LACAB Projects and Prototypes

Retrofit

Retrofit

ACCESS: Top Secret
Joined
21 February 2007
Messages
655
Reaction score
325
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
 

Attachments

  • LACAB.jpg
    LACAB.jpg
    257.7 KB · Views: 894
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):
 

Attachments

  • LACAB GR-8.gif
    LACAB GR-8.gif
    208.6 KB · Views: 241
  • Lacab side.jpg
    Lacab side.jpg
    437.9 KB · Views: 188
  • Lacab rear.jpg
    Lacab rear.jpg
    590.4 KB · Views: 235
  • Lacab rear side.jpg
    Lacab rear side.jpg
    373.6 KB · Views: 243
  • Lacab GR 8 front.jpg
    Lacab GR 8 front.jpg
    673 KB · Views: 269
  • Lacab front.jpg
    Lacab front.jpg
    368 KB · Views: 291
Hi all
from "aviation magazine"
 

Attachments

  • lacab.jpg
    lacab.jpg
    417.3 KB · Views: 859
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
 
Jan ,
Please take a look at

www.belgian-wings.be

enjoy
 
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
 
HI jAN DEN DAS

fromJ.P. DECOCK and Aviation Magazine
 

Attachments

  • gr 8.jpg
    gr 8.jpg
    615.8 KB · Views: 592
  • gr8 2.jpg
    gr8 2.jpg
    454.3 KB · Views: 550
  • t 7.jpg
    t 7.jpg
    617.8 KB · Views: 507
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.
 
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 ?.
 
I can remember I have seen something (with a drawing?).
But this was a project from the ACAZ/ZACCO period


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


Jan
Click to expand...


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


Jan
 
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.
 
hesham said:
the LACAB which was founded as ACAZ and later change it name as above,there is
some unknown projects for it.
Click to expand...

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
 
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.
Click to expand...
 
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
 
Thank you my dear Adrien,


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

Attachments

  • LACAB_T.7_pseudo_SEMA_12_avimag_sp-toura.jpg
    LACAB_T.7_pseudo_SEMA_12_avimag_sp-toura.jpg
    109.7 KB · Views: 352
  • SEMA_12_aeronet.jpg
    SEMA_12_aeronet.jpg
    30.4 KB · Views: 345
  • SEMA_10_avimag_sp-toura-2.jpg
    SEMA_10_avimag_sp-toura-2.jpg
    126.4 KB · Views: 353
  • SEMA_10_avimag_sp-toura.jpg
    SEMA_10_avimag_sp-toura.jpg
    110.3 KB · Views: 364
  • lacab_T.7_BAMM_42_p17s.jpg
    lacab_T.7_BAMM_42_p17s.jpg
    50.6 KB · Views: 394
c460 said:
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
Click to expand...
 
This photo of the LACAB GR.8 mockup was originally posted by by Skyblazer on March 07, 2013:
 

Attachments

  • lacab_GR.8_mockup_sp-stargazer.jpg
    lacab_GR.8_mockup_sp-stargazer.jpg
    102.4 KB · Views: 164
hesham said:
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,
Click to expand...

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.
Click to expand...
 
hesham said:
I know there is no relationship between them,except the same factory was purchased by
the new owners.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Last edited:
hesham said:
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.
Click to expand...
From SABCA's book,

the LACAB CB.9 and TR.10 drawings.
 

Attachments

  • CB.9.png
    CB.9.png
    56.7 KB · Views: 114
  • TR.10.png
    TR.10.png
    118.7 KB · Views: 131
hesham said:
hesham said:
I know there is no relationship between them,except the same factory was purchased by
the new owners.
Click to expand...

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.
Click to expand...

Now we can say,the first 6 designs for Acaz,which the new company started from number 7,they
are T.1,T.2,T.3,C.2,A.2 and a Fighter
 
Last edited:
hesham said:
hesham said:
hesham said:
I know there is no relationship between them,except the same factory was purchased by
the new owners.
Click to expand...

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.
Click to expand...

Now we can say,the first 6 designs for Acaz,which the new company started from number 7,they
are T.1,T.2,T.3,C.2,A.2 and a Fighter
Click to expand...

Here is all Infos about these two companies,ACAZ & LACAB.
 

Attachments

  • 3.png
    3.png
    59.3 KB · Views: 29
  • 4.png
    4.png
    57.2 KB · Views: 22
  • 5.png
    5.png
    41.5 KB · Views: 27
So, to sum up on ACAZ...

Ateliers de Constructions Aéronautiques Zeebrugge - ACAZ

T.1 - 1924 Single-engine cantilever-wing cabin monoplane; x 1
- T.1: O-BAFK lightplane prototype; poss. mixed construction*
- T.1: 1 x 60 hp Anzani 6-cylinder radial; wing span 10.50 m
- T.1: Crashed at Brussels on 2nd flight; w/o and abandoned
-- * Based on 'all-metal' contruction claims for the ACAZ T.2
-- ACAZ T.1 was designed by Alfred Renard and Émile Allard
-- https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-acaz-t1-brussels
-- https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/early-belgian-projects.23892/#post-228161

T.2 - 1924 Single-engine cantilever-wing cabin monoplane; x 1
- T.2: O-BAFM lightplane prototype; 'all-metal' construction*
- T.2: 1 x 70 hp Anzani E6 6-cylinder radial; wing span 10.50 m
- T.2: ACAZ T.1 improvement; differed visually in shape of tail
-- ACAZ T.2 was designed by Alfred Renard and Émile Allard
-- * Claimed to be "One of world's first all-metal monoplane"
-- Still flying in 1929; re-registered as OO-AFM; flew until 1933
-- ACAZ T.2 can be considered as a prototype for the ACAZ T.3
-- https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/early-belgian-projects.23892/#post-228161

T.3 - (Project) 1924-25 production variant derived from the T.2
-- ACAZ T.3 was designed by Alfred Renard and Émile Allard

C.2 - 1926 2-seat scouting biplane and fighter aircraft, x 1
- C.2 : All-metal airframe designed by Alfred Herrmann
- C.2 : 1 x 450 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Ga V12;* span 12.50 m
-- * Internal Hispano-Suiza desig. for HS 12Ga was Type 50
- C.2 : 1927 Feyens mod's for Brussels-Leopoldsville flight [1]
- C.2 : 1927 mod's; 1 x 600 hp Hispano-Suiza Type 51-12H
-- O-BAFX 'Princesse Astrid' for Belgian Congo attempt
-- OO-AFX: Repaired C.2 airframe, written-off 25 Jan. 1933

A.2 - (Project) 1926 reconnaissance aircraft (no other details)*
- A.2 : Poss. C.2 redesignation as a reconnaissance-bomber**
-- * Belgian Wings lists orig. C.2 as "observation and bomber"
- ** Aéronautique Militaire tested C.2; preferred Breguet XIX
-- https://www.belgian-wings.be/acaz-c-2

(Fighter) - (Project) According to hesham, different from C.2

_______________________________________________________

[1] After military trials, the prototype C.2 was bought by Edmond Thieffry - who was to pilot the attempted Brussels-Leopoldsville record flight. Sous-lieutenant Thieffry had made the first successful flight from Belgium to the Congo in 1925 (used Sabena Handley Page W8f 'Princesse Marie-José'). Now he hope to repeat this success in the ACAZ C.2 together with crew member Adjudant Joseph Lang and Lieutenant Philippe Quersin (who shared a revised rear cockpit).

To suit such a long-range flight, modifications to the C.2 were made at the workshops of Alfred-François Feyens. A higher-powered, 600 hp engine drove a Louis de Monge propeller (with a spare propeller carried in the belly). O-BAFX had it tanks enlarged - to 1,200 litres of fuel (in place of 285 L) and 60 litres of oil (instead of 18.5 L) - this additional fuel and lubricant increasing range from the military aircraft's 790 km up to 3,000 km.

The planned Brussels-to-Leopoldsville flight began on 09 March 1928. But the flight only got as far as the Franco-Belgian border before the crew had to make an emergency landing. O-BAFX was damaged in this crash-landing at Givet in northern France.
 
Good stuff. Maybe a summary would be better at home in the designation systems area?
 
hesham said:
hesham said:
hesham said:
hesham said:
I know there is no relationship between them,except the same factory was purchased by
the new owners.
Click to expand...

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.
Click to expand...

Now we can say,the first 6 designs for Acaz,which the new company started from number 7,they
are T.1,T.2,T.3,C.2,A.2 and a Fighter
Click to expand...

Here is all Infos about these two companies,ACAZ & LACAB.
Click to expand...

Amazing work as usual dear Apophenia,

and to understand the history of this company;
Zeebrugge was formed in 1923 as Zeebrugge Aeronautical Construction Co. (Zacco),renamed Ateliers
de Construction Aeronautique de Zeebrugge (ACAZ) in 1925,it survived until 1933,then LACAB was
established in the same year,taken the factory only,as I know,there wasn't any relationship between them,
but the new firm began from the designation number "7".
 
dan_inbox: I considered posting in the Designations section but the entry seemed too short. Still, happy to see my post moved if Mods see this as desirable.

hesham: Thanks. The exact corporate history timing is the other way around.

ACAZ was organized in 1923 (although not officially formed until 11 Jan 1924). In Oct 1926, a financing group led by industrialist Alfred-François Feyens took over to exploit the ACAZ A.2 design. That resulted in the creation of ZACCO S.A.

Ironically, the Zeebrugge Aeronautical Construction Company never actually constructed anything aeronautical! However, for our purposes, the fact tat ZACCO was created to exploit the A.2 reinforces the idea the conclusion that the A.2 was simply the C.2 airframe redesignated.
 
May that is right about A.2 and C.2,but about Zacco and Acaz,please see
 

Attachments

  • 10.png
    10.png
    189 KB · Views: 30
hesham said:
May that is right about A.2 and C.2,but about Zacco and Acaz,please see
Click to expand...

Sorry hesham, your clipping is in error. ZACCO S.A. doesn't legally exist until 04 Nov 1926. Zeebrugge Aeronautical Construction Company then issued 10,000 common stock shares valued at 3,000,000 BEF.

From what I can gather, ZACCO didn't so much take over ACAZ as allow it to die. The purpose of ZACCO was to produce, promote, and sell the A.2 recce aircraft and the T.3 lightplane.

For more on ACAZ/ZACCO corporate organization, see:
-- https://rmichau.pagesperso-orange.fr/AcazC2/SocietesUK.htm
 
hesham said:
May that is right about A.2 and C.2,but about Zacco and Acaz,please see
Click to expand...

We forgot here in that text,there was a prototype of a Two-Seat Light Trainer aircraft ?!.
 

Attachments

  • 1.png
    1.png
    610.3 KB · Views: 32
Last edited:
hesham said:
hesham said:

We forgot here in that text,there was a prototype of a Two-Seat Light Trainer aircraft ?!.
Click to expand...

... and for this trainer,may it was called LT.2 ?.
Click to expand...

Is there any evidence for such a designation? If so, what would it stand for?

Confirmed ACAZ designations are single-letter prefixes for Tourisme, Chasse, and Armée. Based on those precedents, were we to simply speculate on a mythical ACAZ designation style for a light trainer, wouldn't French be the language of choice?

BTW, if Gunston was the source for this "Two-Seat Light Trainer", I suspect that he was referring to the known side-by-side 'T' series.
 

Similar threads

Please donate to support the forum.

Back
Top Bottom