Antoinette VIII

Antoinette · France · first flew 1911 · light aircraft

The Antoinette VIII was a refined monoplane from the pioneering French Antoinette company, one of the most graceful aircraft of the pre-WWI era.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsMid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — FuselageLong, narrow fuselage of steel-tube construction
T — TailConventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Long pencil-thin fuselage; broad tapered monoplane wing set at mid-body; large exposed radiators on fuselage sides; tractor propeller.

Specifications

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Antoinette produced a series of elegant monoplanes from 1908 onward; the Model VIII represented a mature development with a more powerful engine and refined airframe. The company's aircraft were among the most advanced of the era but high cost and the outbreak of WWI ended production. Hubert Latham used earlier Antoinette types in early cross-Channel attempts.

Variants

Antoinette IV and VII were earlier, slightly smaller variants; the VIII featured a larger engine.

Where you'll see it

Used for sporting and record flights before WWI; never adopted for military service in significant numbers.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.