Development and Operation
The Tellier T.3 was a biplane flying boat with unequal span wings. The upper wing had no dihedral while the lower wing had a pronounced dihedral for the wings to clear the water. Ailerons were on the top wing only.
The wings had two bays of struts mounted at oblique angles. The wings had wooden spars and metal ribs and were supported by intertwined metal cables. The struts were made of extruded metal with metal attachment points. The 200 hp Hispano-Suiza 8Ac engine was used. The pilot sat directly ahead of the engine while the gunner sat in the extreme nose. A third seat for a passenger was next to the pilot. Flight testing of the aircraft was begun on 13 September 1916. Initial production orders were placed on 21 March 1917.
The U.S. Navy purchased 33 T.3's for use at NAS Le Croisic as anti-submarine patrol aircraft {S/N's 10, 11, 21, 24, 25, 40, 56, 69, 70-74, 86-89, 93, 105, 106, 111, 114, 139, 140, 143-146, and 151-153}. The first mission using a T.3 was flown on 18 November 1917 At the time the aircraft had long since been replaced in French Aviation Maritime service. It is therefore assumed that the aircraft brought by the Navy were already service veterans. As time passed aircraft experienced more and more breakdowns
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