LACAB Projects and Prototypes

[Retrofit]

The LACAB was tested in 1936 and was nicknamed the "Doryphore" by its pilots. It crashed on April the 4th 1938, then was completly destroyed on May the 10th 1940 during a German bomber attack.

Source: 'Het Militar Vliegwezen-L'Aéronautique militaire 1930-1940" by John Pacco, JP Publications 2003

 

[Stargazer2006]

Thanks for the input folks! I know very little about Belgian aircraft so I appreciate the info.

More pics of the Lacab GR8 (which I thought was a different project because of very different nose and tail):

 

[toura]

Hi all
from "aviation magazine"

 

[Jan den Das]

Before the war Belgium had several aeroplane factories, most of them build a few civil aeroplanes.
Some of the wellknown factories are Renard, Stampe Vertongen, Fairey (Belgium), SABCA.
But there was also a factory caled LACAB who build only two military prototypes.
This were the LACAB GR.8 multi combad and the LACAB T.7 biplane trainer.


I found little information of both these types, but hopes that you can help me with more, detailed, information of both?
Interresting also would be detailes concerning the offensive and defensive armament which could be used on the GR.8
What also would be interresting are pictures during the construction and the inside of the fuselage, but to forget drawings/dimension.


Jan

 

[lark]

Jan ,
Please take a look at

www.belgian-wings.be

enjoy

 

[hesham]

Hi Jan,


the LACAB which was founded as ACAZ and later change it name as above,there is
some unknown projects for it.


and for T.7,please see;


http://www.belgian-wings.be/Webpages/Navigator/Photos/CivilPics/civil_pics_ooaaa_ooczz/LACAB%20T-7%20OO-ANL/LacabT7CMali201101pwd.pdf


and for GR.8;


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LACAB_GR.8

 

[toura]

HI jAN DEN DAS

fromJ.P. DECOCK and Aviation Magazine

 

[Jan den Das]

Thanks for the information, good material


Jan

 

[lark]

Jan ,
I can also recommend you:

'Les Avions S.A.B.C.A et associés, prototypes et projects'
By Charles Mali - Le Fonds National Alfred Renard

The book haves about 10 pages concerning both above mentioned types.

 

[hesham]

Old Info from internet,


the LACAB design a single seat fighter project by the mid of 1930s,rejected in early stage,never materialized,
was that true ?.

 

[Jan den Das]

I can remember I have seen something (with a drawing?).
But this was a project from the ACAZ/ZACCO period


Jan

 

[hesham]

I can remember I have seen something (with a drawing?).
But this was a project from the ACAZ/ZACCO period


Jan

Hi Jan,


the ACAZ C.2 was built and flown in 1926,but not related to this fighter;


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACAZ_C.2

 

[Jan den Das]

There was also a fighter project, I hope I still have something about it.
There were also build 2 sport monoplanes, same type.


Jan

 

[hesham]

Jan,


what is the fighter you speak about it ?,is it the same fighter of 1935 as I mention or
not?,for ACAZ,I know only T.1 transport aircraft and T.2 light aircraft.

 

[Jan den Das]

I can tell you more if I find the information


Jan

 

[c460]

the LACAB which was founded as ACAZ and later change it name as above,there is
some unknown projects for it.

Hi,
I don't think that the ACAZ and LACAB companies were related.
The excellent website about the ACAZ C.2 by Roland Michau has a well documented page written by Luc Wittemans about the societies ACAZ and Zacco: http://rmichau.pagesperso-orange.fr/AcazC2/HermannHtm/SocietesUK.htm
According to this page, ACAZ and Zacco were related to the society SEGA in Gosselies. However it says nothing of a link with LACAB.
Please also note that Zacco ceased to exist in 1929, and LACAB was created in 1933.
Adrien

 

[hesham]

My dear Adrien


at first,in your source,they mentioned the T.3 as a private aircraft for ACAZ,and that's
new for me,second in your source,the company transferred its activities into Brussels,
and the ACAZ (Ateliers de Constructions Aeronautiques Zeebrugge) was formed after
WW1,and renamed Zacco,and a in 1929 ceased to trade,and in 1933,re-open the factory
as LACAB (Atelliers de Constructions Aeronautiques Belges) in Brussels.


It's as I know in my files.

April 1, 1927 the seat of the company is transferred to the place Madou 8 in Brussels.

 

[c460]

Hi Hesham,
Thank you for the precisions.

In BAMM no.42 there is a short article about the LACAB T.7. It includes an extract from La Conquête de l'Air July 1933, describing the foundation of LACAB in 1933, and giving the names of the administrators: baron Baltia, M. Jean de Steenhault de Waerbeek, M. Jean Bastin, M. Fernand du Roy de Bliquy, with Henri Delhove as commissaire. The Nagelmaekers bank and M. Bastin together owned 90 percent of the LACAB shares. You see that none of these names appears in the source about ACAZ and Zacco.

The main designer of the T.7 was Robert Servais (and Guldentops), who was apparently not linked to ACAZ / Zacco. Despite the name similarity, I don't think there is a compelling reason to believe that ACAZ and LACAB were directly related.

Of course the world of Belgian aeronautical construction was small, so some people might have been involved in both companies. For example René Bulté is known to have worked at Zacco before 1928 and at LACAB after 1934, but this does not mean much in my opinion.

Adrien

 

[hesham]

Thank you my dear Adrien,


I know there is no relationship between them,except the same factory
was purchased by the new owners.

 

[c460]

Sorry I did not understand that you were talking about the factory only.
But the T.7 and GR.8 were built by SABCA, in the Evere workshops directed by Jef Guldentops.

 

[c460]

The LACAB T.7 was very similar to the French SEMA 10 and SEMA 12. The configuration is the same and the dimensions are nearly identical.
In an article in Aviation Magazine, a picture of the T.7 was mistakenly inserted, captioned as the SEMA 12.
The article by Guy Roberty in BAMM no.42 (1984) discusses the possibility that it was the same design, but no definitive conclusion was reached. I don't know if the mystery was solved since then.
Close examination of the pictures show differences between the three aircraft but I can't make a definitive opinion.

Adrien

 

[c460]

The LACAB T.7 was very similar to the French SEMA 10 and SEMA 12. The configuration is the same and the dimensions are nearly identical.
In an article in Aviation Magazine, a picture of the T.7 (registered OO-ANL) was mistakenly inserted, captioned as the SEMA 12.
The article by Guy Roberty in BAMM no.42 (1984) discusses the possibility that it was the same design, but no definitive conclusion was reached. I don't know if the mystery was solved since then.
Close examination of the pictures show differences between the three aircraft but I can't make a definitive opinion.

Adrien

 

[Jemiba]

This photo of the LACAB GR.8 mockup was originally posted by by Skyblazer on March 07, 2013:

 

[hesham]

My dear Adrien

at first,in your source,they mentioned the T.3 as a private aircraft for ACAZ,and that's
new for me,

Also there is an aircraft called A.2 recce airplane;

3. Of all the material of factory, tools, goods in store and in the course of manufacture and movable objects various and office supplies being as well in the workshops of the company with Zeebrugge as in its offices, 12 street Liedts, with Schaerbeek, and in particular a reconnaissance aircraft A2, a private plane T3, cells and wings of the A2 plane, tests static.

 

[hesham]

I know there is no relationship between them,except the same factory was purchased by
the new owners.

The ACAZ company completed its series number,by projects 4,5 &6,
and they were not known,when LACAB purchased the factory,it started
with T.7 two-seat trainer,GR.8 attack recce,CB.9 twin engined low-mid-
wing fighter bomber Project and TR.10 twin engine low-mid-wing
medium transport Project.

 

[hesham]

The ACAZ company completed its series number,by projects 4,5 &6,
and they were not known,when LACAB purchased the factory,it started
with T.7 two-seat trainer,GR.8 attack recce,CB.9 twin engined low-mid-
wing fighter bomber Project and TR.10 twin engine low-mid-wing
medium transport Project.

From SABCA's book,

the LACAB CB.9 and TR.10 drawings.

 

[hesham]

From L'Aviation Belge.