SIAI S.8

The SIAI S.8 was an Italian 1910s two-seat reconnaissance flying-boat.

Design and development
The Societa Idrovolanti Alta Italia (SIAI) was formed in 1915 initially to build French flying-boats under license. The company employed Rafaele Conflenti as Chief Designer and his first design was the SIAI S.8 a two-seat equal-span biplane flying boat first flown in 1917. The Royal Italian Navy ordered 800 S.8s to be built by SIAI and sub-contractors. With the end of the war production was stopped when 172 aircraft had been delivered. Early aircraft were powered by an Isotta Fraschini V4B engine, later aircraft had the more powerful 220 hp (164 kW) Hispano-Suiza 44.

Operational history
The aircraft equipped five squadrons of the Regia Marina. By 1920 only 63 aircraft survived mostly in storage.

Operators

 * Italy
 * Regia Marina

Specifications (S.8)
General characteristics Performance Armament
 * Crew: 2
 * Length: 32 ft 3½ in (9.84 m)
 * Wingspan: 41 ft 10¾ in (12.77 m)
 * Height: 10ft 10 in (3.30 m)
 * Wing area: 495.16 ft² (46.00 m²)
 * Empty weight: 1,984 lb (900 kg)
 * Max. takeoff weight: 3,031 lb (1375 kg)
 * Powerplant: 1 × Isotta-Fraschini V.4B inline piston, 180hp (134 kW)
 * Maximum speed: 89 mph (144 km/h)
 * Range: 435 miles (700 km)
 * Service ceiling: 19,865 ft (6000 m)

one 7.7mm (0.303in) machine gun in bow cockpit, up to 265lb (120kg) of bombs.