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Caudron G.III
role : two-seat unarmed reconnaissance
first flight : summer 1914 operational : November 1914
country : France
design : Gaston Caudron
production : 2450 built in France, 233 built in the UK, 166 built in Italy
general information :
The Caudron G.III was developed from the G.II single-seater from 1913, it kept the same layout. This layout was somewhat strange with the engine and tractor airscrew at the front of a short fuselage and two tail booms to carry the tailplanes.
The G.III saw many use in the first years of WWI. It had a good ceiling and a long endurance with made long range reconnaissance possible. With the appearance of the first fighter planes, summer 1915, the G.III became to slow and vulnerable for attack and it was withdrawn from the front by the French mid 1916. After this it was used successfully as trainer-aircraft. It became the standard trainer of the French and in this role (indicated as G.IIIE.2) used till the end of WWI. Even after the war it was used by private flyers. It had the nickname “Cage a Poules” (chicken run). In May 1914 a G.III set a world endurance record, it stayed aloft for 16 hours and 28 minutes. The G.III could even make a looping and when it stalled it kept controllable. The Italians used the G.III till march 1917 for reconnaissance duties and the British used it even till august 1917 at the front !
Control was done by wing warping, later production aircraft had ailerons.
Besturing geschiedde door het vervormen van de vleugel (warping), later werden een aantal met ailerons uitgerust. René Fonck, the famous ace, flew a G.III in 1915
users : France, RFC(109), RNAS(120), Belgium, Russia, Italy
crew : 2
armament : no fixed armament
engine : 1 Gnome 7A Monosoupape air-cooled 7 -cylinder Monosoupape rotary engine 80 [hp](58.8 KW) or 90 – 100 hp Anzani
dimensions :
wingspan : 13.4 [m], length : 6.9 [m], height : 2.62[m]
wing area : 27.0 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 732 [kg]
empty weight operational : 446 [kg] bombload : 9 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 110 [km/hr] at sea-level
service ceiling : 3000 [m]
endurance : 4.0 [hours]
estimated action radius : 198 [km]
G.III displayed at the Koninklijk Militair Museum in Brussel, it is fitted with ailerons
description :
2˝-bay sesquiplane with fixed underwing 4 -wheel landing gear and tail strut
upper wingtips supported by slanted struts
two spar upper and lower wing
tail supported by two open tail booms
engine, fuel and bombload in or attached to fuselage, landing gear attached to the wing
airscrew :
fixed pitch 2 -bladed tractor airscrew with max. efficiency :0.62 [ ]
estimated diameter airscrew 2.68 [m]
angle of attack prop : 13.60 [ ]
fine pitch
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1200 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 1.53 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 171 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 1.34 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 1.50 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 9.98 []
estimated gap : 1.59 [m]
gap/chord : 1.18 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 242 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 6.5 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 18.0 [kg/hr] (24.6 [litre/hr]) at 73 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 5.49 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 112 [litre] (82 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 109.4 [kg] = 1.86 [kg/KW]
weight 36 litre oil tank : 3.1 [kg]
oil tank filled with 0.4 litre oil : 0.4 [kg]
oil in engine 0 litre oil : 0.3 [kg]
fuel in engine 0 litre fuel : 0.3 [kg]
weight 10 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 1.6 [kg]
weight cowling 2.4 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 13.5 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 128 [kg](17.5 [%])
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weight tail boom : 20 [kg]
fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 5.88 [cm]): 61 [kg]
bracing : 3.1 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 5.8 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 1.9 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 6.1 [kg]
weight seats : 6.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]
weight 101 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 8.1 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 3 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 95 [kg](13.0 [%])
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weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 17 [kg]
total weight ribs (45 ribs) : 44 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 507.0 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 149.4 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 42 [kg]
weight wings : 103 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 3.82 [kg]
weight 12 interplane struts & cabane : 26.0 [kg]
weight cables (66 [m]) : 5.1 [kg] (= 77 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 3.5 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (2.1 [m2]) : 8.3 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (3.0 [m2]): 11.8 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 154 [kg] (21.1 [%])
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weight armament : 0 [kg]
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good soft ground capabilities
wheel pressure : 183.0 [kg]
weight 4 wheels (680 [mm] by 80 [mm]) : 23.9 [kg]
weight tailskid : 2.1 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 16.7 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 42.7 [kg] (5.8 [%]
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calculated empty weight : 420 [kg](57.3 [%])
weight oil for 4.8 hours flying : 31.1 [kg]
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calculated operational weight empty : 451 [kg] (61.6 [%])
published operational weight empty : 446 [kg] (60.9 [%])
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weight crew : 162 [kg]
weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 36 [kg]
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operational weight : 649 [kg](88.6 [%])
bomb load : 9 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 658 [kg]
weight camera : 20 [kg]
operational weight photo mission : 669 [kg]
fuel reserve : 46 [kg] enough for 2.54 [hours] flying
possible additional useful load : 17 [kg]
operational weight fully loaded : 732 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 732 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (operational without bombload) : 11.03 [kg/kW]
total power : 58.8 [kW] at 1200 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 1.5 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 3.75 [g] ultimate load : 5.6 [g] load factor : 2.5 [g]
design flight time : 3.20 [hours]
design cycles : 438 sorties, design hours : 1400 [hours]
operational wing loading : 243 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 191 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.11 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 11.40 ["]
angle of attack at max.speed : 3.52 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.10 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.12 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.42 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0074 [ ]
drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0774 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0701 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 67 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 80 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) = minimum speed*1.1 at cruise height : 79 [km/hr] at 1500 [m] (power:46 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 79 [km/hr] at 1500 [m] (power:46 [%])
max. rate of climb speed : 67.0 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 99 [km/hr] op 1500 [m] (power:69 [%])
design speed prop : 104 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 110 [km/hr] op 100 [m] (power:99 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 179 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 165 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 9.16 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 5050 [m] with flying weight :541 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight): 4000 [m] with flying weight :649 [kg]
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 3400 [m] with flying weight :714 [kg]
published ceiling (3000 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 9.47 [min]
climb to 3000m (without bombload) : 24.30 [min]
max. dive speed : 256.0 [km/hr] at 2400 [m] height
load factor at max. angle turn 1.81 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 45 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 11.0 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 4.54 [hours] with 2 crew and 37 [kg] useful (bomb)load and 100.0 [%] fuel
published endurance : 4.00 [hours] with 2 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 47 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 272 [km] with 2 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 273 [litre] fuel : 1099 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 109 [kg]
production : 10.80 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 2.27 [kg]
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Literature :
Bomber 1914-1939 page 6
Jane’s Fighter aircraft WOI page108
Oorlogsvliegtuigen 14-18 page16,17,18
Bombers 1914-19 page165
Gevechtsvliegtuigen 14-18 deel 2 page 9,10,11
Warplanes WOI page 12,38,42,154
They fought for the sky page 73
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program.
For copyright on drawings/photographs/content please mail to below mail address
(c) B van der Zalm 04 January 2019 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4