Paul Schmitt P.S.3

The Paul Schmitt P.S.3 was a French World War One biplane bomber that was built in small numbers but primarily used as a trainer.[1]

Paul Schmitt P.S.3
Role bomber/trainer
National origin France
Manufacturer Paul Schmitt
Designer Paul Schmitt
Introduction 1915[1]
Status retired
Primary user Aéronautique Militaire
Number built 6[1]

Development

The P.S.3 was unusual in that the entire wing cellule was designed to have its angle of incidence adjusted from 0° to 12° while in flight.[2] When set at the maximum, this gave the aircraft a pronounced back-stagger. This was possible because the wing was attached to the fuselage by a single pivot, and controlled by a jackscrew in the cockpit.[2] This allowed for an unusually broad speed range, so that a minimum speed of only 35 km/h (22 mph) was achieved.[2] The fuselage was built up from welded steel tubes, with a square cross section forward tapering to a triangle section aft.[2]

One example was built as a floatplane, however unlike most of the landplanes, it was powered by a 150 hp (110 kW) Canton Unné P9 liquid cooled radial in place of the Gnome rotaries normally used.

Operational history

Although intended as a bomber, it was only ever built in small numbers, and was quickly relegated to use as a trainer, partly because the Aéronautique Militaire had already chosen the Voisin III as their standard bomber.

Victorin Garaix set a number of speed and height records while carrying passengers in 1914.[3]

The floatplane was exported to a private buyer the US in 1916[1], only to later be taken on strength by the United States Navy in April 1917 with the serial A-52, however it was used primarily as a instructional airframe at Pensacola for training groundcrew.[4]

Operators
 France
  • Aéronautique Militaire
 United States

Specifications (Paul Schmitt P.S.3)
3-view drawing from Flight magazine of Paul Schmitt P.S.3

Data from Davilla, 1997, p.451

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 10.00 m (32 ft 10 in)
  • Upper wingspan: 17.50 m (57 ft 5 in)
  • Lower wingspan: 13.56 m (44 ft 6 in)
  • Wing Chord: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
  • Height: 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
  • Wing area: 49 m2 (530 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 650 kg (1,433 lb)
  • Gross weight: 1,100 kg (2,425 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Gnome 14 Lambda-Lambda 14 cylinder double-row air-cooled rotary, 120 kW (160 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed Régy 301, 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in) diameter wood fixed pitch propeller[5]

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 116 km/h (72 mph, 63 kn)
  • Stall speed: 35 km/h (22 mph, 19 kn)
  • Range: 460 km (290 mi, 250 nmi)

References

Citations
  1. Davilla, 1997, p.451
  2. Spooner, 1914, p.1072-1074
  3. "Le grimpeur de Chartres" (in French). 30 March 1914. p. 7. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  4. Baugher, 2019
  5. Hartmann, 2015, p.22

Bibliography
  • Baugher, Joe (9 May 2019). "US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos - First Series (A51 to A6001)". Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  • Davilla, Dr. James J.; Soltan, Arthur (1997). French Aircraft of the First World War. Mountain View, CA: Flying Machines Press. ISBN 978-1891268090.
  • Hartmann, Gérard (6 January 2015). "Les héliciers français" (pdf) (in French). Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  • Stanley Spooner, ed. (30 October 1914). "The Paul Schmitt Biplane". Flight magazine. No. 305 Volume VI/No.44. London, UK. pp. 1072–1074.
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