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

Ponnier M.1 and M.2

  The Ponnier M.1 was designed by Emile Eugene Dupont and built by the Ponnier firm in late 1915. It was a single-bay biplane with wings of unequal span. The type's most noticeable feature was the immense cone de penetration covering the two-bladed propeller; it was in marked contrast to the petite tail surfaces. Power was supplied by a Gnome 9C rotary engine. The fuselage and wings were of wood with fabric covering. A 7.7-mm Lewis machine gun was mounted over the top wing.
  Apparently the prototype was flight-tested by a number of pilots, including Charles Nungesser, who flew the M.1 on 29 January 1916. During that flight the aircraft crashed and Nungesser broke both legs and his jaw. It appears that the M.1 was unstable, perhaps because of its tiny tail surfaces. The Ponnier was not adopted for production by the French. Some M.1s were sent to the training schools, but none equipped operational units.
  However, the Belgians needed a modern fighter aircraft and were having difficulty in obtaining Nieuports from France. A Major Tournay, who was in charge of purchasing aircraft for the Belgian air service, ordered 30 M.1s. They were built by La Societe Anonyme Francaise de Constructions Aeronautique, which had superseded Avions Ponnier.
  The Belgians soon discovered that ihe M.1s were difficult to fly. Some were modified by having the cone de penetration deleted, the tailplane and elevators enlarged, and a fixed fin fitted. It does not appear that these changes resulted in any significant improvement in flying qualities; Belgian ace Willy Coppens noted that the M.1s remained unstable even alter these alterations. Consequently, the order for 30 was reduced to ten (some sources say 18). There is no evidence these aircraft ever were used operationally by the Belgians. Major Tournay was subsequently removed from his position as aircraft procurement officer, at least in part due Io the M.1 debacle.
  An enlarged version of the M.1, with a two-man crew and designated the M.2, was proposed. The engine was probably a 110-hp Le Rhone or Gnome Monosoupape. The M.2 was tested in 1915 and, according to the Commission of Aircraft and Motors Report dated August 1915, was actually favored over a two-seat Nieuport (possibly a Nieuport 14) in terms of climb rate. However, the Nieuport design was stronger, had better maneuverability, and could be produced more quickly than the Ponnier. Therefore, the M.2 was not adopted for service. The report gives the aircraft's wing area as 24 sq. m, which was slightly higher than the 20 sq. m reported by other sources. It is possible that the aircraft tested was a modified M.2.


Ponnier M.1 Single-Seat Fighter with Gnome 9C Rotary
   Span 6.18 m; length 5.75 m; height 2.30 m; wing area 13.5 sq. m
   Empty weight 304 kg; loaded weight 464 kg
   Maximum speed: 167 km/h at sea level; Climb to 1,000 m 4 minutes 40 seconds
   Armament: one 7.7-mm Lewis machine gun

Ponnier M.2 Two-Seat Reconnaissance-Fighter with Gnome 9C Rotary (as recorded by STAe)
   Span 8.10 m; length 7.10 m; height 3.10 m; wing area 24 sq. m
   Empty weight 510 kg; loaded weight 810 kg
   Maximum Speed:
at ground level 167.5 km/h
1,000 m 163.7 km/h
2,000 tn 162 km/h
3,000 m 149.5 km/h
   Climb:
500 m 1 minutes 50 seconds
1,000 m 4 minutes 30 seconds
1,500 m 7 minutes 25 seconds
2,000 tn 10 minutes 4 5 seconds
2,500 tn 1 5 minutes 25 seconds
3,000 m 20 minutes
   Ceiling: 4,750m

Ponnier M.2 Two-Seat Fighter (all data provisional)
   Wing span 7.52 tn; length 6.45 m; wing area 20 sq. nt
   Empty weight 380 kg; loaded weight 650 kg
   Maximum speed: 165 km/h; climb to 2,000 m in 10 minutes
   Armament: one 7.7-mm Lewis machine gun mounted on the top wing angled to fire outside the propeller arc and another Lewis on a swivel mount lor the gunner