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The Comte AC-1 was a 1920s
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
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* Swiss, Missouri
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Other uses
* Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
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single-seat monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
fighter aircraft produced by Flugzeugbau A. Comte
Alfred Comte (4 June 1895 – 1 November 1965) was a Swiss aviation pioneer. He was active as a pilot, photographer, instructor, also as one of the first aviation entrepreneurs and was successful in the construction of civilian and military aircr ...
.
Design and development
The Swiss company Flugzeugbau A. Comte was established in the early 1920s to buildGerman
German(s) may refer to:
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**Ger ...
aircraft designs under licence. The company's first original design was the Comte AC-1, developed to meet a Swiss Fliegertruppe (Swiss Air Force) requirement for a single-seat fighter.
The AC-1 was a high-wing monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
with fixed tailskid undercarriage. It was constructed of metal with fabric-covered wing and tail surfaces. The powerplant
Propulsion is the generation of force by any combination of pushing or pulling to modify the translational motion of an object, which is typically a rigid body (or an articulated rigid body) but may also concern a fluid. The term is derived from ...
was a Gnome et Rhône
Gnome et Rhône was a major French aircraft engine manufacturer. Between 1914 and 1918 they produced 25,000 of their 9-cylinder Delta and Le Rhône 110 hp (81 kW) rotary designs, while another 75,000 were produced by various licens ...
radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...
driving a fixed-pitched two-blade propeller
A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...
.
The AC-1 prototype first flew on 1927. Testing and evaluation did not result in any orders but the prototype was bought by the Swiss Fliegertrupppe. The prototype was the only unit constructed of this type.
Operational history
The prototype was acquired by the Swiss Fliegetruppe and later had the wing replaced with a wing from aDewoitine D.9
The Dewoitine D.9 was a French monoplane fighter built by Dewoitine and built under licence in Italy as the Ansaldo AC.3.
Design and development
The D.9 was a single-seat high-wing monoplane with a conventional landing gear and powered by a Gn ...
. With the new wing the aircraft was used to establish a Swiss altitude record on 19 November 1928.
Operators
; * Swiss FliegertruppeSpecifications (AC-1)
References
Further reading
* {{Comte aircraft 1920s Swiss fighter aircraft AC-1 Abandoned military aircraft projects of Switzerland Single-engined tractor aircraft Parasol-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1927