| Caudron G.3 | |
|---|---|
 French Caudron G.3 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Reconnaissance aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Caudron |
| Primary users | Aéronautique Militaire |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1914[1] |
| First flight | Late 1913[1] |
| Developed from | Caudron G.2 |
TheCaudron G.3 was a single-enginedFrenchsesquiplane built byCaudron, widely used inWorld War I as areconnaissance aircraft andtrainer.
The Caudron G.3 was designed by René and GastonCaudron as a development of their earlier Caudron G.2 for military use. It first flew in May 1914 at theirLe Crotoy aerodrome.[2]
The aircraft had a short crewnacelle, with a singleengine in the nose of the nacelle, and an open tailboom truss. It was of sesquiplane layout, and usedwing warping for lateral control, although this was replaced by conventionalailerons fitted on the upper wing in late production aircraft. Usually, the G.3 was not armed, although sometimes light machine guns and small bombs were fitted.
It was ordered in large quantities following the outbreak of the First World War with the Caudron factories building 1423 of the 2450 built in France. 233 were also built in England and 166 built in Italy along with several other countries. The Caudron brothers did not charge a licensing fee for the design, as an act of patriotism.[2]
It was followed in production by theCaudron G.4, which was a twin-engined development.
The G.3 equipped Escadrille C.11 of the FrenchAéronautique Militaire at the outbreak of war, and was well-suited for reconnaissance use, proving stable and having good visibility. As the war progressed, its low performance and lack of armament made it too vulnerable for front line service, and it was withdrawn from front line operations in mid-1916.[2]
The Italians also used the G.3 for reconnaissance on a wide scale until 1917, as did the BritishRFC (continuing operations until October 1917), who fitted some with light bombs and machine guns for ground attack.[2] TheAustralian Flying Corps operated the G.3 during theMesopotamian campaign of 1915–16.
It continued in use as a trainer until well after the end of the war. ChineseFengtian cliquewarlord Caudron G.3s remained in service as trainers until theMukden Incident of 1931, when many were captured by the Japanese.
In 1921Adrienne Bolland, a French test pilot working for Caudron, made the first crossing of theAndes by a woman, flying between Argentina and Chile in a G.3.
Most G.3s were theA2 model, used by various airforces for artillery spotting on the Western front, in Russia and in the Middle East. The G.3D2 was a two-seat trainer, equipped with dual controls and theE2 was a basic trainer. TheR1 version (rouleur or roller) was used by France and theUnited States Air Service fortaxi training, with the wing trimmed down to prevent its becoming airborne. The last version, theG.3. L2, was equipped with a more powerful 100 hp (75 kW)Anzani 10radial engine. In Germany,Gotha built a few copies of the G.3 as theGotha LD.3 andGotha LD.4 (Land Doppeldecker – "Land Biplane").
Few Caudron G.3s survived and most of them are displayed in museums:
- one restored as s/n 324 at theMusée de l'Air et de l'Espace,Paris.[3]
- one restored as s/n 2531 at theRoyal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History,Brussels.
- one restored as 1E18 at theHallinportti Aviation Museum inFinland.
- one restored as 3066, at theRAF Museum Hendon.[4][5]
- one restored at theMuseu Aeroespacial ofRio de Janeiro.
- one rebuilt from original parts displayed in theAeronautics Museum of Maracay inVenezuela.
One Caudron G.3 is part of a private collection in France but unrestored.
A Caudron G.3 replica is part of therotary engined contingent of accurately-built vintage aircraft reproductions, at theOld Rhinebeck Aerodrome living aviation museum, inRhinebeck, New York.[6]
In France, a replica is currently airworthy at La Ferté Alais, powered by a Walter radial engine.
As of 2017, another airworthy replica of the G.3 was introduced to the collections of the Aviation Museum of Metoděj Vlach inMladá Boleslav, theCzech Republic. Though a replica visually accurate in dimensions and appearance, it was built on an ultralight basis. The project development began in 2009, and the replica was closely based on a Caudron G.3 displayed in theMusée de l’air et de l’espace inLe Bourget,Paris.[7][8]
Colombia
Denmark
El Salvador
Finland
Portugal
Poland
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Soviet Union
Turkey
United Kingdom
Data from Suomen ilmavoimien lentokoneet 1918-1939[15]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
