SOPWITH 1 1⁄2 STRUTTER The Sopwith 1 1⁄2 Strutter was a British single- or two-seat multi-role biplane aircraft of the First World War. It was significant as the first British two-seat tractor fighter and the first British aircraft to enter service with a synchronised machine gun. It was given the name 1 1⁄2 Strutter because of the long and short cabane struts that supported the top wing. Like other early Sopwith types, the 1 1⁄2 Strutter was very lightly built and its structure did not stand up very well to…
Month: August 2021
ROYAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY B.E.12. 12A AND 12B
Royal Aircraft Factory BE12, 12a & 12b The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 was a British single-seat aeroplane of The First World War designed at the Royal Aircraft Factory. It was essentially a single-seat version of the B.E.2. The B.E.12 was pressed into service as a fighter, in which role it proved disastrously inadequate, mainly due to its very poor manoeuvrability. The B.E.12 was essentially a B.E.2c with the front (observer’s) cockpit replaced by a large fuel tank, powered by the new 150 hp RAF 4a air cooled V12 engine. The…
ROYAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY B.E.2
Royal Aircraft Factory BE2 (Many variants inc. BE 2c and BE 2e) The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 was a British single-engine tractor two-seat biplane designed and developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory. Most production aircraft were constructed under contract by various private companies, both established aircraft manufacturers and firms that had not previously built aircraft. Around 3,500 were manufactured in all. The Designation B.E = Blériot Experimental (Tractor or propeller-first layout). Early versions of the B.E.2 entered squadron service with the Royal Flying Corps in 1912; the type continued to…
Aircraft Project – Week 1
MODEL MAKING – ALL AIRCRAFT TYPES THAT FLEW IN WORLD WAR 1 John Preedy About 3 and a half years ago I took on the challenge of making all the aircraft types that flew in WW1 to the scale of 1/72. These cover all those of the Countries of the Allies and the Central Powers. At the time of starting I though the total amounted to some 180 models. Since that time I have found many more and my current estimate of the full number is more than 500. Pre…
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.7
Royal Aircraft Factory RE7 The Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.7 was a British two-seat light bomber and reconnaissance biplane designed by the Royal Aircraft Factory and built under contracts for the Royal Flying Corps. The designation R.E. = Reconnaissance Experimental (two-seat machines) The R.E.7 was designed to carry heavy loads and also suitable for escort and reconnaissance duties. It was an-unequal span biplane with a fixed tailskid landing gear and powered by a nose-mounted 120 hp Beardmore engine driving a four-bladed propeller. The aircraft was built by a number of different…
Miss Winifred Tremain
Experiences of a local nurse in France Praise for British coolness and tact Miss Winifred Tremain, eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs Frederick Tremain, of Orpington, is very happy in her work as a V.A.D. nurse in No. 14 General Hospital, with the British Expeditionary Force in France. writing a few days since to her sister, Nurse Tremain says: – I must tell you about the ghastly thing that happened last night. I had just got into bed; it would be about a quarter past eight o’clock. My mate was…