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R.XI
Role Heavy fighter
Manufacturer Caudron
Designer Paul Deville[1]
First flight 1916[2]
Introduction 1918[2]
Retired July 1922
Primary user France
Produced 1917-1918
Number built 370
Developed from Caudron R.4
Caudron R.XI posed for official type photos, showing large balanced rudder and fin.

The Caudron R.11 (or R.XI in contemporary usage), was a French three-seat twin-engine long range escort fighter biplane developed and produced by Caudron during the First World War.[2]

Development

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The R.XI was intended to fulfill a French Corps d'Armee requirement for a long range three-seat escort fighter. Its design was similar to the Caudron R.4, but without a nose-wheel, and with longer wings and fuselage, with two bracing bays outboard the engines rather than three, along with a much larger tail. Hispano-Suiza 8Ba liquid-cooled V-8 engines were housed in streamlined nacelles just above the lower wing, fitted with frontal radiators, which replaced the air-cooled Renault engines used in the R.4.

Operational history

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Production of the 1000 R.XIs ordered by the French Army began in 1917, with the first aircraft completed late in that year.[1]

The first escadrille, R 46, was equipped with the type in February 1918 and the last escadrille to form was R 246,[3] before the Armistice resulted in an abrupt end to production, at which point approximately 370 aircraft had been completed by Caudron, Régy Frères and Gremont.[1]

Variants

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Caudron R.XI C.3
Heavy escort fighter with 160 kW (215 hp) Hispano-Suiza 8Bda engines.
Caudron R.XII C.3
R.XI with the more powerful 220 kW (300 hp) Hispano-Suiza 8Fb engines that were expected to boost performance. Sources differ, but it may have had a slightly increased wing area, to 60 m2 (650 sq ft) and an extra wing bay was added outboard of the engines. It first flew in November 1918 but was still undergoing testing in mid-1919 and no production followed despite plans to equip 12 escadrilles.[4]
Caudron R.XIV Ca.3
Similar to the R.XII, but armed with a 37 mm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss cannon in addition to the normal complement of 5 machine guns, and with further increased wing area, to 63 m2 (680 sq ft), and a larger, unbalanced rudder. A single example was built following the conversion of an R.XI to carry the cannon in August 1918.[4]

Operators

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R.XI nose and engine nacelle detail
 France
 United Kingdom
 United States

Specifications (Caudron R.XI C.3)

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Caudron R.11 drawing

Data from Davilla, 1997, p.168

General characteristics

Performance

  • 183 km/h (114 mph) at 2,000 m (6,600 ft)
  • 178 km/h (111 mph) at 3,000 m (9,800 ft)
  • 173 km/h (107 mph) at 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
  • 164 km/h (102 mph) at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)
  • 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 8 minutes 10 seconds
  • 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 14 minutes 30 seconds
  • 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in 22 minutes 30 seconds
  • 5,000 m (16,000 ft) in 39 minutes

Armament

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Caudron R.11.

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Davilla, 1997, p.167
  2. ^ a b c Davilla, 1997, p.168
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Davilla, 1997, p.169
  4. ^ a b Davilla, 1997, p.170
  5. ^ a b Green and Swanborough 1994, p.111.
  6. ^ Grey, C.G. (1969). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1919 (Facsimile ed.). London: David & Charles (Publishers) Limited. p. 224a. ISBN 0715346474.
  7. ^ a b French aeroplanes in service at the front, 1919, p.204

Bibliography

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Caudron aircraft
Letter designators & Early
Gaston Caudron (G) types
René Caudron (R) types
Numerical Designations
Messerschmitt-Caudron
Names
Categories