"I Pomilio PD e PE" - A short article of Gregory Alegi about Pomilio airplanes
Founded this short article of our well-known aviation historian Gregory Alegi
at this link (http://areivoliaeroporti.blogspot.co...o-pd-e-pe.html) There area some character and formatting problems in the original text but I tryed to translated for you.
On May 14, 1917 the General Head Office of Air Force ordered to DTAM to invite Pomilio "to modify the army reconnaissance airplane C.1 so to achieve load and speed cited in the report," without slowing production or constitution squadron provided. In June appeared then Pomilio PD, development of the previous PC and in turn to be replaced by the EP.
Retaining the general approach of strong imprint Aviatik, the two types introduced some improvements, such as the cowling of the tail skid to increase the surface of drift. In PD, which kept the engine Fiat A. 12 200-hp, vertical external radiators had been replaced by a single horizontal radiator suspended underneath the upper wing, which was also installed an additional tank, in PE, which mounted the strongest A. 12a 260 bhp, was redesigned forward fuselage (enclosing within a metal casing cylinder heads and the distribution and installing a car-like front radiator) and introduced a wing tank. The PD also had a different arrangement of the internal tanks and three external attacks by bombs from 162mm on each side of the fuselage. Both types were armed with two machine guns, a Fiat and a fixed rear swivel on the upper front (either Fiat or Lewis) who, on the copies of late production, was replaced with one synchronized. Equally common in PD and PE was the keel to compensate for the torque of the propeller.
The date of the first flight of the PD is not known, but already on 22 June 1917 the test pilot Baldioli carried out in in a flight Turin-Genoa-Turin. To the he development of the aircraft also contributed ten. Mario De Bernardi. The prototype of PE probably followed in July. DTAM production data are unfortunately imprecise grouping PC, PD and PE in a single total. The orders, however, amounted to 1,495 aircraft at Pomilio, of which 1466 (including 60 described later A.3) delivered by the end of the conflict, and 150 at the Bauchiero.
The PD initially arrived to the 131 a and 132 squadrons, where in the summer of 1917 replaced immediately the problematic PC to which in the fall was added to the 133 squadron. Waiting for seaplane fighter, the Army also formed three sections Pomilio for the Navy, based in Cascina Farello, near Grado: on July,31 the 1st Section was still waiting machine guns stand, but switched at the disposal of the High Command on August, 3 ; the 2nd Section left for Cascina Farello on October 18, while in the storm of Caporetto was abandoned the intent to form the 3rd Section that on October, 31 that was still at Ghedi without airplanes. Since August, 30 two of the 1st Section escorted the L.3 of Venice over Trieste.
Attachment 34410
In September 1917, PD 3824 and PE 3820 were sent to the U.S. for a promotional tour during which Baldioli made some flights between Langley Field and Mineola Field, with average speeds of 185-210 km / h. On some occasions Baldioli launched on American cities leaflets belonging to the two countries, but despite these efforts, the U.S. authorities were not interested in Pomilio whose program of aeronautical construction was directed towards the De Havilland DH-4. The presentation was perhaps the first step towards the constitution, which took place the following year, of the company Pomilio Brothers that would build prototypes of fighters (FVL-8) and bombings (BVL-12).
At the end of November also 134th was on Pomilio (in two sections, Castenedolo and Verona) and the 139th. The slow diffusion was mainly due to the decision to send Pomilio at the squadrons training centers, where during the winter would have flowed from the front to re-equip entire departments. For this purpose, after complaints expressed in October 1917 from the center of Ghedi, some PD returned in firm to be transformed into dual control. The disaster of Caporetto forced to review the project but, with the inexorable discovery of serious defects of SIA, the number of departments grew dramatically: in June 1918 10 squadrons were completely on Pomilio (112th, 113th, 117th, 13th, 132th, 133th, 134th, 135a, 136th , 139th) and six other almost completed or in transition (61th, 62th, 114th, 115th, 118th, 120th). On June, 15 at the beginning of the offensive of the Piave, a PE of 134 to Squadron flew a reconnaissance of the enemy behind the lines in front of the Army to determine any movement of Austrian troops.
With the addition of the former squadrons SIA, at the armistice, the number had risen to 17 complete squadrons (22th, 23th, 27th, 28th, 31th, 36th, 38th, 34th, 40th, 61th, 112th, 114th, 118th, 120th, 131th, 134th, 136th), and five mixed or partial (26th, 32th, 33th,.., 116th): It was therefore the most important numerically reconnaissance aircraft used in Italy during the conflict.
Despite the spread of superstitious ritual phrase, in this case "the Pomilio I don't really recommend" in the use PE proved to be superior to SAML, for performance, and to the SIA, for strength. It appears that the pilot was difficult, especially in adverse weather conditions, and that "they had a defect in construction that [it] caused easily [...] reversal in flight." According to the testimony of the engineer. D'Ascanio, was solved with suitable reinforcements instead of attacking the problem, which occurred at a squadron in Udine, in-flight separation of the circle of the swivel support with seat and support of the machine gun, with consequent loss of the observer. Even so, the EP was never quite properly: in May 1918 airplanes of the forming 25th Squadron were being modified, while the constitution of 35ht was suspended in August, 3. Again in October 1918 was increased the surface of the ventral fin.
Attachment 34409
The last Pomilio reconnaissance airplane saw the light after the absorption of the company by Ansaldo and was then baptized A.3. It was a further refinement of the formula, with the same A. 12bis but slightly smaller in size and in which, to treat the longitudinal instability, had been completely redesigned the tail. Although to be much higher than the EP, was not built none of the 500 A.3 ordered as such: the 60 built airplanes stemmed from the DTAM requuest to complete the last 89 PE already in the works to that standard. LA3 serial 15303 is reported in Argentina after the war.
The elimination of Pomilios form the peace inventory was surprisingly fast: if the 30 September 1919 there were still 113 PE, some of which also used from the borning Aviation of Fiume, to June 20, 1920 only 39° Squadron of Aiello remained on PE, however, in organic mixed with SAML.
Dimensions and specifications:
PD PE A.3
Wingspan 11.64 --- 11.28 --- 11.50 M
length 8.94 --- 8.94 --- 8.75 m
height 3.35 --- 3.10 --- 2.95 m
wing surface 46 --- 44 --- 38 sqm
total weight of 1,577 --- 1,537 --- 1,475 KGO
empty weight 1,137 --- 1,177 1,025 kg
max speed 185 --- 195 --- 190 km / 'h
ascent to 3,000 m in 22 '--- 16' --- n.a.
autonomy n.a --- 2h 30 '--- 3h 30'
tangency 5,000 --- 4,500 --- 5,500 practice
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Originally Posted by Flying Officer Kyte
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