Packard-Le Peré LUSAC-11

The LUSAC-11 (Le Peré United States Army Combat) was an early American Army fighter aircraft.

When the U.S. entered World War One, the Signal Corps had just 55 aircraft, [Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. "Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare" (London: Phoebus, 1978), Volume 16, p.1782, "LUSAC-11, Packard-Le Peré".] none fit for combat. The American Expeditionary Force was equipped with French types, [Fitzsimons, p.1782.] and the LUSAC was part of a plan to build French designs in the U.S.

The creation of a "Capitaine" Le Peré, [Fitzsimons, Volume 16, p.1783, "LUSAC-11, Packard-Le Peré".] it was a two seat biplane of equal span with forward stagger. It was powered by a 425 hp (317 kW) Liberty L-12 engine.

Proving fast, and armed with two .30 (7.62mm) Lewis machineguns (one on the cowl, on on a flexible mount for the observer) 3525 were ordered. Only thirty were completed by the Armistice, the rest being cancelled.

Three additional aircraft were completed with 420 hp (317 kW) Bugatti 16 engines as LUSAC-21s. These were delivered in August 1919.

In addition, three strafer aircraft were built, as LUSAGH (Le Peré United States Army Ground Harassment), two with Bugatti engines (LUSAGH-21), one a Liberty (LUSAGH-11).

One LUSAC-11, fitted with a turbocharged Liberty, was flown to a record height of 34,507' (10,518 m) on 28 September 1921 by Lieutenant James Macready. The record held two years.

There was also an experimental LUSAC-11 triplane, the LUSAO-11 (Le Pere United States Army Observation), which used two Liberty L-12As.

pecifications (LUSAC-11)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

crew=2 (pilot & observer/gunner)
length main=24 ft 4 in
length alt=7.42 m
span main=41 ft 7 in
span alt=12.67 m
height main=
height alt=2.89 m
area main=
area alt=
empty weight main=
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main=3,746 lb
max takeoff weight alt=1,699 kg

engine (prop)=Liberty
type of prop=liquid-cooled V12 engine
number of props=1
power main=425 hp
power alt=317 kW

max speed main=118 knots
max speed alt=136 mph, 219 km/h
max speed more=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=

guns=
**1×.30 (7.62mm) Lewis machinegun on the upper fuselage
**1×.30 (7.62mm) Lewis gun in the observer's cockpit
bombs=

References

* Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. "Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare". Volume 16, p.1782-3, "LUSAC-11, Packard-Le Peré". London: Phoebus, 1978.