{{short description|French WW1 reconnaissance aircraft}} {{More footnotes|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox aircraft |name=Dorand AR.1 and AR.2 |image=File:Dorand AR.1 French First World War reconnaissance biplane.jpg |caption=Dorand AR.1 |type=Reconnaissance aircraft |manufacturer=Section Technique de l'Aéronautique |designer=Georges Lèpere and Émile Dorand |first_flight=1916 |introduction=1917 |retired= |status= |primary_user=French Air Force |more_users= American Expeditionary Force <br> Serbian Aviation |produced= |number_built= |variants= }}

The '''Dorand AR.1''' was a World War I French two-seat observation biplane aircraft used by the French Air Force, the American Expeditionary Force and, in small numbers, by Serbian Aviation.

==Design and development== Designed by Captain Georges Lepère of the STAé to replace the obsolescent Farman F.40 pusher aircraft, '''Dorand AR'''-series were two-seater reconnaissance biplanes that were named after the STAé director, Lt. Col. Dorand. They were characterized by backward-staggered two-bay wings and angular all-moving tail surfaces. The pilot sat beneath the leading edge of the upper wing, with the observer's cockpit being under the trailing edge, and there were cut-outs in both wings to improve the latter's field of view. Rather unusually for a single-engine tractor biplane of the era, the lower wing was not directly attached to the fuselage, instead being somewhat below it, supported by struts.

Production of these aircraft began in a state-owned French Army Aircraft Establishment (or S.T.Aé.) factory at Chalais-Meudon, near Paris, after flight testing had been completed in the autumn 1916.

== Operational history == [[File:Capitaine Fresnay , école d'aviation militaire Le Crotoy (1916).gif|thumb|Dorand AR.1 at the military flying school at Le Crotoy.]] The first of the thirteen squadrons which flew Dorands on the Western Front received their aircraft in the spring 1917. Five other French squadrons used the type on the Italian Front. These aircraft were withdrawn from the combat units in early 1918.

In 1917 the American Expeditionary Force ordered the Renault-engined varieties of the Dorand, the first of 22 AR.1s being delivered in December 1917 and the first of 120 AR.2s in following February. The Americans operated these types on the Western Front for the first half 1918, until replacing them with the Salmson 2. After being retired from fighting duties, the surviving examples were used as trainers.

thumb|Dorand AR.2's of the first Serbian squadron A small number of Dorand AR.1s were also supplied to Kingdom of Serbia, which operated these aircraft in four squadrons from April 1918 onwards. While the Dorand AR-types didn't have a particularly distinguished career in either French or American service, having a rather mediocre performance for a late-war daytime reconnaissance aircraft and suffering from having low priority for engine supplies, it is a testimony to the general soundness of the design that after the war, many AR.1s and AR.2s appeared in the French civil register, being used as 2/3-passenger transports by companies like Compagnie Aérienne Française and Réseau Aérien Transafricain. Private users found the aircraft useful for training and joy-flights as well.

==Variants==

There were following variants of the design:

;AR.1 A2 160 :Early production version powered by a {{convert|160|hp|kW|disp=flip|abbr=on}} Renault 8Gd engine ;AR.1 A2 200 :Mid production version powered by a {{convert|200|hp|kW|disp=flip|abbr=on}} Renault 8Gdy engine ;AR.1 A2 190 :Late production version powered by a {{convert|190|hp|kW|disp=flip|abbr=on}} Renault 8Gd engine ;ARL.1 A2 :AR.1s modified with a {{convert|240|hp|kW|disp=flip|abbr=on}} Lorraine-Dietrich engine ;AR.1 D2:Trainers powered by Renault 12d air-cooled V-12s.<ref name="Davilla">{{cite book |last1=Davilla |first1=Dr. James J. |last2=Soltan |first2=Arthur M. |title=French aircraft of the First World War |date=January 2002 |publisher=Flying Machines Press |isbn=1891268090 |pages=37–46}}</ref> ;AR.2 A2 :2nd production version powered by a {{convert|199|hp|kW|disp=flip|abbr=on}} Renault 8Ge engine ;ARL.2 A2 :AR.2s modified with a {{convert|240|hp|kW|disp=flip|abbr=on}} Lorraine-Dietrich engine

The AR.1 and ARL.1 had a wing span of {{convert|13.27| m|ft|abbr=on}}, and used frontal radiators, while the AR.2 and ARL.2 were slightly smaller aircraft, with a wingspan of {{convert|12.0| m|ft|abbr=on}}, the wing area being only 45 square metres, and wing mounted radiators. All these types had "A.2" added to their names in French service, indicating that they were two-seater reconnaissance aircraft.

==Operators== ;{{FRA}} * Aéronautique Militaire ;{{flag|Kingdom of Greece}} * Hellenic Air Force ;{{flag|Republic of the Rif}} * Operated a single example. ;{{flag|Kingdom of Serbia}} * Serbian Air Force ;{{flag|United States|1912}} * American Expeditionary Force

== Specifications (AR.1) == thumb|Dorand AR.1 drawing {{Aircraft specs |ref=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1919 <ref name=JAWA1919>{{cite book |last=Grey |first=C.G. |title=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1919 |edition=Facsimile |year=1969 |publisher=David & Charles (Publishers) Limited |location=London |isbn=07153-4647-4 |pages=229a–231a}}</ref> |prime units?=met <!-- General characteristics --> |genhide=

|crew=2 (pilot and observer) |capacity= |length m=8.225 |length ft= |length in= |length note= |span m=13.3 |span ft= |span in= |span note= |height m= |height ft= |height in= |height note= |wing area sqm=50.36 |wing area sqft= |wing area note= |aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes --> |airfoil= |empty weight kg=890 |empty weight lb= |empty weight note= |gross weight kg=1330 |gross weight lb= |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity={{convert|170|L|impgal|abbr=on}} |more general= <!-- Powerplant --> |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Renault 8Gdy |eng1 type=V-8 water-cooled piston engine |eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines --> |eng1 hp=200

|eng1 note=

|prop blade number=2 |prop name=wooden fixed pitch propeller |prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft --> |prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft --> |prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft --> |prop dia note= <!-- Performance --> |perfhide=

|max speed kmh=148 |max speed mph= |max speed kts= |max speed note=at {{convert|2000|m|abbr=on}}

|cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed kts= |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh= |stall speed mph= |stall speed kts= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |range km= |range miles= |range nmi= |range note= |combat range km= |combat range miles= |combat range nmi= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range miles= |ferry range nmi= |ferry range note= |endurance=3 hours |ceiling m=5500 |ceiling ft= |ceiling note= |g limits=<!-- aerobatic --> |roll rate=<!-- aerobatic --> |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |lift to drag= |wing loading kg/m2=26.4 |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |fuel consumption kg/km= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass=0.143&nbsp;kW/kg (0.087&nbsp;hp/lb) |thrust/weight=

|more performance= <!-- Armament -->

|guns= ** 1 × fixed forward-firing {{convert|.303|in|mm|abbr=on|disp=flip}} Vickers machine gun for the pilot ** 1 or 2 × {{convert|.303|in|mm|abbr=on|disp=flip}} Lewis gun(s) on a movable mounting for the observer |bombs= |rockets= |missiles= |hardpoints= |hardpoint capacity= |hardpoint rockets= |hardpoint missiles= |hardpoint bombs= |hardpoint other=

|avionics= }}

==See also== {{Commons category|Dorand AR}} {{aircontent <!-- designs which were developed into or from this aircraft: --> |related=

<!-- aircraft similar in appearance or function to this design: --> |similar aircraft=*Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 * Albatros C.VII

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== References == {{Reflist}} * Munson, Kenneth - Bombers, Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft 1914 - 1919 {{ISBN|0-7537-0918-X}} * Owers, Colin - The French AR Biplanes, Windsock International Vol 6 #5 (Sept-Oct 1990) & Vol 7 #1 (Jan-Feb 1991)

==External links== For the photographs of the Dorands see following pages: * http://jnpassieux.chez-alice.fr/html/DorandAR1.php * [https://greek-war-equipment.blogspot.com/2009/05/dorand-ar1.html A history of military equipment of Modern Greece (1821-today): Dorand A.R.1] * http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/ar1and2.htm

Category:1910s French military reconnaissance aircraft Category:Biplanes with negative stagger Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft Category:Aircraft manufactured in France Category:Aircraft first flown in 1916