Caudron G.III – Photos & Video

Photo gallery of a Caudron G.III, The Caudron G.3 was a single-engined French biplane built by Caudron, widely used in World War I as a reconnaissance aircraft and trainer.

Source: Caudron G.III on Wiki

The Caudron G.III was a French biplane that was widely used in World War I as a reconnaissance aircraft and trainer. It was designed by René and Gaston Caudron, who were pioneers of aviation in France. They based the Caudron G.III on their previous model, the Caudron G.II, but improved its performance and stability. The Caudron G.III had a single engine in the nose of a short crew nacelle, and an open tailboom truss. It was a sesquiplane, meaning that the lower wing was smaller than the upper wing. It also used wing warping for lateral control, which was later replaced by conventional ailerons on the upper wing.
The Caudron G.III made its first flight in May 1914 at the Caudron brothers’ aerodrome in Le Crotoy, a coastal town in northern France. It was ordered in large quantities by the French military after the outbreak of war, and also by several other countries, including Britain, Italy, Russia, Belgium and Australia. The Caudron brothers did not charge any licensing fee for their design, as a gesture of patriotism. The Caudron G.III proved to be a reliable and versatile aircraft, capable of performing reconnaissance missions, artillery spotting, bombing raids and ground attack. It had good visibility and climb rate, and could operate from rough fields and mountainous terrain. It was also easy to fly and maintain, making it suitable for training new pilots.
However, as the war progressed, the Caudron G.III became obsolete and vulnerable to enemy fighters and anti-aircraft fire. It had no defensive armament, except for some light machine guns and hand grenades that were sometimes fitted by the crews. It also had low speed and maneuverability, and could not cope with the harsh weather conditions of the Western Front. It was gradually withdrawn from front line service by mid-1916, and replaced by more advanced aircraft such as the Caudron G.IV, which was a twin-engined development of the Caudron G.III. The Caudron G.III continued to serve as a trainer until well after the end of the war, and some were even used for civilian purposes, such as air mail delivery and air racing. One notable feat was achieved by Adrienne Bolland, a French test pilot who flew a Caudron G.III across the Andes mountains from Argentina to Chile in 1921, becoming the first woman to do so.