Wibault 3
Pierre Levasseur · France · first flew 1923 · fighter
The Wibault 3 was a French single-seat parasol-wing prototype fighter of the 1920s, designed for high-altitude operations.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Wing braced to the lower fuselage by a pair of parallel faired struts each side |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Parasol wing with a cut-out in the trailing edge over the open cockpit
- Wing braced to the lower fuselage by a pair of parallel faired struts each side
- Lamblin cylindrical radiator on each side of the enclosed engine cowling
Look for the parasol wing with a trailing-edge cut-out over the cockpit, the straight constant-chord wing and the Lamblin radiators either side of the cowling.
Specifications
- The Wibault 3 has a length of 8.2 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.72 m (38 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was Wibault's response to a call from the S.T.Aé for a high-altitude fighter, and first flew early in 1923. Development was abandoned after repeated failures of its Rateau turbo-supercharger, which was not fitted for the first flight.
Variants
There were no variants: the Wibault 3 remained a prototype.
Where you'll see it
Flight testing continued until the autumn of 1923, after which the high-altitude specification was withdrawn.
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- Levasseur PL.7
- Levasseur PL.10
- Roussel R-30
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- Aero A.20
- Avia BH-6
- Avia BH-7
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