Sablatnig P.III

The Sablatnig P.III was a German two‑seat reconnaissance and training aircraft built by the Josef Sablatnig company shortly after World I. First flown in the spring of 1919, the P.III represented Sablatnig’s attempt to transition from wartime bomber production to peacetime civil aviation. The airframe employed a conventional biplane layout with equal‑span wings, a wooden structure covered in fabric, and a fixed tailskid undercarriage. Power came from a 150 hp Mercedes D.IIIa inline engine driving a two‑blade propeller, giving the aircraft a maximum speed of roughly 150 km/h and a service ceiling of 4,500 m. Its cockpit accommodated a pilot and an observer who could be fitted with photographic equipment or a light machine gun, allowing the type to serve both as a trainer and a limited reconnaissance platform. Production numbers were modest—fewer than fifty examples were built—yet the P.III helped sustain Sablatnig’s workforce during the turbulent post‑war years and contributed to the development of German civil aviation clubs. Its straightforward design and reliable handling made it a popular trainer for fledgling pilots, influencing later German utility aircraft of the 1920s. Overall, the Sablatnig P.III exemplified early interwar innovation and training capability.

Josef Sablatnig

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