Voisin Type de Course

The 1910 Type de Course was designed by Gabriel Voisin as a racing aircraft to take part in the many competitions being held at the time. A development of his highly successful 1907 biplane, it was a two-seater two-bay pusher configuration biplane with an elevator (aircraft) mounted on the upcurved front of the nacelle and rear-mounted empennage carried on two pairs of booms carrying the tail surfaces.[1] The first aircraft flown, built for Henri Rougier, had a single rudder above the stabiliser and a fixed fin below: some later examples differed slightly. The structure made extensive use of metal: the nacelle was constructed of circular and elliptical section nickel-steel tubing,[2] the interplane struts were steel and the wings had steel spars and wooden ribs.[3] Importantly, it differed from the earlier Voisin aircraft in having provision for lateral control in the form of ailerons, which allowed Voisin to dispense with the "side-curtains" between the wings characteristic of his earlier aircraft. Rougier's aircraft had biplane mid-gap ailerons mounted on the front outer pair of interplane struts. The undercarriage consisted of a pair of mainwheels under the wings, a large nosewheel carried between a pair of inverted V-struts under the front of the nacelle and a small tailwheel mounted on the bottom of the fin. It was powered by a 50 hp E.N.V. water-cooled V8.[1]

The first example was flown by Rougier on the 13 April 1910.[4] A second aircraft built for René Métrot differed in having monoplane ailerons, two rudders and an uncovered nacelle.[5] Others were built for various customers, differing in the engine fitted: these included the 37 kW (50 hp) Gnome and the 4-cylinder Gobron. Six were flown at the second Reims Grande Semaine d'Aviation, but without any success in any of the competitions.[6]

Data from Flight[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 1 passenger
• Length: 9 m (29 ft 6 in)
• Wingspan: 9 m (29 ft 6 in)
• Wing area: 33 m² (360 sq ft)
• Gross weight: 350 kg (772 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × E.N.V. Type A V-8 water cooled piston engine. , 37 kW (50 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed Voisin, 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in) diameter