Sopwith Gunbus
Gunbus | |
---|---|
Role | Fighter aircraft |
National origin | United Kingdom |
Manufacturer | Sopwith Aviation Company |
First flight | 1914 |
Primary users | Royal Hellenic Navy
|
Number built | 12 (Seaplanes) 23 (Gunbuses) |
The Sopwith Gunbus was a British fighter aircraft of the
Development and design
In 1913 the
Operational history
The first of the Greek Pusher Seaplanes flew in February 1914, successfully passing trials in March, with first deliveries in May and all six delivered by the outbreak of the
In March 1914, the Greeks placed an order for six more pusher seaplanes, the Sopwith S PG N, which were similar to their previous aircraft, but rather than being dual control trainers, were to be armed with a machine gun in the nose, and powered by a Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine.[3] At least five of these aircraft were taken over by the Royal Navy at the outbreak of war, but again proved unsuccessful in British Service, with at least two being modified as landplanes. They remained in service until July 1915.[2]
The Royal Navy ordered six modified landplane based on the S PG N in July 1914, the Sopwith Gunbus or Admiralty Type 806, to be powered by 110 hp (82 kW)
The Sunbeam-powered Gunbuses saw limited operational use, with one aircraft being on the strength of the RNAS squadron at Dunkirk led by Commander Charles Samson in February 1915, with Samson commenting that the Sopwith required "a lot of work on it to make it safe to fly".[5] The Gunbuses were used mainly as trainers, being used by the RNAS at Hendon,[6] and remaining in service until the winter of 1915–16.[7]
The name Gunbus came from the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) pilot's slang term for an aeroplane, a bus, and was also used in the name of the Vickers Gunbus.
Variants
- Pusher Seaplane or Greek Seaplane
- Dual control trainer floatplane powered by an Anzani 10-cylinder 100 hp (75 kW) radial engine, giving a speed of 55 mph (89 km/h) and climbing to 2,000 ft (610 m) in 12½ minutes. Six were built for Greek Navy and two for RNAS.[2]
- S PG N
- Armed version of Pusher Seaplane powered by Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine. Six were ordered for Greece, with at least five commandeered by the RNAS at the outbreak of the First World War. At least two were modified as landplanes.[2]
- Gunbus
- Landplane version for RNAS, the Gunbus was officially designated the Admiralty Type 806. It had a revised nacelle which was raised above the centre section of the lower wing rather than being directly attached and was powered by a Sunbeam engine.[5] Six gun-armed aircraft were built by Sopwith, with a further 30 modified aircraft fitted for bombing ordered from Robey and Co., of which only 17 were completed.[8]
Operators
- Hellenic Naval Air Service
Specifications (Sunbeam)
Data from War Planes of the First World War:Fighters Volume Two [7]
General characteristics
- Crew: Two
- Length: 32 ft 6 in (9.91 m)
- Wingspan: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m)
- Height: 11 ft 4 in (3.45 m)
- Wing area: 474 sq ft (44.0 m2)
- Powerplant: 1 × Sunbeam Crusader[9] water-cooled V8 engine, 150 hp (110 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 80 mph (130 km/h, 70 kn)
- Endurance: 2.5 hr[10]
- Service ceiling: 4,000 ft (1,200 m) [10]
- Time to altitude: 15 minutes to 3,500 ft (1,100 m)[10]
Armament
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Vickers FB.5
Related lists
Notes
- ^ Robertson 1970, p. 44.
- ^ a b c d e f g T. Mason 1982, p. 78.
- ^ a b c Bruce 1957, p. 524.
- ^ Bruce 1968, pp. 110–111.
- ^ a b Bruce 1968, pp. 109–110.
- ^ F. K. Mason 1992, p. 20.
- ^ a b Bruce 1968, p. 111.
- ^ Bruce 1957, p. 525.
- ^ "Sunbeam:Side Valve Engines". Wolverhampton Museum of Industry. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
- ^ a b c Robertson 1970, pp. 238–239.
References
- 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.
- Mason, Tim. "Tom Sopwith...and his Aeroplanes 1912-14". ISSN 0143-5450. pp. 74–80.
- Robertson, Bruce. Sopwith-The Man and his Aircraft. Letchworth, UK: Air Review, 1970. ISBN 0-900435-15-1.