Thomas-Morse S-4

Thomas Morse S-4 History

The Thomas & Morse Aircraft Company of America was founded in 1910 by brothers William and Oliver Thomas as the Thomas Brothers Company. It remained in service until 1929, when it was acquired by United Aircraft - the maker of the famous WWII-era B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. From 1910 to the present, the brothers maintain a healthy line of products relevant to the aviation world, including D-2, T-2 and S-4 products.

Of particular note is the S-4, an advanced biplane flight trainer widely used by the U.S. military during World War I (1914-1918).

More than 500 such examples were produced, many of which ended up in private circulation after military service.

The United States entered World War I in April 1917 after the passenger liner Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat. This prompted American industry to support the war effort in Europe. The S-4's design roots lie in a certain Benjamin Thomas (no relation to the brothers) and a British engineer who worked for the famous Sopwith Air (the classic Sopwith "Camel" WW1 biplane manufacturer).

The Thomas-Morse S-4 aircraft was built as early as June 1917 and took its first flight over Ithaca, New York, that same month. In this form it carried a Gnome rotary engine rated at 100 hp and a twin-blade propeller unit.

The final product is a conventional biplane wing assembly with in-game upper and lower wing elements supported by angled parallel struts and cables. The wings have the same span and single-panel layout. Fixed two-wheeled landing gear with tail skid for ground operation. The pilot sits in the open air cockpit behind the nose engine and under/behind the upper wing element.

The tail is a traditional single-rudder design. Motorfit powers the stylish two-bladed wooden propeller of a modern "drawbar"/"tractor".

Dimensions include a length of 19.9 feet, a wingspan of 26.5 feet, and a height of 8 feet. Gross weight is 1,330 lbs.

Three prototypes tested the S-4B model, which was powered by a 110-horsepower Gnome rotary engine. About 100 of the brand were ordered in the summer of 1917, the U.S. Army kept 97 planes in stock, and the U.S. Navy added six more in a seaplane configuration called the "S-5". For most of the war, the S-4B became the USAF's definitive advanced flight trainer until it was replaced by the S-4C brand.

These were equipped with 80-horsepower Gnome B-9 series engines and were represented by six prototypes, followed by some 461 production aircraft, four of which were also added (again in seaplane arrangements) to the U.S. Navy stabilization.

After the 52nd prototype rolled off the production line, the C badge was updated to an 80-horsepower Le Rhone 9C engine.

Using the 9C powerplant, the aircraft can reach a top speed of nearly 100 mph and fly to an altitude of 15,000 feet. Endurance is a 2.5 hour window, which is a good range for a trainer type. A .30 caliber Marin air-cooled machine gun can be mounted for shooting training.

In service, the aircraft was called "Tommy".

Attempts to sell a new model S-4E to the military after the war failed, with a modified tail and a Le Rhone 9J 110 hp engine, resulting in the aircraft being refitted with a 135 hp Aeromarine unit. Converted and driven as "Space-Eater" by Air Racer Basil Rowe

The S-4 was very successful for both the U.S. Army and Navy during the war, as their numbers and popularity would eventually show. Their large numbers naturally meant that in the postwar years, many were acquired as leftovers on the civilian market, where they went on to serve as trainers, racers, stunt performers and flying Hollywood props - that's what they were Versatility.

Many of these post-war models used Curtiss OX-5 engines for propulsion in place of the original uniforms.

Specification

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