Pomilio PE

{{Infobox aircraft | name = Pomilio PE | logo = | logo_size = | image = Pomilio PE.jpg | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Two-seat armed reconnaissance biplane | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = | manufacturer = [[Fabbrica Aeroplani Ing. O. Pomilio|Pomilio]] | design_group = | designer = | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = [[Corpo Aeronautico Militare]] <br/> [[Regia Aeronautica]] | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 545 (PC and PD)<br>1071 (PE) | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = 1917 | retired = 1920 | first_flight = 1917 | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = }}

The '''Pomilio PE''' was a [[First World War]] [[Italy|Italian]] armed reconnaissance biplane designed and built by the [[Fabbrica Aeroplani Ing. O. Pomilio|Pomilio]] brothers. It was developed from the earlier '''Pomilio PC''' and '''PD'''.

==Development== The Pomilio brothers first armed reconnaissance biplane was the Pomilio PC which appeared in 1917. It was a conventional biplane of mixed construction with a fixed tailskid landing gear. It had two open cockpits in tandem and was powered by a nose-mounted 260 hp (194 kW) [[Fiat A.12]] engine. It first entered service in 1917 and was found to dangerously unstable which led to an improved design the Pomilio PD. Only some 70 Pomilio PC were made for Italian Air Force.<ref name=alegiII/> Apart from other improvements, the PD introduced a tail fin and a ventral fin to help with the stability.<ref name=alegiII/> The cylinder heads were exposed, and a radiator was placed in front of an upper wing.<ref name=alegiII/> The PD was flown in June 1917.<ref name=alegiII/> 431 PD were manufactured, including 93 dual control trainers, which were needed due to difficult flight characteristics.<ref name=alegi3>Alegi (2006), p.3</ref>

A further improvement was the Pomilio PE, fitted with a more powerful variant of the Fiat A.12bis. It had a fully cowled engine, with a vertical radiator in front of it, what changed the plane's appearance.<ref name=alegiII>Alegi (2006), 2nd cover</ref> On later machines, a triangular fin was replaced with a bigger trapezoid one.<ref name=alegiII/> It entered production in October 1917, and 984 were made, including 103 trainers.<ref name=alegi36>Alegi (2006), p.36</ref> Changes were made throughout the production run with later aircraft fitted with synchronized forward-firing machine-guns{{citation needed|date=September 2017}} as well as observer's [[Lewis machine gun|Lewis gun]].

==Variants== ;Pomilio PC :Initial production variant ;Pomilio PD :Modified production variant with new tail unit and ventral fin, 575 PC and PDs built. ;Pomilio PE :Improved production variant with more powerful fully cowled engine, 984 built.

==Operators== ;{{flag|Kingdom of Italy}} *[[Corpo Aeronautico Militare]] *[[Regia Aeronautica]]

==Specifications (PE) == {{Aircraft specs |ref={{cite book |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|publisher= Orbis Publishing|pages=2759}} |prime units? = met |crew=2 (pilot, observer) |length m=8.95 |length ft=29 |length in=4.25 |span m=11.80 |span ft=38 |span in=8.5 |height m=3.35 |height ft=11 |height in=0 |gross weight kg=1535 |gross weight lb=3384 |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=[[Fiat A.12]]bis six-cylinder inline piston engine |eng1 kw=224 |eng1 hp=300 |max speed kmh=195 |max speed mph=121 |endurance=3 hours 30 minutes |ceiling m=5000 |ceiling ft=16,405 |armament = *1 x forward-firing 6.5 mm [[Fiat–Revelli Modello 1914|Fiat-Revelli machine-gun]] above the upper wing<ref name=alegiII/> *1 x 6.5 mm [[Fiat–Revelli Modello 1914|Fiat-Revelli machine-gun]], rarely 1 or 2 x 7.7 mm (0.303 in) [[Lewis machine-gun]] on Scarff ring in rear cockpit }}

{{aircontent  |see also= |related= |similar aircraft= |lists= }}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography== {{Commons category|Pomilio PE}} *{{cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London }} *{{cite book |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|publisher= Orbis Publishing|pages=2759}} *{{cite book |last= Alegi|first= Gregory|title=Pomilio PD/PE|year=2006 |publisher= Albatros Productions|location= Berkhamsted |series=Windsock Datafile|volume=117 |isbn=1-902207-83-1}}

[[Category:Pomilio aircraft|PE]] [[Category:1910s Italian military reconnaissance aircraft]] [[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]] [[Category:Biplanes]] [[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1917]]