Summary
The Tellier T.3 was a French two-seat patrol biplane flying-boat designed and built by Société Alphonse Tellier et Cie à Neuilly (Tellier) and also produced by Société Anonyme des Établissements Nieuport (Nieuport).
| Tellier T.3 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Patrol flying-boat |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Société Alphonse Tellier et Cie à Neuilly (Tellier) / Société Anonyme des Établissements Nieuport (Nieuport) |
| Designer | Alphonse Tellier |
| First flight | 1917 |
| Primary user | French Naval Aviation |
| Number built | ~100 T.3 + 55 T.c.6 |
| Developed from | Tellier T.2 |
Design and development edit
Based on the earlier Tellier T.2 the T.3 was a two-bay, unequal-span biplane flying boat powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8Ac engine in pusher configuration, with the pilot sitting ahead of the engine and the gunner/observer in the nose with a forward-facing Vickers machine gun.[1]
Following test flights by both the Aviation Militaire and the Aéronavale, the Aéronavale ordered ten aircraft and the British Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) ordered two for gun and camouflage trials at the Isle of Grain.[1] A total of 100 aircraft were built, including 47 by Nieuport, who took over the assets of Tellier.[2]
A development of the T.3 was armed with a cannon in the nose and was designated the Tellier T.c.6. Large orders were placed, but only 55 had been built by the Armistice.[2]
Production of two-seat Tellier T.3s was also carried out in Russia, but no aircraft were assembled. Ten Tellier T.3s were assembled from the wartime parts, in the nascent Soviet Union, at GAZ No.3 (GAZ - Gosudarstvenny Aviatsionnyy Zavod – state aviation plant/factory).[3]
Variants edit
- T.3
- Production aircraft built by Tellier and Nieport; Approx 190 T.3s were built, including ten in Russia / Soviet Union.
- T.6
- (also known as Tc.6, denoting cannon armament) At least 55 T.3s with lengthened rear fuselage armed with 47 mm (1.85 in) Hotchkiss cannon.
Operators edit
Specifications (T.3) edit
Data from British and Allied Aircraft Manufacturers of the First World War,[1] French aircraft of the First World War[3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Capacity: 560 kg (1,230 lb) payload
- Length: 11.83 m (38 ft 10 in) (Tc.6 / T.6 - 12.71 m (41.7 ft))
- Wingspan: 15.6 m (51 ft 2 in)
- Height: 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 47 m2 (510 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 1,150 kg (2,535 lb)
- Gross weight: 1,796 kg (3,960 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 8Ac V-8 water-cooled piston engine, 150 kW (200 hp)
- Propellers: 2-bladed wooden fixedpitch pusher propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 130 km/h (81 mph, 70 kn) to 135 km/h (84 mph; 73 kn)
- Endurance: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Time to altitude: 500 m (1,600 ft) in 2 minutes 45 seconds
- 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 6 minutes 30 seconds
- 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in 11 minutes 30 seconds
- 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 15 minutes 30 seconds
- 2,500 m (8,200 ft) in 24 minutes
Armament
- Guns: 1× forward-facing 0.303 in (7.70 mm) Vickers machine gun
- Cannon (Tc.6): 1x 47 mm (1.85 in) Hotchkiss Model 1885 cannon
- Bombs: 2x 35 kg (77 lb) bombs
References edit
- ^ a b c Treadwell, Terry C (2013). British and Allied Aircraft Manufacturers of the First World War. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781445620091.
- ^ a b The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. pp. 2699–2700.
- ^ a b Davilla, Dr. James J.; Soltan, Arthur M. (January 2002). French aircraft of the First World War. Flying Machines Press. pp. 529–531. ISBN 1891268090.
Bibliography edit
- Kotelnikov, V.; Kulikov, V. & Cony, C. (December 2001). "Les avions français en URSS, 1921–1941" [French Aircraft in the USSR, 1921–1941]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (105): 50–56. ISSN 1243-8650.