1953 STAMPE (BELGIAN) SV4B V53
| The Stampe et Vertongen company (formed by Jean Stampe
and Maurice Vertongen, former Belgian pilots of WW1) was founded in 1923 near
Antwerp, Belgium. Granted this is not a WW1 era aircraft, but it is one of the many planes flown during the weekend air show demonstrations. The owner and pilot, Gene DeMarco uses the Stampe to show the audience how stable and agile the biplane design can be. |
| Its most successful plane was the SV4 series, originally designed by George Ivanow in 1933. These had swept back upper wings, ailerons in the lower wings only, and a 120 hp. upright Gypsy I engine. In 1939, under designer B. Demidoff, upper and lower wings became swept back with four ailerons. The engine was changed to the inverted Gypsy Major. With these modifications the SV.4 became the SV.4B. During this year, they were built in Belgium and France in order to fill an order for the French Air Force. Belgian built aircraft had the standard Gypsy engine, the French built had Renault engines. |
| With the coming of WW2 and occupation of Belgium, all SV production ceased. After the war, production resumed with sixty-five SV.4B's being built in Sartrouville, France by the French firm SNCAN. A small number had the Gypsy Major engine, just like the one in the photos. The rest were fitted with Renault engines. This plane was number fifty-three or V53 of the post WW2 production. |
| The Gypsy Major engine proved to be the most reliable. Unlike the Renault engines, they could endure the oil starvation experienced during extended inverted stunts. Despite later modifications to resolve the Renault's oil problem, the Gypsy Major engine still proved to be more dependable. Although the engine cradle is tube steel, the rest of the airframe is made of Spruce wood. |
| It is likely the DeHaviland, "Tiger Moth," produced two years prior to the first SV4, had a distinct influence on its design. But, there is no proof that the SV company directly copied the Tiger Moth. Interestingly, in 1930 the SV Company became an agent for DeHaviland in Belgium, selling DH60 and other Moth models. |
| Poised at the door of its hangar. This is an excellent
view of the four ailerons, large elevators and well endowed rudder. All of these make the
Stampe SV.4B a very nimble performer. Unfortunately, this plane was crashed in June of 2001 by a friend of the owner. Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome's runway is a short grass strip, completely surrounded by trees, causing some pilots who are used to having long, open runways, to lose control of their planes. The last status about V53 is it is stored pending a complete restoration. |
This Data was copied from Dirk De Quick's
website
V-53 c/n 1195 source link for historical data of SV-53 |
For additional information on the history of
the SV-4B Stampe see Dirk De Quick's
THE
HISTORY OF THE 65 BELGIAN AIR FORCE AIRPLANES
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Most recent update Oct. 01, 2006