Caudron R.11

R.11

Manufacturer: Caudron
Designed by: Paul Deville
First flight: 1917
Retired: July 1922
Primary user: France
Number built: 370

The Caudron R.11 was a French five-seat escort twin-engine biplane fighter aircraft developed and produced during World War I.

Development

The R.11 was originally intended to fulfill the French Corps d'Armee reconnaissance category. Its design was similar to the Caudron R.4, but with a more pointed nose, two bracing bays outboard the engines rather than three, no nose-wheel, and a much larger tail. The engines were housed in streamlined nacelles just above the lower wing.

Operational history

The French army ordered 1000 R.11s. Production began in 1917, with the first aircraft completed late in that year. In February 1918 the first Escadrille (squadron) R.26 was equipped. The last escadrille to form before the Armistice (and production ended abruptly) was R.246, at which point 370 planes had been completed.

Variants

The Caudron R.12 was an experimental version of the R.11, with a larger engine. Development ended when the Caudron R.14 variant appeared in August 1918.

Operators

France

Units using this aircraft

Escadrille R.46
Escadrille R.239
Escadrille R.240
Escadrille R.241
Escadrille R.242
Escadrille R.246

Specifications (variant)

Data from The Complete Book of Fighters

General characteristics

Crew: 3
Wingspan: 17.92 m (58 ft 9.5 in)
Height: 2.8 m (9 ft 2.25 in)
Wing area: 54.25 m² (583.96 ft²)
Empty weight: 1422 kg (3135 lb)
Gross weight: 2167 kg (4777 lb)
Powerplant: 2 x— Hispano-Suiza 8Bba inline piston, 160 kW (215 hp) each each

Performance

Maximum speed: 183 km/h (114 mph)
Endurance: 3 hours 0 min
Service ceiling: 5950 m (19520 ft)

Armament

5 7.7-mm (0.303-in) Lewis machine guns

Donald, David, ed (1997). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Prospero Books. pp. pg 235. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
Green, W; Swanborough, G (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. New York: Smithmark. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.

Caudron R.11 Pictures and Caudron R.11 for Sale.

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Source: WikiPedia