The SIAI S.51, Savoia Marchetti S.51 or Savoia S.51 was an Italian racing flying boat built by SIAI for the 1922 Schneider Trophy race.
| SIAI S.51 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Racing flying boat |
| National origin | Italy |
| Manufacturer | SIAI |
| First flight | 1922 |
| Primary user | Italy |
| Number built | 1 |
Design and development
editThe S.51 was a single-seat sesquiplane flying boat. It was powered by a single 300 horsepower (220 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8F V8 engine, mounted on two N struts above the hull and below the upper wing, which drove a two-bladed propeller in a pusher configuration. The inclined interplane struts were mounted in a V configuration. The lower wings had small stabilizing floats mounted on inclined struts so that they hung below and outboard of the outer tips of the lower wing.[1]
SIAI later based the design of the hull of its S.58 flying boat fighter of 1924 on that of the S.51's hull.[2]
Operational history
editItaly entered the S.51 in the 1922 Schneider Trophy race along with two Macchi M.17 flying boats in competition with a British Supermarine Sea Lion II flying boat. The race was held at Naples on 12 August.[3][4]
The S.51 capsized in an accident during the seaworthiness trials before the race.[5] Righted by its crew, it completed the race, piloted by Alessandro Passaleva but could only take second place, with the Sea Lion a comfortable 2 min 22 s ahead. The course required 13 laps, a total distance of 370 km (230 mi), over which the S.51 averaged 229.57 km/h (142.65 mph).[3][4]
On 28 December 1922 the S.51, flown again by Passaleva, set a world speed record for seaplanes of 280.155 km/h (174.080 mph).[6][7]
Operators
edit
Specifications
editGeneral characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 8 m (26 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 10 m (32 ft 10 in)
- Height: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 23 m2 (250 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 780 kg (1,720 lb)
- Gross weight: 1,080 kg (2,381 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 8F (Type 42) V-8 water-cooled piston engine, 220 kW (300 hp)
- Propellers: 2-bladed
Performance
- Maximum speed: 280 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn)
- Cruise speed: 230 km/h (140 mph, 120 kn)
See also
editRelated lists
Notes
edit- ^ "Artwork of Savoia S.51 by Hideaki Ozawa". Hydroretro.net. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
- ^ Green and Swanborough, p. 527.
- ^ a b "La semaine d'hydraviation de Naples et la Coupe Jacques Schneider". L'Aérophile: 311–12. 1–15 October 1922.
- ^ a b "Le semaine d'Hydraviation de Naples". L'Aéronautique: 297–8. September 1922.
- ^ "Schneider victor's welcome home". Flight. XIV (35): 495. 31 August 1922.
- ^ "IPMS Racing & Record Aircraft SIG - Record List". Ipmsairrace.org. Archived from the original on 2012-03-02. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
- ^ "The Baltimore navy seaplane meeting". Flight. XVI (47): 733. 20 September 1924.
References
edit- Schneider Trophy 6th Edition August 1922
- Society of Air Racing Historians: Schneider Cup Races
- ipmsairrace.org
- Green, William, and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Every Fighter Aircraft Built and Flown. New York: SMITHMARK Publishers, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
- Vašiček, Radko. "When Seaplanes Ruled the Sky." Aviation History, September 2002
External links
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