Ferber IX
Antoinette · France · first flew 1908 · glider
The Ferber IX, also known as the Antoinette III, was an early French experimental biplane of 1908, designed by the artillery officer and aviation pioneer Ferdinand Ferber in collaboration with the Antoinette company. It represents an important transitional design linking the experimental gliders of the early 1900s to the practical aeroplanes that followed.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Skeletal open-framework biplane with no fuselage enclosure |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Skeletal open-framework biplane with no fuselage enclosure
- Forward canard-style elevator on outriggers ahead of the wings
- Antoinette V-8 water-cooled engine at the nose on open trestle
An open skeletal biplane on a wheeled undercarriage with a forward elevator on long outriggers giving it a canard appearance. The large water-cooled V-8 engine and radiators at the nose are prominent; the pilot sits exposed in the centre of the wing gap.
Specifications
- The Ferber IX has a length of 9.5 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.5 m (34 ft).
- Typical crew: 1 pilot.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Ferber had corresponded with the Wright brothers and Octave Chanute, and his series of gliders and powered aircraft from 1901 onward were among the first European attempts to apply the Wrights' insights. The Ferber IX flew at Issy-les-Moulineaux in 1908, the year before Ferber's death in a landing accident. Antoinette subsequently developed the design into their successful monoplane series.
Variants
The Ferber IX was effectively a one-off; Antoinette's subsequent Type IV monoplane was a fundamentally different and far more refined design.
Where you'll see it
Flew experimentally in France in 1908; no operational use.
Related aircraft
- Antoinette IV
- Gastambide-Mengin Monoplane
- Antoinette VII
- Antoinette VIII
- AEA June Bug
- AEA White Wing
- British Army Aeroplane No.1
- Cody British Army Aeroplane No.1
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