Sage Type 4

Design and development

In early 1917, the Peterborough based woodworking company of Frederick Sage & Company designed a two-seat patrol floatplane for the Royal Naval Air Service based on Sage's Type 3 landplane trainer. Like the Type 3, the new design, the Sage Type 4, was a single-engined biplane. Pilot and observer sat in separate tandem cockpits, with the pilot occupying the front cockpit,while the wireless operator/observer sat in the rear cockpit, with both crew members having good visibility. The aircraft was powered by a single 150 hp (112 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8 water-cooled V-8 engine in the nose driving a tractor propeller. Undercarriage consisted of two main floats under the wing the a further tail float.

The prototype Sage Type 4a (serial number N.116) first flew on 3 July 1917. The type demonstrated excellent handing during testing, being capable both of flying aerobatic manoeuvres while still being stable enough to be easily flown "hands-off". Despite this, the type was rejected for service as a patrol aircraft, but it was recommended that it instead be adapted into a float-plane trainer. The aircraft was fitted with dual controls and the engine mounting was modified to allow any one of a variety of 200 hp (149 kW) engines to be fitted. N.116 was converted to the new standard, being fitted with a Sunbeam Arab and flew as the Sage Type 4b on 17 May 1918.

Sage also designed a revised version, the Sage Type 4c with folding wings of increased wingspan (39 ft 7¼ in (12.07 m) compared with 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m) for the earlier aircraft and powered by a 200 hp Hispano Suiza engine, with a prototype flying on 12 October 1918.

Both the Type 4b and 4c were adopted as standard training floatplanes for the RNAS, but the end of the First World War resulted in production plans being abandoned.

Variants

Type 4a

Two-seat patrol seaplane, powered by 150 hp (110 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8A engine. One prototype built. Converted to Type 4b.

Type 4b

Two seat floatplane trainer, powered by 200 hp (150 kW) Sunbeam Arab engine. Converted from Type 4a.

Type 4c

Revised floatplane trainer with folding wings. Powered by 200 hp (150 kW) Hispano Suiza 8B engine. One example built.

Specifications (Sage 4c)

Data from British Aeroplanes 1914–18

General characteristics

Crew: 2

Length: 37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)

Wingspan: 39 ft 7.25 in (12.0714 m)

Height: 11 ft 7 in (3.53 m)

Wing area: 386 sq ft (35.9 m²)

Empty weight: 2,215 lb (1,005 kg)

Gross weight: 2,875 lb (1,304 kg)

Fuel capacity: 35½ Imperial Gallons

Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 8B water cooled V8 engine, 200 hp (150 kW)

Propellers: single blade two bladed propeller, 9 ft (2.7 m) diameter

Performance

Maximum speed: 97.2 mph (156 km/h; 84 kn) at 3,000 ft (915 m)

Stall speed: 45 mph (72 km/h; 39 kn) (landing speed)

Endurance: 2 h 30 min

Service ceiling: 13,700 ft (4,200 m)

Time to altitude:

8 min to 5,000 ft (1,520 m)

21 min 20 s to 10,000 ft (3,050 m)