| III | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Experimental aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Antoinette |
| Designer | Ferdinand Ferber |
| First flight | 1908 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Antoinette III, originally called the Ferber IX or Aeroplane Ferber n° 9,[Note 1] was an early experimental aircraft flown in France. It was based on Ferdinand Ferber's previous design the Ferber n°8, and was quite unlike other Antoinette aircraft. It was renamed when Ferber became a director of the Antoinette company.
The Antoinette III was a two-bay biplane without a fuselage or any other enclosure for the pilot. A single elevator was carried on outriggers ahead of the aircraft, and a fixed fin and horizontal stabiliser behind. The undercarriage was of bicycle configuration and included small outriggers near the wingtips. Power was provided by an Antoinette 8V water cooled V-8 engine driving a tractor propeller.
Between July and September 1908, Ferber made a series of progressively longer flights in the machine, the longest recorded being on 15 September when he covered 9.65 km (6.00 mi) in 9 minutes.
