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Caudron G.4

1915 WORLD WAR 1

Caudron G. 4 Stories

The Caudron G. 4 series was a French twin-engine bomber platform introduced at the beginning of World War I. The system initially served the French Air Force, but has since been fully utilized by British, Italian and Russian pilots. The Caudron G.4 was produced in two variants (the early B.2 and the later A.2), and a total of about 1,421 aircraft appeared.

The G. 4 is a dedicated bomber platform developed from the similar G. 3 reconnaissance series. From the outset, the design focused on how many bombs the aircraft could carry while maintaining good flight characteristics.

Power comes primarily from two Le Rhone rotary engines, each producing around 80 horsepower. These engines proved better than those in the G.3 series, allowing an additional crew to sit in the nose, armed with defensive machine guns and a powerful underwing bomb load.

The design of the G.4 is characterized not only by its twin-engine layout and biplane layout, but also by its rear-mounted quadrudder layout. The two crew consisted of a pilot and a gunner/observer.

Defensive weapons are usually limited to 7.7mm machine guns, with bomb loads ranging from 220 lbs to 250 lbs.

The appearance of the G.4 was delayed by production problems, which is not surprising considering that the aircraft was still in its infancy at the time, and the design added new elements of thought during the war. The G.4 first appeared in the sky in 1915 as Cau 4B.

2. However, this particular model had an extremely high loss rate and was decommissioned in November 1916. Cau 4A. 2 followed, more successfully used in reconnaissance and artillery reconnaissance missions.

The Cau G. 4 was manufactured in England and France and used by major allies including Russia. British pilots used the model to successfully sabotage seaplane and zeppelin bases across Belgium, while Italians successfully used the aircraft's high-altitude capabilities in the Alps.

Both the French and Russians used this type in reconnaissance missions, and airborne radios also proved useful in artillery reconnaissance missions.

Specification

Basic

Year:

1915

Staff:

Production

[1,421 units]:

Caudron Feres - France / A.E.R. - Italy / British Caudron Company - United Kingdom

Roles

- Ground Attack

Dimensions

Length:

7.16m

Width:

56.43 ft (17.2 m)

Height:

2.6m

Weight

MTOW:

1,330 kg

(difference: +2,932 pt)

Performance

2 x Le Rhone 9C rotary engines, 80hp each or 2 x Anzani 10-cylinder radial engines, 100hp each.

Performance

Maximum Speed:

82 mph (132 km/h; 71 knots)

Service Limit:

14,108 ft (4,300 m; 2.67 mi)

Armor

Default:

1 or 2 x 7.7mm machine guns

Optional:

220 lb to 250 lb external ammo (depending on model).

Changes

Chew 4B. 2 - Bomber variant; original production model; external ammunition limited to 220 lbs; retired in 1916.

Cau4A. 2 - Scout variant; second production model; external ammunition limited to 249 lbs; released November 1915; primarily used for artillery targeting and reconnaissance missions.

Ca 4E. 2 - Coach variant; dual control.

Cau 4IB "Blindage" - Armored variant

Cau G. 6 - Further development of the G. 4 series; traditional fuselage layout and empennage redesigned.