Couzinet 100

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Couzinet 100
Role Large touring aircraft
National origin France
Manufacturer Société Avions René Couzinet
Designer René Couzinet
First flight 23 June 1933

The Couzinet 100 was a three-engined, three-seat touring aircraft designed and built in France in 1930. Two variants, the Couzinet 101 and Couzinet 103, were very similar apart from their engines; no variant reached production.

Design

The Couzinet 100 series of touring aircraft was broadly similar to its contemporary the

fin, formed from the fuselage.[1]

The Couzinet 101 had a one piece,

trim tabs.[1]

Two of the 101's three 63 kW (85 hp), seven-cylinder

fin; its one-piece, almost triangular tailplane was built into the fuselage, carrying very narrow elevators. Like the ailerons, these had ground adjustable tabs. The rudder had a rather pointed tip but was curved and full; extending down to the keel, it operated in a slight elevator cut-out.[1]

All versions of the Couzinet 100 had fixed, tailwheel landing gear. When the Couzinet 100, powered by 34 kW (45 hp) Salmson 9 ADb radials made its first flight it had mainwheels in trouser fairings[2] and relied on low pressure tyres to absorb landing shocks. One flight was enough to see its return to the factory, where a more conventional three strut arrangement was installed.[3] The Couzinet 101 had similar gear, each wheel with a near-vertical oleo strut to the forward spar in the inner wing and a cranked axle and drag strut from the lower fuselage. The wheels, in spats, were below the outer engines with a track of 2.83 m (9 ft 3 in). The mainwheels had independent brakes and the tailwheel castored on its oleo strut.[1]

Development

The forward fuselage of the Couzinet 100 was on display at the 13th Paris Salon in November 1932.

Villacoublay on 23 June 1933.[3] The Pobjoy-engined 101 was there early in November, being prepared for flight and still referred to as the Couzinet 100.[6] It first flew between 11 and 18 November.[7] At the end of February 1934 it returned from tests with C.E.M.A. for modifications to the fuel system.[8]

The Couzinet 101 failed to attract buyers and the sole example, F-AMTJ, was the only Couzinet 100 series aircraft to be registered. It became one of the many unusual aircraft to be bought by the Spanish (Republican) government when the Spanish Civil War began in 1936. Its subsequent history is unknown.[9][10]

Little is recorded about the Couzinet 103, which was powered by three 60 kW (80 hp)

Salmson 9 ADr radials.[11]

Variants

Couzinet 100
3 × 34 kW (45 hp) Salmson 9 ADb. Flew 23 June 1930.[3] Trousered undercarriage initially.[2]
Couzinet 101
3 × 56 kW (75 hp) Pobjoy R.[1] Flew November 1933.[7]
Couzinet 103
3 × 60 kW (80 hp)
Salmson 9 ADr.[11]

Specifications (Couzinet 101)

Data from Les Ailes January 1934[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: One
  • Capacity: Two passengers
  • Length: 10.05 m (33 ft 0 in)
  • Wingspan: 13.50 m (44 ft 3 in)
  • Height: 3 m (9 ft 10 in)
  • Wing area: 20 m2 (220 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 900 kg (1,984 lb) equipped
  • Gross weight: 1,420 kg (3,131 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 300 L (66 imp gal; 79 US gal)
  • Powerplant: 3 × Pobjoy R 7-cylinder radial, 63 kW (85 hp) each at 3,300 rpm; geared down 0.47:1
  • Propellers: 4, wooden-bladed, 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) diameter [12]

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 250 km/h (160 mph, 130 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 220 km/h (140 mph, 120 kn)
  • Range: 885 km (550 mi, 478 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 5,800 m (19,000 ft)
  • Time to altitude: 11 min 31 sec to 3,000 m (9,800 ft)
  • Ceiling with one outer engine stopped: 3,600 m (11,800 ft)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Frachet, André (11 January 1934). "La limousine René Couzinet 101". Les Ailes (656): 3.
  2. ^ a b "Couzinet 100". Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Notules Techniques - Le petit trimoteur Couzinet". Les Ailes (629): 4. 6 July 1933.
  4. ^ "Couzinet". Flight. XXIV (48): 1108. 24 November 1932.
  5. ^ "Le Salon (image, left)". Les Ailes (597): 3. 24 November 1932.
  6. ^ "Notules Techniques - en meme temps". Les Ailes (646): 3. 2 November 1933.
  7. ^ a b "Notules Techniques - chez Couzinet". Les Ailes (649): 18. 23 November 1933.
  8. ^ "A Villacoublay". Les Ailes (664): 14. 8 March 1934.
  9. ^ Bernard, Martin; Sparrow, Dave; Espérou, Bernard (March 2013). "F-1922 - The French Civil Register from 1922". Air Britain Archive: 2015/178.
  10. ISBN 0 85177 842 9
    .
  11. ^ a b Bruno Parmentier (23 April 2003). "Couzinet 103". Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  12. ^ Hirschauer, L.; Dollfus, Ch. (1934). L'Anné Aéronautique 1933–1934. Paris: Dunod. p. 29.

Further reading


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