Reid and Sigrist R.S.3

infobox Aircraft
name = R.S.3 Desford/R.S.4 Bobsleigh
type = Trainer
manufacturer = Reid and Sigrist

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caption = Reid and Sigrist R.S.3 c. 1945
designer = W/Cdr George Lowdell
first flight = 9 July 1945
introduced = 1945
introduction=
retired =
status = Cancelled
primary user = Royal Air Force (intended)
more users =
produced =
number built = 1
unit cost =
developed from = Reid and Sigrist R.S.1
variants with their own articles = The Reid and Sigrist R.S.3 was a British twin-engined, three-seat advanced trainer developed in the Second World War for postwar use. Although the R.S.3 was evaluated as a trainer, the type never entered production and was eventually rebuilt as the R.S.4 "Bobsleigh" as an experimental "prone-pilot" proof-of-concept aircraft.

Design and development

Reid and Sigrist in Desford, Leicestershire, England, were an important instrument manufacturer in the interwar era, specialising in aircraft applications leading to the forming of an aviation division in 1937 at the New Malden, Surrey factory site. [ Gunston 1993, p. 250.] The first product was a twin-engined advanced trainer, the R.S.1 "Snargasher" (1939) which was eventually relegated to company "hack" used primarily at the factory and Desford aerodrome.

The follow-up design, the R.S.3 Desford (taking its name from the company site) was similar in size and concept to its predecessor although it was only configured for a pilot and trainee and featured a low-set wing. The S.R. 3 was powered by two 130 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major Series I engines, rather than the higher powered de Havilland Gipsy Six engines of the earlier R.S.1. The overall shape was more pleasing than the "dumpy" R.S. 1 as well the pleasant flying characteristics of the earlier machine were retained.

Operational history

The prototype, registered as "G-AGOS" first flew on 9 July 1945, shortly before VJ Day. Evaluated as a private venture project by test pilots including famed postwar flyer, S/L Janusz Żurakowski at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at RAF Boscombe Down, the R.S. 3 generally was found to be well-suited as a multi-engine primary and intermediate trainer. However, RAF interest was lukewarm due to the glut of surplus wartime training aircraft available. The prototype appeared at the Farnborough Airshow in 1946 but by May 1949 it was deregistered, flying subsequently with RAF serial number VZ728.

Further development of the type continued as the company wanted to establish itself as an aviation engineering and production concern although postwar work primarily centered on instrument and camera production, especially in creating a copy of the German Leica. When Royal Air Force high-speed research explored high g-forces encountered in manoeuvres, a number of "prone-pilot" experimental aircraft including the Gloster Meteor F8 "Prone Pilot" were produced. The R.S.4 "Bobsleigh" was a radical conversion of the R.S.3 which was reconfigured into a single pilot operation with a prone pilot station in the new "rounded" nose equipped with a transparent cone which covered a large section of the nose and two separate transparent ports to give minimal sideways and rearwards views. The R.S.4 was first flown in this form on 13 June 1951. Although useful data was obtained, the R.S.4's prone pilot did have difficulty with the initial control setup. Today's hang glider pilots have found the prone position an ideal means of controlling flight as well as providing a streamlined profile.Experimental testing was conducted by the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Farnborough and continued until January 1956 when the R.S.4 returned to the UK civil registry, again as "G-AGOS". It was used at one time as an air photo aircraft by Film Aviation Services and remained in flyable condition until 1973. The Snibston Discovery Park (as part of the Leicester Museum of Science & Technology), Ashby Park, Coalville, Leicestershire, presently stores the R.S.4 for future restoration and display.

pecifications (R.S.3)

aircraft specifications

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

ref=

crew=1
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 25 ft 6 in
length alt=7.77 m
span main=34 ft
span alt=10.4 m
height main=8 ft 11 in
height alt=2.72 m
area main= 212 sq ft
area alt= 19.7 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main=
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main= 3,300 lb
loaded weight alt= 1,500 kg
useful load main=
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max speed main= 162 mph at sea level
max speed alt= 261 km/h
cruise speed main=150 mph at 6,000 ft
cruise speed alt= 240 km/h at 1,800 m
stall speed main= 65 mph (fully loaded)
stall speed alt= 105 km/h
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 900 miles
range alt=1,450 km
range more=at 150 mph (240 km/h) for a 4 1/2 hours endurance
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ceiling main= 24,000 ft
ceiling alt= 7,300 m
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ee also

aircontent|
related=

similar aircraft=
* Gloster Meteor F8 "Prone Pilot"
* DFS 228
* Henschel Hs 132

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Gunston, Bill. "Back to the Drawing Board: Aircraft That Flew, but Never Took Off". London: Zenith Imprint, 1996. ISBN 0-76030-316-9.
* Gunston, Bill. "World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers: From the Pioneers to the Present Day". Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1993. ISBN 1-55750-939-5.
* Swanborough, Gordon. "British Aircraft at War, 1939-1945". East Sussex, UK: HPC Publishing, 1997. ISBN 0-9531421-0-8.

External links

* [http://www.jaapteeuwen.com/ww2aircraft/html%20pages/REID%20AND%20SIGRIST%20RS3%20DESFORD.htm British Aircraft of World War II: Reid and Sigrist R.S.3 Desford]