"Military monoplane" | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Prototype military aircraft |
Manufacturer | Antoinette |
Designer | Léon Levavasseur and Jules Gastambide |
Number built | 1 |
History | |
First flight | 1911 |
The Antoinette military monoplane, also known as the Antoinette Monobloc or the Antoinette-Latham was an early 3-seat monoplane built in France in 1911 by the Antoinette company in the hope of attracting orders from the French military. It featured a futuristic and aerodynamic design with innovative elements that were ahead of its time, including unbraced cantilever wings, an enclosed fuselage and wheel fairings, and an engine with steam cooling and direct fuel injection. However, due to an under-powered engine, it was barely able to fly and failed to attract orders.