Britain - 1917 R.A.F. FE.9

Boldly Moving Forward Into the Past.

Life has been demanding of my free time. I hope my routine will settle down to normal chaos by the new year. It is good to be back. I need to post some of the work which has slipped through the cracks during the Fokker Dr.I renovation project. Today's post is one of the rare birds I have been working on.

Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9

Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9 S/n A 4818 - 1917

Brief Overview of the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9

The Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9 was a prototype British two seat fighter-reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War. A single-engined pusher biplane of 1917, the F.E.9 had poor performance and handling, and only three were built.

In summer 1916, the Royal Aircraft Factory set out to design a replacement for its F.E.2b two-seat pusher fighter. The F.E.9 was of similar pusher configuration and therefore already obsolescent by the time it appeared in 1917. Although effective gun synchronizing gear was now available, which would allow a tractor design with superior performance to be designed, the factory chose to continue the pusher layout of the F.E.2 in its new two seat fighter, the F.E.9. Emphasis was placed in the design upon providing the gunner with a good field of fire and the pilot a good all-round view. Its nacelle extended well forward of the wings and was located high up in the wing gap to give a good field of fire for the observer, who was seated in the nose, ahead of the pilot, with dual controls fitted. It had unequal span, single-bay wings, with ailerons on the upper wing only with large horn balances (the amount of control surface forward of the hinge). It was powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8 V8 engine, with the Royal Aircraft Factory having priority for this important and widely used engine.

Three prototypes and 24 production aircraft were ordered, with the first of three prototypes flying in April 1917. It was found to have a poor climb performance and handling, with the ailerons being overbalanced, which tended to force the aircraft onto its back in steep turns. In order to try and solve its handling problems it was fitted with various designs of aileron and rudders.

After service trials of the first prototype in France, Major General Hugh Trenchard recommended that development be stopped, despite this the second prototype flew in October 1917, with two-bay wings, which was passed to No. 78 Squadron based at Biggin Hill in the Home Defense role. The third prototype appeared in November 1917, and was used for trials at Farnborough until early 1918.

Although the 24 production aircraft were not completed, the F.E.9 did form the basis for the later N.E.1 night fighter and A.E.3 Ram ground attack aircraft.

References

• Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9 the Virtual Aircraft Museum Retrieved 07:24, November 17, 2010, from http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/raf_fe-9.php
• Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9. (2010, April 26). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:24, November 17, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_Aircraft_Factory_F.E.9&oldid=358338309
• Bruce, J.M. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. London:Putnam, 1957.
• Bruce, J.M. War Planes of the First World War: Volume Two Fighters. London:Macdonald, 1968. ISBN 0 356 01473 8.
• Mason, Francis K. The British Fighter since 1912. Annapolis, Maryland, USA:Naval Institute Press, 1992. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.

Britain - 1911 S.E.1

Another One from the Odd Duck File

The early days of aviation design was fertile ground for strange planes. The S.E.1 was another example of the "Dancing Bear Syndrome", It did not matter how poorly the bear danced. The fact that it did dance was the miracle. Unfortunately, like a bear it can turn on the hapless handler and kill him.

RAF SE.1 - 1911

At first glance trying to establish which end was the nose of the S.E.1 may seem confusing. Since it was a pusher aircraft, the pointed end is the nose sporting a canard stabilizer. The pilot sat in the fuselage section which had radiators mounted on either side for cooling the engine.

The S.E.1 (Santos Experimental) was an experimental aircraft built at the Army Balloon Factory at Farnborough (later the Royal Aircraft Factory) in 1911. Its place in aviation history is mainly that it was the first in the series of Royal Aircraft Factory designs - several of which played an important role in World War I.

In 1911 the Army Balloon Factory was not actually authorized to construct aircraft, but only to repair them. When the remains of a crashed Blériot XI monoplane belonging to the army were sent from Larkhill to Farnborough for repair, authorization for a complete reconstruction was sought, and granted.

The result was a completely new design. A tractor monoplane became a pusher biplane with large balanced fore-elevators, similar in basic layout to the Wright Flyer, but with a fully covered fuselage. Ailerons were fitted to the top wing, and twin balanced rudders were mounted behind the propeller, but out of its immediate slipstream. The only obvious component of the Blériot that found its way into the new design was its 60 hp (45 kW) E.N.V. "F" engine.

The S.E.1 made its first flight, a straight mile in the hands of its designer Geoffrey de Havilland on 11 June 1911. Further fight testing revealed control problems and the area of the front wing/elevator was adjusted to try to bring together the center of pressure and the hinge line and make the S.E.1 stable in pitch. By the beginning of August the front surface was fixed and carried a conventional trailing edge elevator. An attempt to improve the turning characteristics was made by stripping the side covering of the nacelle to reduce side area. de Havilland continued to fly the S.E.1 until 16 August. On the 18 August the aircraft was flown by someone else for the first time; the rather inexperienced pilot Lt. Theodore J. Ridge, Assistant Superintendent at the factory (who had only been awarded his Pilot's certificate the day before, and was described as "an absolutely indifferent flyer". The combination of the inexperienced pilot and the marginally controllable aircraft proved fatal - the S.E.1 stalled in a turn and spun in, killing Ridge.

No attempt to rebuild the S.E.1 was made, and the design was apparently abandoned, with no attempt to develop it. The S.E.2 of 1913 was a completely different kind of airplane - a development of the B.S.1.

References

1. Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.1. (2010, May 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:35, January 12, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_Aircraft_Factory_S.E.1&oldid=363588932
2. Jackson, A.J. (1978). de Havilland Aircraft since 1909 1978, pp. 38-9. London: Putnam Publishing. ISBN 0 370 30022 X.
3. Jarrett, Philip (2002). "Making Flying Safer". In Jarrett, Philip. Pioneer Aircraft:Early Aviation before 1914 2002. London: Putnam. pp. 202-215. ISBN 0 85177 869 0.

Britain - 1915 Vickers F.B.5 Gunbus

The World's First Operational Fighter

Purpose built fighters entered production in 1915. Although this type of aircraft was still referred to as light scouts they were intended for air to air combat. Compared to later planes they were slow, fragile, and had their share of faults. However for their day they were state of the art and lethal in combat. The twin gun version of the Fokker Eindecker spelled the end of the Gunbus as a front-line fighter, relegating it to the ranks of training aircraft.

Vickers Fighting Biplane 5 Gun Bus - 1915

The Vickers F.B.5 (Fighting Biplane 5) was the first aircraft specifically designed for air-to-air combat to see service as a fighter for the Royal Flying Corps, making it the world's first operational fighter aircraft. 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 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun operated by the observer in the front of the nacelle. 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 began experimenting with the concept of an armed warplane designed to destroy other aircraft in 1912. The first resulting aircraft was the Type 18 "Destroyer" (Vickers E.F.B.1) which had been demonstrated in 1913. This aircraft was of the "Farman" pusher layout, to avoid the problem of firing through a tractor propeller, and was armed with a single belt-fed Maxim gun. The belt feed proved problematic for a flexible machine gun, and the weapon installed was changed to the lighter, handier, drum-fed 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun. The E.F.B.1 was the first in a line of Vickers' "Experimental Fighting Biplanes", of which the F.B.5 was the most famous - and the first to be built in quantity.

The F.B.5 first flew on 17 July 1914. It was powered by a single 100 hp (75 kW) Gnome Monosoupape 9-cylinder rotary engine driving a two-bladed propeller, and was of simple, clean, and conventional design compared with its predecessors. In total, 224 F.B.5s were produced, 119 in Britain by Vickers, 99 in France and 6 in Denmark.

The first F.B.5 was delivered to No. 6 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) at Netheravon in November 1914. On 25 December 1914, the first use of the F.B.5 in action took place, when a F.B.5 took off from Joyce Green airfield to engage a German Taube monoplane, hitting the Taube (and possibly causing its loss) with incendiary bullets from a carbine after the Lewis gun jammed.

The F.B.5 began to be seen on the Western Front when the first examples reached No.2 Squadron RFC on 5 February 1915. The type served in ones and twos with several other units before No. 11 Squadron RFC became the world's first fighter squadron when, fully equipped with the F.B.5, it deployed to Villers-Bretonneux, France on 25 July 1915. Second Lieutenant G.S.M. Insall of 11 Squadron won the Victoria Cross for an action on 7 November 1915 in which he destroyed a German aircraft while flying a Gunbus. No. 18 Squadron RFC, which deployed to France in November 1915, also operated the F.B.5 exclusively.

The F.B.5's performance proved to be inadequate for its intended role; although its forward-firing machine gun was a great advantage, the fighter did not have the speed or rate of climb to pursue its quarry. By the end of 1915, it was outclassed by the Fokker Eindecker. Some examples of the improved Vickers F.B.9 were sent to France, pending sufficient supplies of the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b, but the active career of the Gunbus was soon over. The remaining examples were mostly used as trainers.

The Vickers company persisted with an active experimental program during the First World War period, including a line of single-seat pusher fighters, but the F.B.5 remained their only significant production aircraft until the Vickers Vimy bomber, which entered service too late to have an impact on the war.

Despite its moderate effectiveness, the Vickers F.B.5 did have a lasting legacy as German pilots continued to refer to British pusher aircraft as "Vickers-types". Many victories over D.H.2 or F.E.2b pushers were reported as destruction of a "Vickers".

References

1. From Wikipedia Vickers F.B.5, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vickers_F.B.5"
2. Andrews, C.F. and Morgan, "E.B. Vickers Aircraft since 1908". London:Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0 85177 815 1.
3. Bruce, J.M. "Vickers' First Fighters". Air Enthusiast No 12, April -July 1980. pp.54-70. ISSN 0143-5450.
4. Gutmann, Jon and Dempsey, Harry. "Pusher Aces of World War 1". Osprey Pub Co, 2009. ISBN 1846034175, 9781846034176.

France 1914-1916 Voisin Bombers

Voisin Light Bombers 1914-1916

The need for aircraft which could attack ground assets was known since the early days of the Great War. French designers were quick to develop dedicated purpose designed bombers and ground attack planes. The Voisin brothers designed several successful aircraft which served with distinction for many of the allied nations.

Voisin III Light Bomber and Ground Attack Aircraft - 1914

Voisin III (LA) - 1914

The Voisin III (or Voisin 3) was one of the first two-seat bomber and ground attack aircraft of World War I. It was a pusher biplane, developed by Airplanes Voisin of Gabriel Voisin in 1914 as a more powerful version of the 1912 Voisin I (Voisin 1) design. It also incorporated a light steel frame which made it survivable in the temporary airfields of wartime military aviation.

The Voisin III became the standard Allied bomber in the early years of the war. The main users were the French Air Force and the Imperial Russian Air Force. Russia ordered over 800 in France and built a further 400 under license at DUX in Moscow. Around 100 were built in Italy, and 50 in the United Kingdom, while smaller numbers were purchased by Belgium and Romania.

Voisin VIII Night Bomber - 1916

Voisin VIII - 1916

The Voisin VIII entered service in November 1916 as a French night bomber. Gabriel and Charles Voisin designed the Voisin VIII to replace the Voisin VII. The more powerful, and more successful Voisin VIII, was also known as the Type LAP and Type LBP. This was the French army's main night bomber in 1916-1917, with over one thousand built.

The Voisin VIII flew in a wide range of environments, from the freezing Russian steppes to Mesopotamia. The Voisin VIII operated by the Imperial Russian Air Service substituted skis for the rubber wheels used by other operating nations . Equally adaptable to desert conditions, the sturdy Voisin VIII was used by the British Royal Flying Corps in the Middle East.

The original engine choice for the Voisin VIII was a Hispano-Suiza, however there were not sufficient quantities available for the demand, resulting in the installation of Peugeot engines. The change in power plant forced a redesign of the Voisin VIII. The engine compartment was widened and the airframe was strengthened to accommodate the engine.

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum has a beautifully restored example of a Voisin VIII on display. NASM's Voisin Type 8, serial number 4640, is the oldest surviving aircraft that was specifically designed as a bomber. When manufactured in February 1916, it was equipped as a night bomber, with internal bomb racks, cockpit lights, and provision for landing lights. Painted in the markings of French bombing squadron VB 109, it is the sole survivor of the 1,100 Type 8s produced.

Germany - 1915 AGO C.II

A lovely Reconnaissance Aircraft

AGO C.II - 1915

When I first saw the AGO C.II it was love at first sight. I caught myself muttering "Some day you will be mine... oh yeah" It was sleek, unconventional and was a good flier. There was a lot of source material to use for the project. The profile was the second one I drew, the next attempt will be better.

The AGO C.II was a German reconnaissance biplane designed by A. Haefeli that entered service in 1915 during the early years of World War I. It was essentially a slightly redesigned version of Aerowerke Gustav Otto Flugzeugwerke's C.I design with a more powerful 220 horsepower Benz VI 6-cylinder liquid-cooled inline engine. The distinctive twin boom construction was a radical design for its time, but would reemerge in World War 2 on several highly successful aircraft. The C.II only served in the German air force for about one year before being replaced by more conventional and modernized tractor aircraft. In spite of this fact many considered the C.II as one of the best reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War.

References

1. From Wikipedia AGO C.I "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGO_C.I"
2. From Wikipedia AGO C.II "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGO_C.II"
3. Van Wyngarden, G (2006). "Early German Aces of World War I", Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-841-76997-5
4. Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation". London: Studio Editions. pp. 39.
5. Das Virtuelle Luftfahrtmuseum