Savoia-Pomilio SP.4
| SP.4 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Reconnaissance and bomber aircraft |
| National origin | Italy |
| Manufacturer | AER |
| Designer | Umberto Savoia and Ottorino Pomilio |
| First flight | 1917 |
| Number built | ca. 150 |
| Developed from | Savoia-Pomilio SP.1 |
The Savoia-Pomilio SP.4 was a reconnaissance and bomber aircraft built in Italy during the First World War.[1] It was a further development of the family of designs that had started with the SP.1. Ultimately all of these took their basic configuration from the Farman MF.11: a biplane with twin tails and a fuselage nacelle that accommodated the crew and a pusher-mounted engine.[2] However, the SP.4 differed both from its Farman antecedent and the previous Savoia-Pomilio designs by featuring twin engines mounted in the interplane gap in place of the single engine in the nacelle.[2] Removing the engine from this position allowed a second machine gun to be placed there instead.[2]
Apart from their intended role as a reconnaissance aircraft and bomber, some SP.4s were used to insert spies and saboteurs behind enemy lines.[3] A further development designated SP.5 remained unbuilt by the end of the war.[4]
Operators
[edit]
Specifications
[edit]Data from "Savoja-Pomilio S.p.4"
General characteristics
- Crew: Two, pilot and observer
- Length: 10.70 m (35 ft 1 in)
- Wingspan: 19.80 m (65 ft 0 in)
- Wing area: 78 m2 (839 sq ft)
- Gross weight: 2,300 kg (5,060 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Isotta-Fraschini V.4B , 110 kW (150 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 150 km/h (94 mph, 82 kn)
Armament
- 2 × machine guns
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft. London: Aerospace Publishing.
- "Savoja-Pomilio S.p.4". Aerei Italiani. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.
