Reid and Sigrist R.S.3
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| R.S.3 Desford/R.S.4 Bobsleigh | |
|---|---|
 Reid and Sigrist R.S.3 c. 1945 |
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| Type | Trainer |
| Manufacturer | Reid and Sigrist |
| Designed by | W/Cdr George Lowdell |
| Maiden flight | 9 July 1945 |
| Introduced | 1945 |
| Status | Cancelled |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force (intended) |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | Reid and Sigrist R.S.1 |
The Reid and Sigrist R.S.3 was a British twin-engined, three-seat advanced trainer developed in the Second World War for postwar use. Although the R.S.3 was evaluated as a trainer, the type never entered production and was eventually rebuilt as the R.S.4 "Bobsleigh" as an experimental "prone-pilot" proof-of-concept aircraft.
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[edit] Design and development
Reid and Sigrist in Desford, Leicestershire, England, were an important instrument manufacturer in the interwar era, specialising in aircraft applications leading to the forming of an aviation division in 1937 at the New Malden, Surrey factory site. [1]The first product was a twin-engined advanced trainer, the R.S.1 "Snargasher" (1939) which was eventually relegated to company "hack" used primarily at the factory and Desford aerodrome.
The follow-up design, the R.S.3 Desford (taking its name from the company site) was similar in size and concept to its predecessor although it was only configured for a pilot and trainee and featured a low-set wing. The S.R. 3 was powered by two 130 hp de Havilland Gipsy Moth Major Series I engines, rather than the higher powered de Havilland Gipsy Six engines of the earlier R.S.1. The overall shape was more pleasing than the "dumpy" R.S. 1 as well the pleasant flying characteristics of the earlier machine were retained.
[edit] Operational history
The prototype, registered as G-AGOS first flew on 9 July 1945, shortly before VJ Day. Evaluated as a private venture project by test pilots including famed postwar flyer, S/L Janusz Żurakowski at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at RAF Boscombe Down, the R.S. 3 generally was found to be well-suited as a multi-engine primary and intermediate trainer. However, RAF interest was lukewarm due to the glut of surplus wartime training aircraft available. The prototype appeared at the Farnborough Air Show in 1946 but by May 1949 it was deregistered, flying subsequently with RAF serial number VZ728.
Further development of the type continued as the company wanted to establish itself as an aviation engineering and production concern although postwar work primarily centered on instrument and camera production, especially in creating a copy of the German Leica.
When Royal Air Force high-speed research explored high g-forces encountered in manoeuvres, a number of "prone-pilot" experimental aircraft including the Gloster Meteor F8 "Prone Pilot" were produced. The R.S.4 "Bobsleigh" was a radical conversion of the R.S.3 which was reconfigured into a single pilot operation with a prone pilot station in the new "rounded" nose equipped with a transparent cone which covered a large section of the nose and two separate transparent ports to give minimal sideways and rearwards views. The R.S.4 was first flown in this form on 13 June 1951. Although useful data was obtained, the R.S.4's prone pilot did have difficulty with the initial control setup. Today's hang glider pilots have found the prone position an ideal means of controlling flight as well as providing a streamlined profile.
Experimental testing was conducted by the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Farnborough and continued until January 1956 when the R.S.4 returned to the UK civil registry, again as G-AGOS. It was used at one time as an air photo aircraft by Film Aviation Services and remained in flyable condition until 1973. The Snibston Discovery Park (as part of the Leicester Museum of Science & Technology), Ashby Park, Coalville, Leicestershire, presently stores the R.S.4 for future restoration and display.
[edit] Specifications (R.S.3)
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
- Wingspan: 34 ft (10.4 m)
- Height: 8 ft 11 in (2.72 m)
- Wing area: 212 sq ft (19.7 m²)
- Loaded weight: 3,300 lb (1,500 kg)
- Powerplant: × , () each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 162 mph at sea level (261 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 150 mph at 6,000 ft (240 km/h at 1,800 m)
- Stall speed: 65 mph (fully loaded) (105 km/h)
- Range: 900 miles (1,450 km) at 150 mph (240 km/h) for a 4 1/2 hours endurance
- Service ceiling 24,000 ft (7,300 m)
[edit] See also
Comparable aircraft
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ Gunston 1993, p. 250.
[edit] Bibliography
- Gunston, Bill. Back to the Drawing Board: Aircraft That Flew, but Never Took Off. London: Zenith Imprint, 1996. ISBN 0-76030-316-9.
- Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers: From the Pioneers to the Present Day. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1993. ISBN 1-55750-939-5.
- Swanborough, Gordon. British Aircraft at War, 1939-1945. East Sussex, UK: HPC Publishing, 1997. ISBN 0-9531421-0-8.
[edit] External links
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