British Aeroplanes Before the Great War (Schiffer Aviation History)

389 Pages·2000·64.3 MB·English

by  Mike Goodall

BRITISH AIRCRAFT
BEFORE THE GREAT
WAR
Michael H. Goodall
and
Albert E. Tagg
Schiffer Military History
Atglen, PA
Contents
Foreword, by Sir Peter Masefield 6
Introduction 7
One Aircraft Manufacturers 9
Two Airships 359
Models 379
Unidentified British Aircraft 381
Bibliography 382
Index 384
Foreword
by Sir Peter Masefield
A
ll devotees of the galaxy of historic aircraft which pire Michelin Trophy by flying one hundred and fifty miles
were designed, assembled and flown at Brooklands, into Europe on the last day of 1910 before taking it on a suc­
Hendon, Eastchurch, Larkhill and numerous smaller cessful tour of the United States.
sites during the years which led up to the First World War, will Michael Goodall and the late, lamented Bert Tagg, both
join me in welcoming this fine and meticulously researched with such long and close associations with Brooklands, are to
book by Michael Goodall and the late Bert Tagg. be congratulated on the production of such a valuable addition
For the first time the leading particulars of most of these to the early history of British aircraft. The Wright Brothers had
aircraft types have been gathered together, more than 900 of been an inspiration to the British pioneers and it is perhaps
them well illustrated and presented in one volume. It consti­ appropriate that this excellent volume has been published in
tutes a most valuable contribution to the detailed information the United States. A memorable photograph shows Wilbur and
about a remarkable period in aviation history and is a memo­ Orville, together with several of the earliest British pioneers
rial to the bravery and inventiveness of the intrepid pioneers of outside Mussel Manor, Leysdown, Isle of Sheppey, Kent the
that faroff era. clubhouse of the Royal Aero Club. The building still survives
Importantly, among them are details of the first thirty Avro and is now a tavern.
aircraft from the original Roe No.l biplane which made the It is, in addition to the details of the aircraft, a valuable
first and now authenticated, though very brief take off under reminder not only of the beginnings of British aircraft con­
its own (Antoinette) power on the Finishing Straight of the struction but also the fact that Brooklands grew from its small
Brooklands Motor Course in June of 1908. origins, on the World's first banked Motor Course, to become
With them are the thirty-three Sopwith aircraft flown be­ during two World Wars, the chief center of the British aircraft
tween July 1912 and the end of 1914. Between them the Avro industry. In all for some eighty years Brooklands remained not
and Sopwith aircraft, together with those of Shorts and Bristol, only a significant reminder of early work but also, with both
make up a significant proportion of all the British aircraft which the Hawker and Vickers companies, a leader into the jet era.
took the air before the First World War. They were joined also Today, Brooklands lives on as "The Brooklands Museum
at Brooklands by the nine adventurous Martin-Handasyde Trust" where later generations can relish reminders of "The
monoplanes and two Howard Wright monoplanes and one bi­ Great Days That Were" with an assembly of some of the most
plane on which Tom Sopwith made his first flight without the illustrious aircraft as well as motor cars of the historic past,
benefit of any dual instruction. In fact, on the Howard Wright starting in June of 1908.
biplane, Sopwith made a gallant attempt upon the British Em­ I most warmly commend this book to all students of aero­
nautical history.
Introduction
I
t is hard to believe that less than a lifetime separates the Out of these 881 Certificates, 492 (56%) were gained by
early pioneers, with their flimsy creations of bamboo, pi­ members of the British fighting forces (RFC and RNAS). The
ano wire and cotton bedsheeting, from today's airborne other 389 were awarded to civilian pilots from 11 June 1910.
marvels machined from duralumin, stainless steel, titanium and Out of the total, forty-eight British pilots (5 1/2%) were killed
carbon fiber. The first primitive machines struggled to get off in accidents between the above date (the first, the Honorable
the ground with just one person aboard - today's mighty air­ C.F. (Charlie) Rolls, at Bournemouth in a Short biplane, through
liners carry 500 passengers with ease at speeds that would have structural failure) and the last, before civil flying was aban­
been unimaginable to the pioneers. But without those pioneers, doned at the start of the First World War when Lieutenant L.C.
with their boundless courage, enthusiasm and inventive genius, Hordern, flying a Henry Farman of No.5 Squadron RFC was
today's progress would not have been possible. Not all the pio­ killed at Gosport through an inadvertent (and familiar) stall
neers were successful however and there were many deadends, and spin, following an engine failure.
but gradually the accumulated store of knowledge led to quick­ This book would not have been possible without the help
ening progress up to the beginning of World War I. of my two old friends, now both sadly departed. H.F "Fitz"
It must not be forgotten that, after these novel machines Cowley started acquiring photographs of early British aircraft
were completed, some brave (or should one say foolish) fel­ in the late 1920s, when many of the pioneer airmen were still
low had to be found to coax it into the air. At first the pioneer alive and when it was possible to find photographs and bro­
aircraft constructors were often their own pilots, self taught, chures of early aircraft in bookshops and antique shops and
often alone in the pearly light of early dawn, shivering on the even from the pioneers themselves. Consequently he was able
edge of some usually unsuitable grassland, waiting for an un­ to amass one of the finest photograph collections in the coun­
reliable engine to drag them into the air. try. I was fortunate to inherit his collection and add it to my
Gradually flying training became more organized with the own.
opening of flying schools at Brooklands, Hendon and Larkhill The other major contributor and my co-author was A.E.
and other, smaller centers. Up to the outbreak of War on 4 Au­ "Bert" Tagg. Bert joined Hawkers at Kingston in the late 1930s
gust 1914, a total of 881 British subjects civil and military quali­ and spent all of his working life with them and their successor
fied for British Aviation Certificates from the Royal Aero Club companies. He was a skilled aircraft engineer and was able to
of the United Kingdom. The first went to J.T.C. Moore- add the flesh to the bare bones of my raw research material.
Brabazon (later Lord Brabazon of Tara) when, on 8 March 1910, Tragically he died before knowing that the book would be ac­
he flew briefly a Short biplane at Shellbeach, Leysdown. The cepted by our publisher, the first to have been approached.
final pre-War Certificate (No.863) was awarded to Sergeant Andrea and John Garner, Bert's daughter and son-in-law, have
A.F. May, RFC. most kindly given me great assistance in editing the text and
making it in an acceptable format for our publishers
British Aircraft Before the Great War
Many other friends have given unstinting help and have relate to undiscovered pioneer machines, but as they have nei­
searched their archives on our behalf and many local newspa­ ther names nor addresses, it is rarely possible to equate them to
pers published our appeals asking for information on long lost a particular aircraft.
aviation pioneers. We must particularly thank Jack Bruce, Stuart A number of designs which were described in patents and/
Leslie, Phillip Jarrett, Oliver Thompson and Dennis Manning or built in detailed model form have been included although
for their evergenerous assistance. We are also indebted to Sir there is no proof that full-size versions were ever completed.
Peter Masefield for his helpful suggestions and for writing the An ever-present problem for the early pioneers was the lack of
foreword. finance, particularly to cover the cost of the very expensive
The reader of the text of this lengthy work will soon real­ contemporary engines and consequently many machines were
ize that some of the aircraft mentioned have no photograph or never completed.
drawing shown. It is much to the regret of the authors that this The pages of the aeronautical and motoring journals con­
is the case, but in spite of many years' search, some machines tained many small advertisements from pioneers wishing to
have proved completely elusive. It is hard to believe that any buy inexpensive secondhand engines or else to hire them. There
aeroplane, in an era when everything and everybody was be­ were also optimistic advertisements inviting investors to take
ing photographed, would not have been 'snapped' by the proud a financial share in projects. It is not known how many of these
'parent'. Perhaps this book will bring some of these photos to appeals were successful.
light at last. Even more frustrating are the photos that exist, but The authors have done their best to make this a compre­
unlabelled, and have proved unidentifiable. hensive account of every flying machine built in Britain prior
The small advertisements in the aeronautical press have to World War I, but are well aware that there must be many
tantalizing mention of aircraft and engines for sale, which may others which, nearly ninety years on, may never now be re­
corded.
<*;
Aircraft Manufacturers
AERIAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY monoplane
with subsidiary stabilizers. (Aerial Manufacturing Co. of
Great Britain and Ireland, Upper Charles St., Finsbury.
Designer W.J. Potter, Elysia, Woodham Ferrers, Essex.)
The machine illustrated was built in 1909 and was flown by
Alec Ogilvie at Camber Sands, near Rye in Sussex, at the end
of the year for distances up to 250 yards.
The special feature was the undercarriage that folded forward
in stages and was designed to provide extra lift at takeoff and
to provide a braking effect on landing. This was achieved by
mounting two aerofoils on the undercarriage, which presented
Aerial Manufacturing Company monoplane with folding undercarriage
a change of incidence as the undercarriage was raised or low­
and subsidiary stabilizers covered by Patent No.21 189/1909.
ered. A fixed aerofoil as wide as the fuselage was also fitted
forward of the airscrew together with additional small aerofoils
on top of the rudder and below the rear fuselage. Another fea­
ture was the fuel tank of aerofoil section.
Power: 50hp believed to be a four-cylinder vee NEC two-
stroke as used by Ogilvie in his Short-Wright biplane, driving
a four-bladed propeller.
Data Span 44ft
Length 44ft
In 1910 they were reported to be building a Farman type bi­
plane for Edward Mines.
In January 1910 they were advertising aeroplanes with very
imposing names 'The British King', 'The British Queen', 'The
Flying Scotsman' and 'The Tradescent'. None of them appear
to have been sold and nothing further was heard of them.
Potter registered the following patents in 1910: 19198 (mono­
plane), 20108 (biplane), 21189 and 22475.
AERIAL WHEEL monoplane. (Aerial Wheel Syndicate
Ltd., Ralph Platts and George Sturgess, Mablethorpe,
Lincolnshire.)
This most unorthodox monoplane arrived incomplete at Larkhill
Two rough sketches giving an idea of the arrange­
for the Military Trials in September 1912 but although entered ment and proportions of tlie monoplane entered by
the Aerial Wheel Syndicate.
as No. 18 it took no part in the trials. The machine, which was
9
British Aircraft Before the Great War
Aerial Wheel monoplane. The design of this 1912 monoplane concentrated on the rough field performance for the Military Trials, but its flying ability
was never tested.
built in Birmingham, was a tractor canard with swept wings AEROPLANE BUILDING and FLYING SOCIETY glid­
and was powered by a 50hp NEC four-cylinder, water-cooled, ers. (Sec. W. le Maitre, Workshop Kings Rd., Hammersmith.
two-stroke engine. A nacelle between the booms that supported Shed at Kensal Rise Athletic Ground.)
the front elevator housed both engine and crew and was sur­ J.D. North, later chief designer at the Grahame-White Com­
rounded by a circular frame incorporating a revolving tread pany and Boulton and Paul Aircraft designed a biplane glider
which, with skids under the wings, constituted the landing gear. with front elevator and tail. This was built in 1910-1911 and
Patent No.26 924/1908 was an early version by the Sturgess donated to the society. Because of the lack of gradient at the
brothers. ground, a launching apparatus consisting of a trolley on two
Pilots were reluctant to test the Aerial Wheel and it is believed ropes, giving a gradient of 1 in 6 was prepared. This seems to
that the machine was abandoned unflown. It was still in exist­ have been used successfully.
ence in a hangar at the Midland Flying School at Billesley Later it was fitted with a 15hp JAP engine lent by one of
Common, King's Heath, Birmingham when it was wrecked by the members. It had two propellers, one on each side of the
a gale in the autumn of 1915. tail. There is no evidence that the machine flew in this form.
A monoplane glider, with a span of 30 ft, designed by AN
Myers and donated to the Society was in the shed at the ground
in October 1910 and awaiting the fitting of an engine.
Aeroplane Building & Flying Society. One of many gliders built by enthusiasts, which led nowhere.
10
Aircraft Manufacturers
Data Biplane glider
Span 27ft
Length 30ft
Chord 5ft
Weight 1301b
AIRCO. (The Aircraft Manufacturing Co. formerly the
Aircraft Co.; Head Office, St. Stephens House, Westminster;
Aerodrome, Hendon; Works at Merton, Surrey; later at
the Hyde and Edgware Rd., Hendon)
The early Farman biplane was copied by a number of firms,
without an official license, the Bristol Boxkite being a notable
example. The Airco firm was formed by George Holt Thomas
in 1912 to produce Farman aircraft under license from Henry
Airco Maurice Farman Longhorn. This complicated design served as a
and Maurice Farman.
trainer as late as 1918.
The first British built aircraft was a Maurice Farman Se­
ries 7, known as the Longhorn, which was flown at Hendon in No.415 in September 1912; others were bought from France
November 1912 by Maurice Farman and Paul Verrier. and in wartime from Brush Electrical Engineering Co. and other
Thereafter various Farman types were built. These were contractors.
used for operations by the RFC, before and during the early The Longhorn, with its front elevator and complex sup­
months of the war, but the Longhorn and Shorthorn were later porting structure, was a low performance, but safe aircraft and
used mainly for training purposes. Airco and other contractors served as a trainer throughout the war.
built large quantities in Britain. Power: 80hp Renault eight-cylinder air-cooled vee.
Flight operations were established at Hendon aerodrome Data Span top 50ft llin (15.52m)
and a works at Merton, which was later transferred to an asso­ Span bottom 37ft 9 1/2 in (11.52m)
ciated company engaged on airship work, and this was replaced Area 528sq ft (49sq m)
by larger premises at the Hyde, Hendon. Length 37ft 9 1/2 in (11.52m)
Weight 1,3201b (599kg)
AIRCO: MAURICE FARMAN S.7 Longhorn Weight allup 1,9251b (871kg)
The MF S.7 Longhorn was a two-seater for general purposes Speed 65 mph
and training, its main role being training although some served Endurance 5hr
with the RFC in France and the Middle East well into 1915. Climb 15min to 3,280ft (1,000m)
Airco delivered the first aircraft of their own manufacture Climb 35min to 6,560ft (2,000m)
Airco. The MF 7bis seaplane version of the Longhorn had no front booms or foreplane.
11
British Aircraft Before the Great War
AIRCO: HENRY FARMAN F.20
The type was originally a 2/3-seater biplane but a large fuel
tank usually replaced the third seat. Trials with various types
of armament were carried out and the type was also flown as a
seaplane. A typical pusher biplane of neat appearance, the top
wing had long extensions and was fitted with ailerons. The tail
unit comprised a single rudder with tailplane and elevators
mounted on the top booms.
Power: 80hp Gnome or Le Rhone seven-cylinder
air-cooled rotary.
Data Span top 45ft (13.5m) or 43ft 6in (13.25m)
Span bottom 24ft 7in (7.5m)
Chord top 6ft (1.9m)
Airco Maurice Farman Shorthorn. Another pre-war Maurice Farman type Chord bottom 4ft lOin (1.45m)
that trained pilots throughout the war. Area 377 sq ft (35 sq m)
Length 27ft 1 Oin or 26ft 6in (8.06m)
AIRCO: MAURICE FARMAN S.ll Shorthorn Height 10ft (3.15m)
The MF S.ll Shorthorn was derived from the Longhorn by the Weight 794 lb (360kg)
removal of the front elevator and its structure. The biplane tail Weight all upt 900 lb or 1,455 lb (660kg)
was discarded in favor of one of monoplane type, with twin Speed 62mph or 65mph
fins and rudders of triangular shape, supported by booms ta­ Endurance 3hr
pering in side elevation. Climb 8 min to 1,640ft (500m)
The Shorthorn appeared late in 1913 and was introduced t (No passengers pilot and fuel only)
into the RFC in the following March. It is not certain when
Airco produced their first aircraft, as some were also purchased ALDERSHOT Aero Club glider
from the Farman Company. The type was used in early opera­ A Mr. Richardson, a club member, built this glider, of Farman
tions but continued in use to the end of the war, mainly in the type, in 1911.
training role.
Production of the type continued at Airco into 1918, with ALDERSON monoplane (C.H.M.A. Alderson,
the Whitehead Company also a contractor. Farnborough Aviation Works, Farnborough, Orpington,
Power: 80hp Renault eight-cylinder air-cooled vee. Kent)
Data Span top 51ft 9in (15.78m) Few details of this machine, reported built in 1910, can be
Span bottom 38ft 8in. (11.76m) traced. Alderson, who formed his company in 1909, had been
Area 561sq ft (52sq m) actively interested in aviation since he experienced a balloon
Length 30ft 6in (9.3m) flight in France in 1880. In 1901 he assisted Thomas Moy with
Weight 1,441 lb (654kg) experiments with a model ornithopter and in 1905-1909, as a
Weight allup 2,046 lb (928kg) friend of Frederick J. Stringfellow, he assisted with the recla­
Speed 72mph(116kph) mation of the Stringfellow artifacts for donation to the Science
Endurance 3 3/4hr Museum. A member of the Aeronautical Society and Aeronau­
Climb 15min to 3,280ft (1,000m) tical Institute and Club, he contributed to the building of the
Candler Stella (q.v.) in 1909 at his works. In that year he ap­
pealed for funds to complete his aircraft, which may have re­
ferred to the Candler Stella, which was never completed.
However, in March 1910 The Times reported that Alderson
had built a monoplane of 38ft wingspan with a 50hp four-cyl­
inder engine. The weight without engine was 250 lb.
In August 1910 Alderson visited Cumberland, where he
had been born in 1854 and while there flew a Cody kite. At this
time he was reported to be building a biplane to be named The
Brae, of which nothing further was heard. Alderson died in
1929.
Airco Henry Farman F20. Served on operations into the early war years
but by 1915 was used as a trainer. Also flown as a seaplane.
12
Aircraft Manufacturers
•Bobby' Allen ornithopter.
The remains of the Aldritt monoplane at Filching Manor. The bamboo
main spars are noteworthy. (Courtesy Paul Foulkes Halbard).
ALDRITT monoplane cylinder barrels with water-cooled heads, and overhead valves
(Aldritt's Garage, Portlaiose, Ireland) and was of the Otto cycle type, i.e. a four-stroke.
This Bleriot type monoplane was built by the Aldritts in 1912, The fuselage of the aircraft was made of steel tubing, and
but does not seem to have been very successful. The three- the wings were braced to it by struts of the same material, thus
cylinder engine was also designed and built by the Aldritts, but eliminating the use of wire bracing. The wings were double
was rather heavy. The main wing spars were made of large surfaced with wooden spars and ribs, and could be warped for
diameter bamboo poles, possibly from a local market garden. lateral control. The tail unit was hinged on a universal joint.
The monoplane took off and flew several hundred yards, Power: 20hp Alexander four-cylinder inline air and
but the excessive weight caused it to make a very heavy land­ water-cooled.
ing. The engine was unfortunately sent to a scrap yard by mis­ Data Span 19ft
take but this very early monoplane still exists, minus engine, Wing area 136sq ft
as an exhibit at Filching Manor Motor Museum, near Polegate, Weight 1401b
Sussex.
Data Span c.40ft ALLEN Flying Bicycle ornithopter (Richard 'Bobby'Allen,
Length c.30ft Bradford, Yorkshire)
Designed by a policeman, the 'Bobby' Allen Flying Bicycle
ALEXANDER monoplane (Henry and Alfred Alexander was exhibited at Stoney Bridge and Peel Park Gala in June
& Co., Edinburgh) 1908. It was built as a bamboo structure on a bicycle and had a
This machine was of Demoiselle type and was exhibited at the wingspanof 33ft.
Scottish Motor Show at Waverley Market in January 1910. The The machine had three pairs of narrow chord, beating
engine, shown separately, was described as having air-cooled wings driven by a belt passing over the rims of the cycle wheels.
Further pulleys at the top of the structure, with cranks con­
verted the drive into reciprocating motion, which actuated the
wings. A tall rectangular fin and rudder were mounted at the
front, the latter controlled by the cycle handlebars.
The machine refused to fly or even to move along the
ground.
ALVAREZ monoplane (C.G. Spencer and Co. of Highbury,
tested at the Welsh Harp at Hendon)
This machine was taken aloft by a 23,000 cubic ft balloon. A
larger machine was reported to be under construction in De­
cember 1906.
Power: 2hp
Data Span 40ft
Wing area 400 sq ft
Alvarez Monoplane. Made by the firm of C.G. Spencer in 1904 and
Weight 150 lb
dropped from a balloon.
13