SIAI S.21
SIAI S.21 | |
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Role | Racing flying boat |
National origin | Italy |
Manufacturer | SIAI |
First flight | 1921 |
Primary user | Italy |
Number built | 1 |
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The SIAI S.21 was an Italian racing flying boat built by SIAI for the 1921 Schneider Trophy race.
Design and development
The S.21 was a single-seat inverted sesquiplane—its upper wing was of shorter span that its lower wing—flying boat with its engine mounted on struts above its hull and below its upper wing. The 224 kW (300 hp) Ansaldo San Giorgio 4E-14[1] engine drove a four-bladed pusher propeller. Small stabilizer floats were mounted beneath the lower wing on each side.
Operational history
During test flights, the S.21 proved extremely difficult to control, and the only pilot who had success with it was Guido Jannello, who had already made an impression at the 1918 Schneider Trophy, in a Savoia S.13. When Jannello fell ill at the time of the 1921 Schneider Trophy race and was unable to pilot it, the S.21 was withdrawn from the race.[2]
Popular culture
- In the animated film Porco Rosso, the main protagonist's plane is referred to as a SIAI S.21. However, it does not resemble a real S.21, being a monoplane rather than a biplane.
Operators
Specifications
Data from Aviation: SIAI racing seaplanes and Japanese Wikipedia SIAI S.21
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 7.62 m (25 ft 0 in)
- Wingspan: 7.69 m (24 ft 2¾ in)
- Powerplant: 1 × Ansaldo San Giorgio 4E-14, 224 kW (300 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 290 km/h (180 mph)
See also
- Related lists
Notes
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to SIAI S.21. |