Wibault 8 Simoun
| Company type | Prototype fighter aircraft |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Founder | Wibault |
| Products | Fighter aircraft |
The Wibault 8, also known as the Wib 8 Simoun, was a French-designed tandem two-seat parasol wing fighter aircraft. It was developed in response to a 1925 Service Technique de l'Aéronautique (S.T.Aé) requirement for a two-seat fighter, a specification that was eventually canceled, resulting in only a single prototype being constructed.
Design
Conceived to fulfill the 1925 S.T.Aé criteria, the Wib 8 continued the lineage of Wibault’s parasol wing fighters, following the notable Wibault 7. It was powered by a robust water-cooled upright V-12 Hispano-Suiza 12Hb engine, which was also utilized in subsequent models such as the Wib 12 and the single-seat Wib 170.
The airframe employed an all-metal construction predominantly using Duralumin, covered with narrow longitudinal aluminium strips. The parasol wing maintained a constant chord and was supported by parallel struts connecting to the lower fuselage at approximately mid-span, complemented by cabane struts above the fuselage. To enhance the pilot's field of view, a cut-out was incorporated into the trailing edge. Armament consisted of two forward-firing synchronized Vickers machine guns and two rear-mounted Lewis guns on a Scarff ring; notably, the rear gunner was provided with supplementary flight controls. The tail assembly featured a braced tailplane mounted high on the fuselage, paired with an angular fin and rudder configuration.
The engine was enclosed fully and drove a two-blade propeller, with cooling managed by a retractable half-cylindrical radiator positioned beneath the rear section of the engine. The fuselage had flat sides reminiscent of the Wib 7 design. Its fixed conventional landing gear included main wheels on a split axle attached to the underside of the fuselage via V-struts, along with a tailskid.
The aircraft took its maiden flight in May 1926; however, it failed to satisfy S.T.Aé performance requirements before the two-seat fighter program was discontinued, resulting in abandonment of further development beyond the prototype.