British Aviation 1915
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 One of the first aircraft produced in large numbers for Britain was the Bristol Scout. Based upon Frank Barnwell's pre-war racing plane, it was considered fast and maneuverable when it entered service. The Scout was the first attempt by the Royal Flying Corps to develop a true fighter. Initially unarmed, Lanoe Hawker devised a method for mounting a Lewis gun to the side of the aircraft. In March 1916, the Scout D became the first British fighter to be armed with a synchronized machine gun. Soon outdated by more efficient designs, it was withdrawn from service in the summer of 1916 and used as a trainer. |
Bristol Scout D Manufacturer: The British & Colonial Aeroplane Company, Ltd. Type: Fighter Entered Service: November 1915 Number Built: 210 Engine: Le Rhône, 9 cylinder rotary, 80 hp Wing Span: 24 ft 7 in 7.49 m Length: 20 ft 8 in 6.3 m Height: 8 ft 6 in 2.6 m Empty Weight: 760 lbs 345 kg Gross Weight: 1,250 lb 567 kg Speed: 100 mph 161 km/h at sea level Ceiling: 16,000 ft 4,877 m Endurance: 2 hours Crew: 1 Armament: 1 Vickers or Lewis machine gun |
 The D.H.2 biplane was Geoffrey de Havilland's second design for the Aircraft Manufacturing Company. This highly successful pusher had good maneuverability with an excellent rate of climb. Mounting the engine to the rear of the fuselage permitted the use of a fixed, forward-firing machine gun before the advent of the synchronous machine gun. Superior to the Fokker E.III, the D.H.2 helped end the "Fokker Scourge." Well past its prime and almost two years after its introduction, some squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps were still equipped with D.H.2s. |
De Havilland D.H.2 Type: Fighter Entered Service: 1915 Number Built: 400 Engine: Gnome Monosoupape, 9 cylinder, rotary, 100 hp Wing Span: 28 ft 3 in 8.61 mm Length: 25 ft 2½ in 7.68 m Height: 9 ft 6½ in 2.91 m Gross Weight: 1,441 lb 653.6 kg Max Speed: 93 mph 150 km/h Ceiling: 14,000 ft 4,267 m Endurance: 2 hrs 45 mins Crew: 1 Armament: 1 machine gun |
 Initially used for reconnaissance, the Farman Experimental 2 two-seater biplane ended the "Fokker Scourge" over the Somme. Like the single-seat D.H.2, it was a "pusher" and items floating about in the nacelle inevitably ended up being swept back into the propeller, sometimes with disastrous results. Armed with two or three Lewis guns and a camera, the observer sat far forward in the nacelle, directly in front of the pilot. Vulnerable to attacks from rear, the F.E.2 was frequently shot down. During the summer of 1916, the Germans captured one of the first F.E.2d's when a British pilot inadvertently landed his new aircraft at an enemy aerodrome. The introduction of more advanced aircraft made the F.E.2 an ineffective fighter and by 1917 it was primarily used for bombing missions. |
RAF F.E.2d Manufacturer: Royal Aircraft Factory Type: Fighter/Bomber First Introduced: 1915 Number Built: About 1,000 Engine: Inline rotary, Beardmore 160 hp Wing Span: 47 ft 9 in 14.56 m Length: 32 ft 3 in 9.83 m Height: 12 ft 7½ in 3.84 m Empty Weight: 935 kg Gross Weight: 3,037 lb 1,378 kg Max Speed: 91½ mph 150 km/h Ceiling: 11,000 ft 3,300 m Endurance: 2 hr 30 min Crew: 2 Armament: 2 or 3 .303 Lewis machine guns |
 The first British fighter equipped with a fixed, forward firing, synchronized machine gun, the Sopwith 1½ Strutter was built in both one and two-seater models. In the latter version, the gas tank was dangerously positioned between the pilot and observer. This design flaw prompted some airmen to joke that the designer of the aircraft must surely have been German. Not long after its introduction, the 1½ Strutter was replaced by the Sopwith Pup. |
Sopwith 1.5 Strutter Manufacturer: Sopwith Aviation Company Type: Figher; later used for reconaissance/bombing First Introduced: 1916 Number Built: About 6000 Engine: Clerget, 95 kW Wing Span: 10.21 m Length: 7.69 m Height: 3.12 m Empty Weight: 592 kg Gross Weight: 975 kg Max Speed: 161 kmh Ceiling: 4570 m Endurance: 3 ¾ hours Crew: 1 or 2 Armament: 2 machine guns, 7.7 mm; bombs, 60 kg |
 The Vickers Fighting Biplane 5 was the first aircraft specifically designed as a fighter for the Royal Flying Corps. With its engine mounted behind the cockpit, it the first pusher to enter service during World War I. Commonly referred to as the "Gunbus," it was armed with a moveable, forward firing machine gun. Vulnerable to attack from the rear, the Gunbus was soon replaced by more advanced single-seat fighter aircraft. Lionel Rees scored more victories with this aircraft than any other ace. In 1915, he and his gunner downed six enemy planes while flying the F.B.5. |
Vickers F.B.5 Gun Bus Manufacturer: Vickers Type: Fighter Entered Service: July 1915 Number Built: More than 250 Engine: Gnome Monosoupape, 100 hp Wing Span: 11.1 m Length: 8.3 m Height: 3.4 m Empty Weight: 553 kg Gross Weight: 930 kg Max Speed: 113 km/h Ceiling: 2,740 m Crew: 2 Armament: 1 or 2 Lewis machine guns, 7.7 mm |
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Original material copyright © 7/8/99 W. Ira Boucher. All Rights Reserved. |
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