Unknown (to me) Rumanian aircraft type

With the risk of not really sounding modest, I have to say it rarely happens that I see a a full-size photo of Rumanian aircraft that I cannot identify. This is what just happened to me:



I don't know anything else about this bird, except that it was photographed by a German soldier. All I have is this small scan.

To me it looks like some sort of S.E.T. with an in-line engine (Argus As 10?). Perhaps a prototype previous to the S.E.T. 14?

Does anyone have a clue of the type?

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on January 14, 2008 10:17 pm

Hi Denes,
It is a SET 4H
HTH
Radu

Didn't the S.E.T. 4H have radial engine? I don't have my reference books handy.

Gen. Dénes

SET 4 had a radial engine indeed.
SET 4H were re-engined with Argus AS 10C engines.
See pages 247/248 of Romanian Aeronautical Costructions by Antoniu and Cicos
HTH
Radu

What is the meaning of "H". Could be abreviation from Hirth engine (inverted V engine 280hp) and not for Argus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirth_HM_508

This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on January 15, 2008 10:24 am

What is the meaning of "H".

As far as I know, 'H' means 'Hidro'. I.e., the aircraft type was originally intended as seaplane, but the rôle has been changed, and instead of floats the airframes received fixed wheel undercarriage.

Anyhow, I can't recall seeing yet any S.E.T. 4H with an in-line engine. Is there a photo in the mentioned book?

Gen. Dénes

Yes, there is a photo from an accident.

At the first time every one believed that. But the H was atributed only after engine was changed with the inverted V engine. This is the reason for my question "H" could be from the name of the engine used ? ("H" from Hidro is no more valid as we can see from the pictures)

This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on January 15, 2008 10:36 am

The text in the book mentions that some were powered by a 300HP Hispano Suisa Type 42 engine and some were powered by 240HP Argus As-10C.
Maybe the "H" stands for Hispano Suisa?
Radu

Yes it is posible. But in the picture is not an Hispano engine (water cooled)

Absolutely, that is an Argus engine. Looks a bit like the nose of a Storch (with modifications to the cowl).
However, the same book has a drawing of this plane fitted with an Argus engine and they still call it a H.
The text mentions that the initial batch was powerd by Hispano engines and in 1938 they were replaced with Argus engines.
Radu

And we don't know how it should look with the Hispano engine until a picture surface.

See page 247 of the same book (bottom right)
Radu

I checked the mentioned book and indeed, it appears that the photo shows an S.E.T. 4H, powered by an Argus As 10 engine. I also found a photo in my collection where the tail surface is clearly visible. On the fin, the aircraft type is given as S.E.T. 4Ha ('a' in upper script). Could this suffix refer to the engine type, namely 'a' for Argus? By the way, the S.E.T. factory had similar numbering system with the 7Kb and 7Kd biplanes, although these suffixes were in the lower script, and actually refer to the sub-versions' intended role.
I am still not convinced that the 'H' does not refer to it's original destination, namely 'hydro' (which was later on changed). See, for example, the case of the S.E.T. 7H, which was a seaplane.

Gen. Dénes

Hi!
It`s a SET-4H reengined with Argus.All 8 a/c where reengined in 940.SET-4H was designed specialy for Hispano Suiza because the engine remaines on stock.
George