Supermarine S.4
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| Supermarine S.4 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Racing seaplane |
| Manufacturer | Supermarine |
| Designed by | Reginald Mitchell |
| Maiden flight | 1925 |
| Introduced | 1925 |
| Retired | 1925 |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Number built | 1 |
The Supermarine S.4 was a 1920s British single-engined single-seat racing seaplane built by Supermarine.
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[edit] History
The Supermarine S.4 was designed by Reginald Mitchell for the 1925 Schneider Trophy. Built by Supermarine at Woolston the S.4 was a wooden racer powered by one 680 hp Napier Lion VII engine. Registered G-EBLP, it first flew in September 1925. On 13 September 1925 on Southampton Water it raised the world's seaplane speed record to 226.752 mph.
It was shipped to the United States of America for the 1925 race. During trials at Bay Shore Park, Baltimore, piloted by H C Biard it sideslipped into the water from 200 ft and was wrecked.
[edit] In film
Very little film and photographic evidence of the S.4 survives, but 5 minutes of film are preserved within Leslie Howard's Spitfire/First of the Few starring himself and David Niven.
Drawings, and construction film, as well as film of the first take off and flight are preserved within the feature film.
The side-slip instability of the S.4 is quickly understandable to the trained eye, as wing dihedral of the airframe was minimal. Also, fin area was equally minimal. Therefore the snap-roll at side-slip was perhaps inevitable in the light of modern knowledge.
[edit] Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 26 ft 3 in ()
- Wingspan: 30 ft 6in ()
- Height: ()
- Max takeoff weight: 3,150 lb ()
- Powerplant: 1× Napier Lion VII, 700 hp (522 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 239 mph
[edit] See also
Related development
[edit] References
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
- Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919. London: Putnam. ISBN 0 370 10014 X.
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