Sage Type 3
The Sage Type 3 (also known as the Sage N3 School[1]) was a prototype British biplane training aircraft of the First World War. It was unsuccessful, only two examples being built.
Development and design
In 1916, the British Admiralty placed a contract with Frederick Sage & Co, a Peterborough based woodworking company which had become an aircraft contractor for the Royal Navy, to design and build a primary trainer for the Royal Naval Air Service. It was required to be robust, with a low landing speed and good visibility. The resultant design, the Sage Type 3, was a two-bay tractor biplane powered by a Rolls-Royce Hawk engine. In order to prevent the aircraft overturning during landing, it was fitted with an additional pair of wheels ahead of the mainwheels.[2][3]
The first prototype Type 3 flew on 5 January 1917. It proved to be slow, even for a trainer, and was modified with smaller tail surfaces and reduced weight, becoming the Type 3b (with the original design retrospectively designated Type 3a), which slightly improved performance.[4] However, after a second aircraft was built, the contract was cancelled, and the remaining aircraft of the contract for 30 Type 3s were unbuilt.[1] The type did form the basis for the Sage Type 4 floatplane, which was ordered into production but cancelled due to the end of the war.[5]
Specifications (Type 3b)
Data from British Aeroplanes 1914-18 [4]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 32 ft 10 in (10.01 m)
- Wingspan: 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m)
- Height: 10 ft 9 in (3.26 m)
- Wing area: 330 sq ft (30.7 m²)
- Empty weight: 1,390 lb (632 kg)
- Loaded weight: 1,980 lb (900 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Hawk 6-cylinder liquid-cooled inline piston engine, 75 hp (56 kW)
- Propellers: two bladed propeller, 1 per engine
- Propeller diameter: 8 ft (2.44 m)
Performance
See also
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
Notes
- ^ a b Uppendaun 2004, p.69.
- ^ Bruce 1957, p.463.
- ^ Flight 24 July 1919, p.974.
- ^ a b Bruce 1957, p.464.
- ^ Bruce 1957, pp.464, 466.
- ^ Flight 24 July 1919, p.973.
References
- Bruce, J.M. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. London:Putnam, 1957.
- ""Milestones" The Sage Machines". Flight, 24 July 1919. pp.971—975.
- Uppendaun, Bob. "Sage-Like Thoughts:The Products of Frederick Sage & Co". Air Enthusiast, No.110, March/April 2004. pp.68-69.
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