Antoinette III

Tha Antoinette III was a pioneer aircraft developed in France during 1908.

Antoinette III
Antoinette 3 in her hangar
Role	Pioneer aircraft
National origin	France
Manufacturer	Antoinette
Designer	Léon Levavasseur
First flight	1908
Number built	1
Developed from	Gastambide-Mengin II

The Antoinette on the way out

Development

After the limited success of the Gastambide-Mengin monoplane Levavasseur completely revised the design resulting in the Antoinette III. The inadequate roll control was not greatly improved, retaining the wing warping of the Gastambide-Mengin. Ground handling and take-off / landing performance was improved, however, by revising the complex inadequate quadricycle undercarriage of the Gastambide-Mengin, with strut supported wheels forward and aft on the centre-line and side-by-side wheels midway between the singles. Other improvements came in the form of the cruciform tail unit with large triangular fins above and below the rear fuselage, as well as the large tailplane, all of which supported triangular control surfaces.

Control was found to be marginal at best, but short flights were made regularly.

Antoinette in flight

Specifications (Antoinette III)

At work on the Antoinette

See also

• Gastambide-Mengin monoplane
• Antoinette IV
• Antoinette V
• Antoinette VI
• Antoinette VII
• Antoinette military monoplane
• Fedor Ivanovich Bylinkin, designer of a similar aircraft, 1910

Related lists List of aircraft (pre-1914)

References

• Jane, Fred T. (1909). Jane's all the World's Airships 1909. London: Sampson, Low & Marston. SBN 7153-4649-0.