Flugzeugbau Alfred Comte

Maveric

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Hi all,

A.C. 1 fighter 1927
A.C. 2 sport 1926 only project
A.C. 3 bomber 1928
A.C. 4 tourist 1928 "Gentleman"
A.C. 5 passenger 1928 only project
A.C. 6 recce 1928 only project
A.C. 7 recce 1929 only project
A.C. 8 tourist 1929
A.C. 9 passenger 1929 only project
A.C. 10 fighter 1930 only project
A.C. 11 photo/civil 1931
A.C. 12 tourist 1932 "Moskito"

Servus Maveric
 
The name Alfred Comte sounds French while Flugzeugbau sounds German. Could you tell us more about this company? If this is a French one, I guess I may find something in my Trait d'Union collection (huge serial of French projects 1919-39).
 
Some extra information on Comte projects can be found in Aeroplane Monthly Vol.41 Issue 484, August 2013.

AC-2 - two-seat sports biplane with 60hp engine
AC-5 - six-seater with 200hp Wright radial and smaller than AC-8.
AC-6 - two seat biplane trainer with 200hp Wright Whirlwind for training or a 400hp Gnome-Rhone Jupiter for military training
AC-7 - two-seat high-wing trainer with 500hp Gnome-Rhone Jupiter
AC-9 - tri-motor airliner
AC-10 - development of the AC-1 fighter with a 480hp Gnome-Rhone Jupiter.

The first AC-4 was designated the AC-4K. One AC-12 'Moskito' was designated as the AC-12E for the 1932 Europa Rundflug with a 120hp D.H. Gipsy III engine, a 2.7m shorter span wing and 30kg of weight reduction.
Total Comte production was 4 7aircraft; 3 Wild 43 for Colombia, 1 AC-1, 9 Wild X for Colombia, 3 AC-3, 11 AC-4, 8 Fokker D.VII, 3 AC-8, 1 AC-11 and eight AC-12.
 
Hi;

Wild 43
(1923–26), training purpose, 6 built and exported to China and Colombia
Wild X
(1927/28), fighting and observing purpose, 8 built and exported to Colombia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Comte

http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Ala%20d'Italia/L'ALA%20D'ITALIA%201928%2003.pdf
 

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The mention by Hesham of the Swiss Comte Wild-X and Wild 23 in the 1920's made me curious as the names did not seem to fit with the usual Alfred Comte AC prefix used later.

It appears that the fellow Swiss Ing. Robert Wild of Dübendorf and Uster worked as chief engineer and aircraft engineer at the Automobil und Aviatik AG, Flight Engineering Department in Mühlhausen Germany and at the Società Anonima Meccanica Lombarda di Monza SAML in Italy (see also http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,18731.msg180612.html#msg180612).

The Aviatik C-1 training aircraft was developed by him, was exhibited in 1914 in Bern. This was then purchased by the Swiss Confederation without testing on the outbreak of war on 3 August 1914 and used for training purposes until 6 January 1917.

After the founding of Swiss military science, Robert Wild, at the time a Swiss abroad, was commissioned to develop a new aircraft. In cooperation with the industry, the Wild WTS aircraft type was built in Dübendorf and Uster, which was available as a training aircraft from 1915 onwards. A second aircraft was deployed in June 1916 and was used until 1921. It was two-seat biplane with wooden wings and fabric covering.

The aircraft was received favourably by pilots and Wild was commissioned to build six reconnaissance aircraft designated WT-1, which were used by the armed forces from 1916 to 1922.

In the search for a more powerful combat aircraft, Ing. Robert Ackerman received the development contract for the "Wild Spezial" aircraft, from an original Robert Wild design. The test that took place in 1917 did not satisfy the authorities in Switzerland and the type became a trainer. On 5th November, 1917 while on a low altitude reconnaissance flight, the "Wild Spezial" crashed the roof of the restaurant Löwen in Schlieren. The crew was only slightly injured but the aircraft was removed from use.

In 1917, the Swiss Federal Department of Engineering, Department of Flight, licensed 11 Wild WT and 9 Wild WTS as Training aircraft in Thun. These aircraft were partially used by the military Fliegertruppen until 1934.

Comte then completed two designs believed to have been from the pen of Wild.

Wild Designs noted so far:

Wild WTS
(Manufacturer A. Wild)
2 built for Training, service between 1915-1921

Wild WT-1
(Manufacturer A. Wild)
6 based on the WTS, built for Training, service between 1916-1922

Wild Special
(Manufacturer A. Wild)
1 built for Training, service between 1916-1917

Wild WT
(Manufacturer K + W Thun)
11 licence built for Training, service between 1917-1934

Wild WTS
(Manufacturer K + W Thun)
9 licence built for Training, service between 1917-1934

Wild 43
(Manufacturer A.Comte)
6 built for Training, service between 1923 - 1926

Wild X
(Manufacturer A.Comte)
8 built for Fighter and Observation, service between 1927-1928


Details for the WTS design from the German Wikipedia
Engine: 1 x Mercedes DI
Wingspan : 12.00 m
Length: 7.80 m
Height: 3.00 m
Max take-off weight: 1,080 kg
Maximum speed: 105 km/h
Service ceiling: 3,000 m
Range: 200 km


Details for the Wild X design from the L'Ala d'Italia 03-1928
Engine: 1 x Jupiter (420 hp)
Wingspan (Upper): 13.6m
Wingspan (Lower): 12.6m
Wing Area: 47 sq m
Length: 9.86 m
Empty weight: 1,105 kg
Max take-off weight: 1,850 kg
Maximum speed: 190 km/h
Service ceiling: 8,500 m
Time to height (5,000 m): 15 minutes
Time to height (7,000 m): 30 minutes
Bomb load: 2 x 25 kg

Sources:

Zur Geschichte der schweizerischen Eigenentwicklung von Flugzeugen by Walter Dürig
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_WTS
Insignia Magazine No.15 Drawings of the “Wild Spezial”
Die Flugzeuge der schweizerischen Fliegertruppe seit 1914 by Jakob Urech (Militärflugplätze Dübendorf)
 
I do wonder if there are any Drawings or Images on the AC-3 besides the 2 "well known" ones, i did find some information on it, but no technical drawings at all.
 
Hi Mizutayio,

you meant this one.
 

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So does anyone know what type of bombs switzerland had in the 1920's? The AC-3 was able to carry 2000 kg of bombs but nothing more is known.
 
Hi Blochaj,

here is a more Info about it;

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19930090409.pdf
 
I cant load it. Is it the US report on it? Cuz i have it and it only mentions 2000 kg of bombs.
 
The Aviatik C-1 training aircraft was developed by him, was exhibited in 1914 in Bern.
Nonono - in 1914 there were no "C" aircraft in Germany... these came only in early 1916. The aircraft mentioned by you was the Aviatik P.14, later renamed Aviatik B, then developped to Aviatik B.I
 
Wild WTS
(Manufacturer A. Wild)
2 built for Training, service between 1915-1921

Wild WT-1
(Manufacturer A. Wild)
6 based on the WTS, built for Training, service between 1916-1922
I tend to disagree also here - the "T" indicates that it was a Wild-aircraft built by K+W in Thun (after Wild fed up with the Swiss Government and left for Italy and after the Haefeli DH-1 built by K+W proved not satisfactory...) The Wild WT-S (with a hyphon between T and S) describes the aircraft with double-steering. The "S" stands for "Schule (School).
 
Die Flugzeuge der schweizerischen Fliegertruppe seit 1914 by Jakob Urech (Militärflugplätze Dübendorf)
Although this book is very famous in Switzerland - as for the aircraft of WW1 it is full of mistakes unfortunately.
 

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