Gourdou-Leseurre GL.50

The Gourdou-Leseurre GL.50, also known as the Gourdou-Leseurre Type F, was a French fighter prototype of the early 1920s.

Development

In April 1919, General Duval of the French Armée de l'Air set out for the replacement of two of the principal categories of aircraft within the air force - CAP2 ("Chasse, Armée, Biplace" meaning 'armed two-seat fighter') and CAN2 ("Chasse, Armée, Nuit, Biplace" meaning 'armed two-seat night fighter'). Gourdou-Leseurre put forward the GL-50 as a submission for the CAP2 category (despite the fact that this categorisation system was removed in 1920). Its 300 hp Hispano-Suiza engine was intended to be fitted with a supercharger, however this was not fitted, despite the fact it would have increased its performance drastically. It was of wooden construction, with a long-span untapered wing, considered unusual at the time, that feature being more in line with single-seat aircraft design, as were the wing bracing struts.

Operational history

The date is not recorded of the first flight of the GL-50, however it is known that it occurred in 1922. However, for no apparent reason the aircraft did not satisfy the needs of the specification and therefore no further production was continued. Only 1 GL.50 was built, and also one of its main variant, the GL.51.

Variants

* GL.51 - intended to satisfy the CAN2 specification. Similar to the GL-50 except for a 380 hp engine and a lighter loaded weight resulting in a higher top speed

pecifications (GL.50)

aerospecs
ref=
met or eng?=met
crew=2
capacity=
length m=
length ft=30
length in=8⅛
span m=14.60
span ft=47
span in=11
swept m=
swept ft=
swept in=
rot number=
rot dia m=
rot dia ft=
rot dia in=
dia m=
dia ft=
dia in=
width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=2.85
height ft=9
height in=4
wing area sqm=40.00
wing area sqft=430.57
swept area sqm=
swept area sqft=
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
volume m3=
volume ft3=
aspect ratio=
wing profile=
empty weight kg=
empty weight lb=
gross weight kg=2010
gross weight lb=4431
lift kg=
lift lb=
eng1 number=1
eng1 type=Hispano-Suiza 8Fb
eng1 kw=224
eng1 hp=300
eng1 kn=
eng1 lbf=
eng1 kn-ab=
eng1 lbf-ab=
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=
eng2 kn=
eng2 lbf=
eng2 kn-ab=
eng2 lbf-ab=
max speed kmh=210
max speed mph=131
max speed mach=
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
stall speed kmh=
stall speed mph=
range km=
range miles=
endurance h=
endurance min=
ceiling m=
ceiling ft=
g limits=
roll rate=
glide ratio=
climb rate ms=
climb rate ftmin=
sink rate ms=
sink rate ftmin=
armament1=2 x fixed forward-firing 7.7mm Darne machine gun
armament2=2 x rear-mounted swivelling 7.7mm Darne machine gun
armament3=
armament4=
armament5=
armament6= aircontent
see also=
related=
similar aircraft=
lists=

References

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