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Ader Avion IiiThe Avion III (sometimes referred to as the Aquilon or the ole III) was a primitive steam-powered aircraft built by Clment Ader between 1892 and 1897, financed by the French War Office. Retaining the same basic bat-like configuration of the ole, the Avion III was equipped with two engines driving two propellers. While the earlier aircraft had no means of directional control at all, this one was equipped with a small rudder. Trials of the aircraft began at the Satory army base near Versailles on October 12 1897, with the aircraft taxiing along a circular track. The first flight was attempted on October 14 and most sources agree ended almost immediately in a crash without ever leaving the ground. Late in his life, Ader would claim that there had been a flight of 100 m (328 ft) on this day, and said he had two witnesses to confirm it. Whatever actually happened, the French military was unimpressed with the demonstration and cancelled any further funding. The machine is preserved at the Muse des Arts et Mtiers in Paris. It underwent extensive restoration in the 1980s. Specifications (Avion III) General Characteristics - Crew: one pilot
- Capacity: pilot only
- Length: m ( ft in)
- Wingspan: 16 m (52 ft 6 in)
- Height: m (ft in)
- Wing area: 56 m² (602 ft²)
- Empty: kg ( lb)
- Loaded: 400 kg (880 lb)
- Maximum takeoff: kg ( lb)
- Powerplant: 2x Ader alcohol-burning steam engine, 15 kW (20 hp) each
Performance - Wing loading: 7 kg/m² (1.5 lb/ft²)
- Power/Mass: 0.08 kW/kg (0.05 hp/lb)
Related content Related development: Comparable aircraft: Designation sequence: ole - Avion II - Avion III
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