
   Empty weight 263 kg: payload 150 kg
   Maximum speed: 120 km/h: climb I 50 m/min.

R.E.P. Two-Seater Parasol with 80-hp Gnome
   Span 11.25 m; length 7.67 m; wing area 22 sq. tn
   Empty weight 295 kg; payload 250 kg
   Maximum speed: 125 km/h; climb 107 m/min.