ROYAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY – Aerial Target The Development of Radio Controlled Drone Aircraft Conceived late in 1916, this was a radio-controlled, pilotless aeroplane intended both for defence against Zeppelins and as a flying bomb. In the former role it was planned that it would be controlled from the ground, but in the latter role control from an accompanying manned aeroplane was also considered. To disguise its intended purpose it was always referred to as the Aerial Target. Its wireless apparatus was designed by Capt Archibald M Low of the RFC’s…
Tag: British
VICKERS F.B.26 VAMPIRE
Vickers F.B.26 Vampire The Vickers F.B.26 Vampire was a British single-seat pusher biplane fighter built by Vickers during the First World War. Four were built by Vickers at Bexleyheath, one of these was subsequently modified to become the F.B.26A. The design was a development of the earlier Vickers F.B.12 prototypes; and was a two-bay biplane with a high-mounted nacelle for the pilot and an initial armament of two .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Guns. Behind this was a water-cooled 200 hp (150 kW) Hispano-Suiza engine driving the propeller. The tailplane…
MARTINSYDE F. 3 / F.4 Buzzard
MARTINSYDE F. 3 / F.4 Buzzard In 1917, Martinsyde designed a single-seat biplane fighter powered by a Rolls-Royce Falcon V-12 engine, the Martinsyde F.3, with a single prototype being built as a private venture. A further 6 were ordered in 1917, with the first flying in November that year. Its performance during testing was impressive, demonstrating a maximum speed of 229 km/h. F.3 – Single-seat fighter biplane. Powered by Rolls-Royce Falcon. Seven built. Tow or three of the F.3 Prototypes were tested and used in the Home Defence activities at Biggin Hill in 1918. F.4 Buzzard – Single-seat…
Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin
SOPWITH 5F.1 DOLPHIN (Fighter & Night Fighter) The Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin was a British fighter aircraft manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It was used by the Royal Flying Corps and its successor, the Royal Air Force, during the First World War. The Dolphin entered service on the Western Front in early 1918 and proved to be a formidable fighter. The resulting Dolphin was a two-bay, single-seat biplane, with the upper wings attached to an open steel cabane frame above the cockpit. To maintain the correct centre of gravity, the…
SOPWITH PUP
Sopwith Pup Sopwith Pup was a British single-seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good manoeuvrability, the aircraft proved very successful. The Pup was eventually outclassed by newer German fighters, but it was not completely replaced on the Western Front until the end of 1917. Remaining Pups were relegated to Home Defence and training units. The Pup’s docile flying characteristics also made it…
BRISTOL F 2B
BRISTOL F 2B The Bristol F.2 Fighter was a British two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War developed by Frank Barnwell at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter, other popular names include the “Brisfit” or “Biff”. Although the type was intended initially as a replacement for the pre-war Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c reconnaissance aircraft, the newly-available Rolls-Royce Falcon V12 engine gave it the performance of a two-seat fighter. Despite a disastrous start to its career, the definitive F.2B version proved…
HANDLEY PAGE 0/400
HANDLEY PAGE 0/400 The Handley Page Type O was a 2 engine biplane bomber (crew up to 4) used by Britain during the First World War. When built, the Type O was the largest aircraft that had been built in the UK and one of the largest in the world. There were two main variants, the Handley Page O/100 (H.P.11) and the Handley Page O/400 (H.P.12). The aircraft were used in France for tactical night attacks on targets in German-occupied France and Belgium and for strategic bombing of industrial and…
ROYAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY SE 5A
ROYAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY SE 5A The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 was a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was one of the fastest aircraft of the war, while being both stable and relatively manoeuvrable. According to aviation author Robert Jackson, the S.E.5 was: “the nimble fighter that has since been described as the ‘Spitfire of World War One’“ In most respects the S.E.5 had superior performance to the rival Sopwith Camel, although it was less immediately responsive to the controls. Problems with its Hispano-Suiza engine, particularly…
SOPWITH CAMEL F1
SOPWITH CAMEL F1 The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company (Kingston upon Thames). It was called a Camel because of the hump-shaped protective covering over its machine guns. It became one of the best known fighter aircraft of the Great War. The Camel was powered by a single rotary engine and was armed with twin synchronized Vickers machine guns. Though proving difficult to handle, it provided for…
SOPWITH 1 1⁄2 STRUTTER
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…