Airco DH.2 The Airco DH.2 was a single-seat biplane “pusher” aircraft which operated as a fighter during the First World War. It was the second pusher design by aeronautical engineer Geoffrey de Havilland for Airco, based on his earlier DH.1 two-seater. The design of DH.2 was greatly influenced by the technologies available at the time, as the Britain had not yet developed a synchronisation gear to match the German system, this had compelled British fighters to adopt the pushed configuration, such as the DH.2 and the F.E.2b. Development of the…
Year: 2021
Avro 504
Avro 504 The Avro 504 was a First World War biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the war totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in the First World War, in any military capacity, during that conflict. Small numbers of early aircraft were purchased by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) prior to the start of the First World War, and were taken to…
Aircraft Project – Week 6
Selection of WW1 Heavy Bombers from all Nations World War I Heavy Bombers The first heavy bomber was designed as an airliner. The Russian aircraft designer, Igor Sikorsky designed the Sikorsky Ilya Muromets to fly between his birthplace 9poland) and his new home (St Petersburg). It did so briefly until August 1914, when the Russo-Balt wagon factory converted to a bomber version, with British Sunbeam Crusader V8 engines. By December 1914 a squadron of 10 was bombing German positions on the Eastern Front and by summer 1916 there were twenty.…
Martin MB-1
MARTIN MB-1 The Martin MB-1 was an American large biplane bomber designed and built by the Glenn L. Martin Company for the United States Army Air Service in 1918. It was the first purpose-built bomber produced by the United States. In response to a requirement from the Air Service for a bomber that was superior to the Handley Page O/400. Martin proposed the MB-1 and were rewarded with an initial production contract for six aircraft. The MB-1 was a conventional biplane design with twin fins and rudders mounted above the…
Wedding: Edgar Hewett and Miss Harrington
The wedding of Lieutenant Edgar Alfred Robert Hewett, only son of Mr and Mrs Alfred Hewett, of Woodlands, Swanley, and Miss Ethel May Harrington, eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs Samuel Harrington, of Hextable, Swanley, took place very quietly at Hanover Square W., on Wednesday 5th, inst. The bride was married in her going-away costume of navy blue with black velvet hat, and shortly after the conclusion of the ceremony the bride and bridegroom left for Brighton, where the honeymoon is being spent. Mr Edgar Hewett saw war service for…
CAPRONI Ca.5
CAPRONI Ca.5 The Caproni Ca.5 was an Italian heavy bomber of the World War I and the postwar era. It was the final version of the series of aircraft that began with the Caproni Ca.1 in 1914. By late World War I, developments in aircraft technology made older bomber designs unable to penetrate targets defended by modern fighters. Caproni’s response to this problem was to significantly uprate the power on the existing Ca.3 design, with some versions of the Ca.5 eventually carrying engines with nearly five times the total power…
Adolphe Bernard AB
Bernard AB -1 BN2 – France The Adolphe Bernard AB was a family twin-engined French biplane aircraft, built near the end of the First World War. Ten AB 1 BN2 bombers were produced for the Armée de l’Air but did not reach squadron service; post-war, two civil derivatives were considered but only one aircraft was built. The AB 1, built near the end of the First World War, was the first original design from the Adolphe Bernard factory, which had previously produced SPAD aircraft to government contracts. It was a…
Private AG Sales
Killed in Action Private A.G. Sales, of the 3rd Monmouth, who enlisted on August 30th, 1914, went to the Front on May 11th 1915, and in the engagement at Ypres was badly wounded, sustaining fractured ribs. After being treated in hospital in France, he was sent to Herne Bay, and on becoming convalescent was at his home in Dartford in June for a fortnight’s furlough. He returned to France in August, 1915, and met his death on December 29th, being killed by a shell. His widow, who lives at 6…
Lloyd 40.08 Luftkreuzer (Sky Cruiser)
Lloyd L 1/11 or 40.08 – Austro-Hungarian The Lloyd 40.08 Luftkreuzer (Sky Cruiser) was a three engine triplane bomber type built during World War I. The design was proven to be ineffective and development did not proceed past the prototype stage. In August 1915, the Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops (Luftfahrttruppen) awarded funding to Lloyd for construction of a new heavy bomber that could carry a 200 kg (440 lb) bomb-load and have endurance of at least 6 hours. The aircraft was to be powered by one powerful engine…
Private Harry Gordon Symonds
Private Harry Gordon Symonds was a member of the 11th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, and died on the 5th March 1916, at the age of 30, and is commemorated at the Loos Memorial in France. He was the son of the late General Jermyn Charles Symonds (Royal Marines) and Susan Campbell Kennedy Symonds. The following article appeared in the local newspaper: Private H. Gordon Symonds, Middlesex Regiment, half-brother of Mr J. D’Arcy Symonds, of Suffolk Road Nursery, Foots Cray, was killed in action last March. He was previously wounded in the…