Performance: Maximum speed 94 mph, Endurance 2½ hours Service ceiling 16,000 ft Armament: 1 x 0.303 inch Vickers or Lewis machine gun Bristol Scout Dimensions: Wingspan 24 ft 7 ins, Length 20 ft 8 ins, Height 8 ft 6 ins Crew: 1 Entered service: 1915 Number built: 374 The Bristol Scout was designed in 1913 as a sports racing aircraft, and was a modern, single seat biplane which flew for the first time in early 1914. The military were impressed with the aircraft and placed orders for the type on the outbreak of World War One. The first to be built in significant numbers was the Scout C which entered service in early 1915, shortly followed by the Scout D. A variety of improvised weaponry were fitted to the aircraft by the pilots, but by the summer of 1916 the aircraft had become outclassed by the new German scout fighters and were withdrawn from front line service and used as a trainer. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 789 lbs Maximum take-off 1,195 lbs Powerplant: One 80 hp Le Rhône 9C rotary engine Performance: Maximum speed 78 mph, Endurance (unknown) Service ceiling (unknown) Armament: 3 x 20 lb bombs when deployed as a bomber Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.5 Dimensions: Wingspan 44 ft 6 ins, Length 26 ft 2 ins, Height 9 ft 8 ins Crew: 1 Entered service: 1914 Number built: (unknown) In 1908 His Majesty's Balloon Factory had been set up at Farnborough, but in 1911 was renamed The The Royal Aircraft Factory and began to design and produce aircraft. In the early days a number of aircraft designs were generated, most being research aircraft, one such aircraft being the R.E.5 (Reconnaissance Experimental No. 5) which first flew in January 1914. During the early stages of the First World War several R.E.5s were sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force, where individual machines were attached to several squadrons, but they were soon withdrawn and then used as training aircraft. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty (unknown) Maximum take-off (unknown) Powerplant: One 120 hp Austro-Daimler inline engine Performance: Maximum speed 92 mph, Endurance 3½ hours, Service ceiling 7,000 ft Armament: 1 x 0.303 inch machine gun Bombload 100 lbs Sopwith Tabloid Dimensions: Wingspan 25 ft 8 ins, Length 22 ft 10 ins, Height 10 ft Crew: 1 Entered service: 1914 Number built: 42 The Sopwith Tabloid was designed as a pure sports aeroplane and first flew in 1913. It was chosen to participate for the 1914 Schneider Trophy in Monaco, and a floatplane version was quickly prepared which comfortably won the time trials at an average speed of 86.83 mph. When war broke out in August 1914, they were one of the first aircraft types to be sent to France by the British, and the first to bomb German soil, but their most famous exploit was on the 8th October when two aircraft attacked the Zeppelin sheds at Düsseldorf, where one was hit by two 20 lb bombs that set the building on fire and destroyed Zeppelin Z IX. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 1,220 lbs, Maximum take-off 1,700 lbs Powerplant: One 100 hp Gnôme Monosoupape rotary engine Performance: Maximum speed 87 mph, Endurance 3½ hours, Service ceiling 7,000 ft Armament: 1 x 0.303 inch machine gun Bombload 100 lbs Sopwith Schneider Dimensions: Wingspan 25 ft 8 ins, Length 22 ft 10 ins, Height 10 ft Crew: 1 Entered service: 1915 Number built: 136 The Sopwith Schneider closely resembled the floatplane Tabloid that won the Schneider Trophy Race in April 1914. They were modified for naval use by having a detachable rear fuselage for shipboard stowage, an aperture in the top wing for a Lewis machine-gun, an extra diagonal strut bracing each float and a tail float. The Royal Naval Air Service (R.N.A.S.) planned to operate these aircraft from seaplane carriers in the North Sea on anti-Zeppelin patrols, but these were largely unsuccessful. Unlike the Tabloid, the Schneider was successively improved and remained in service until after the end of World War One. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 1,220 lbs, Maximum take-off 1,700 lbs Powerplant: One 100 hp Gnôme Monosoupape rotary engine Performance: Maximum speed 87 mph, Endurance (unknown), Service ceiling (unknown) Armament: 1 x 0.303 inch machine gun Bombload 100 lbs Martinsyde S.1 Dimensions: Wingspan 27 ft 8 ins, Length 21 ft, Height 8 ft 2 ins Crew: 1 Entered service: 1914 Number built: 60 In 1908 His Majesty's Balloon Factory had been set up at Farnborough, but in 1911 was renamed The The Royal Aircraft Factory and began to design and produce aircraft. In the early days a number of aircraft designs were generated, most being research aircraft, one such aircraft being the R.E.5 (Reconnaissance Experimental No. 5) which first flew in January 1914. During the early stages of the First World War several R.E.5s were sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force, where individual machines were attached to several squadrons, but they were soon withdrawn and then used as training aircraft. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty (unknown), Maximum take-off (unknown) Powerplant: One 80 hp Gnôme Monosoupape rotary engine Performance: Maximum speed 90 mph, Endurance 4 hours Service ceiling 9,000 ft Armament: 1 x 0.303 inch Lewis machine gun Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c Dimensions: Wingspan 40 ft 9 ins, Length 27 ft 3 ins, Height 12 ft Crew: 2 Entered service: 1914 Number built: 3,500+ The B.E.2 (Bleriot Experimental No. 2) first flew in early 1912 and was soon placed in production as a reconnaissance aircraft for the newly formed Royal Flying Corps, and were the first type to be sent to France on the outbreak of war in September 1914. The B.E.2c appeared in 1915 and became the workhorse of the type, and as a reconnaissance aircraft and artillery spotter were ideal for the task, but when they were opposed by effective enemy fighters the vulnerability of the aircraft was plain to see and the type suffered serious losses. The B.E.2c remained in service over France well into 1917 when they were finally withdrawn. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 1,431 lbs Maximum take-off 2,100 lbs Powerplant: One 90 hp RAF 1a inline engine Performance: Maximum speed 90 mph, Endurance 2½ hours Service ceiling 16,000 ft Armament: None Avro 504 Dimensions: Wingspan 36 ft, Length 29 ft 5 ins, Height 10 ft 5 ins Crew: 1 + 1 pupil Entered service: 1914 Number built: 10,000+ The Avro 504 first flew in September 1913, and was a development of the earlier Avro 500. The aircraft was designed for the private market, but on the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, small numbers were purchased by the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service and taken to France. Over the Western Front their unsuitability as a front line aircraft led to them being withdrawn by mid 1915 and they were then used as a trainer, in which role they excelled and remained the basic training aircraft well into the early 1930s. Production continued until 1932 with over 10,000 aircraft being built through many marks. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 1,231 lbs Maximum take-off 1,829 lbs Powerplant: One 110 hp Le Rhône rotary engine Performance: Maximum speed 70 mph, Endurance 4½ hours Service ceiling 9,000 ft Armament: 1 x 0.303 inch Lewis machine gun Vickers F.B.5 ‘Gunbus’ Dimensions: Wingspan 36 ft 6 ins, Length 27 ft 2 ins, Height 11 ft 6 ins Crew: 2 Entered service: 1914 Number built: 224 In March 1914, Vickers exhibited their E.F.B.3 prototype at the Olympia Aero Show, a two seater aircraft designed to carry a machine gun. To achieve this a ‘pusher’ layout was used to provide a clear field of fire for the observer who sat in the front seat. Minor changes led to the F.B.5, and although Vickers had yet to receive an order for the aircraft from the military, they took the unprecedented step of building fifty at their own risk. When war broke out they were purchased by the military and proved a threat in the air, even though they were slow. Over 200 were built, but by early 1916 had been replaced by more modern types. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 1,120 lbs Maximum take-off 2,050 lbs Powerplant: One 100 hp Gnôme rotary engine Performance: Maximum speed 87 mph, Endurance 1½ hours Service ceiling 11,800 ft Armament: 1 x 7.92 mm LMG machine gun Fokker E.I/III ‘Eindecker’ Dimensions: Wingspan 31 ft 3 ins, Length 23 ft 7 ins, Height 7 ft 10 ins Crew: 1 Entered service: 1915 Number built: 416 In 1915 Germany developed a synchronised firing mechanism that allowed a machine gun to be mounted on the front deck of an aircraft in front of the pilot which would be capable of firing through the propeller arc without damaging the blades. Using this system the pilot gained an advantage as he then only had to aim his aircraft at the enemy. Anthony Fokker had designed a monoplane aircraft for the Imperial German Flying Corps, and he modified the design to accommodate the mechanism. This resulted in the Fokker E.I Eindecker, the first true fighter aircraft with the sole purpose to intercept and shoot down enemy aircraft. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 800 lbs Maximum take-off 1,345 lbs Powerplant: One 100 hp Obereusel rotary engine Performance: Maximum speed 100 mph, Endurance 2¼ hours Service ceiling 10,000 ft Armament: 1 x 0.303 inch Lewis gun Bombload 130 lbs Sopwith Baby Dimensions: Wingspan 35 ft 8 ins, Length 23 ft, Height 10 ft Crew: 1 Entered service: 1915 Number built: 400+ The Sopwith Baby (also known as the Admiralty 8200 Type) was derived from the Sopwith Schneider floatplane, which itself was a development of the pre-war Sopwith Tabloid sporting aircraft. The Sopwith Baby began to enter service with the Royal Navy Air Service in the Autumn of 1915 as a shipborne reconnaissance and bombing aircraft, being mainly operated from larger warships such as seaplane carriers and cruisers. The Sopwith Baby remained in service throughout the First World War, during which time the aircraft was refined several times in response to the rapid advance in aircraft design. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 1,226 lbs Maximum take-off 1,715 lbs Powerplant: One 110 hp Clerget rotary engine Performance: Maximum speed 93 mph, Endurance 2½ hours Service ceiling 15,000 ft Armament: 1 x 7.7 mm Hotchkiss machine gun S.P.A.D. SA.2 Dimensions: Wingspan 29 ft 10 ins, Length 23 ft 11½ ins, Height 8 ft 6 ins Crew: 2 Entered service: 1915 Number built: 107 One of the more outlandish attempts to design an aircraft with a forward firing machine gun was produced by the French S.P.A.D. company in early 1915. This was achieved by fitting a gunner’s nacelle in front of the propeller by struts which were attached to the upper and lower wings, communications between the gunner and the pilot being provided by a voice tube that passed through the propeller hub. They never proved successful, being more lethal to those who flew them than the enemy, and had a short life in the Aviation Militaire. Several were supplied to Russia where they lasted longer, but were disliked by their crews. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 950 lbs Maximum take-off 1,620 lbs Powerplant: One110 hp Le Rhône 9J rotary engine Performance: Maximum speed 91 mph, Endurance 3 hours, Service ceiling11,000 ft Armament: 2 x 0.303 inch machine guns Bombload 500 lbs Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b Dimensions: Wingspan 47 ft 9 ins, Length 32 ft 3 ins, Height 12 ft 8 ins Crew: 2 Entered service: 1915 Number built: 1,900+ In mid 1914 work commenced at Farnborough on an aircraft specifically intended as a fighter armed with a machine gun. Without any means of safely firing through the propellor arc at the time a pusher layout was adopted, similar to the Vickers FB.5 ‘Gunbus’. Designated the F.E.2 they entered service with the R.F.C. in mid 1915. The main production model was the F.E.2b which were used in many roles, those of No. 20 Squadron being particularily successful in the fighter role when they were first introduced. The FE.2b remained in service with No.100 Squadron until the end of World War One in the night-bombing role. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 2,061 lbs Maximum take-off 3,037 lbs Powerplant: One 160 hp Beardmore inline engine Performance: Maximum speed 97 mph, Endurance 2½ hours Service ceiling 14,500 ft Armament: 1 x 0.303 inch Lewis gun Bombload 80 lbs Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8 Dimensions: Wingspan 38 ft, Length 26 ft 6 ins, Height 9 ft 8 ins Crew: 1 Entered service: 1916 Number built: 295 After the Fokker E.I appeared in the summer of 1915, the allies desperately needed a fighter that could take on the German aircraft with its forward firing machine guns. The British came up with the pusher aircraft, with the engine mounted behind the pilot, the best example being the Airco D.H. 2. The Royal Aircraft Factory designed the similar looking F.E.8 (Fighter Experimental No. 8), which appeared over the Western Front in the summer of 1916, but soon proved to be no match for the new German scout fighters appearing over the Western Front, and from the spring of 1917 were then used in the ground attack role. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 895 lbs Maximum take-off 1,346 lbs Powerplant: One 100 hp Gnôme rotary engine Performance: Maximum speed 93 mph, Endurance 1½ hours Service ceiling 13,000 ft Armament: 1 x 7.92 mm LMG 08/15 machine gun Fokker D.I Dimensions: Wingspan 29 ft 8 ins, Length 20 ft 8 ins, Height 8 ft 4 ins Crew: 1 Entered service: 1916 Number built: 144 The Fokker D.I was designed by Martin Kreutzer before he died in a flying accident, but confusingly entered service after the D.II, which was a development of the D.I. The type was accepted for production with deliveries beginning in July 1916, 90 being supplied to the German Fliegertruppen and 16 to the Austro-Hungarian Luftfahrttruppen (as the B III). Compared with other scout aircraft in service at that time, such as the Albatros D.II and the French Nieuport 11, the performance of the Fokker D.I was unimpressive, and the type was soon relegated to being a home defence fighter or training aircraft. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 1,020 lbs Maximum take-off 1,477 lbs Powerplant: One 120 hp Mercedes D.II inline engine Performance: Maximum speed 93 mph, Endurance 1½ hours Service ceiling 13,125 ft Armament: 1 x 7.92 mm LMG 08/15 machine gun Fokker D.II Dimensions: Wingspan 29 ft 8 ins, Length 20 ft 8 ins, Height 8 ft 4 ins Crew: 1 Entered service: 1916 Number built: 81 The Fokker D.II was accepted for service before the D.I, and began to be issued in mid 1916 as a replacement for the Fokker E.II and E.III monoplanes, which by then had been eclipsed by the latest Allied aircraft. The D.II was only built in small numbers and did not form the exclusive equipment of any single unit, as this was before the establishment of the Jagdstaffeln. In service the performance of the D.II was disappointing and they could not compete against the new allied aircraft ,and were soon removed from front line service and were returned to Germany and used as home defence fighters or training aircraft. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 844 lbs Maximum take-off 1,286 lbs Powerplant: One 100 hp Oberursel rotary engine Performance: Maximum speed 100 mph, Endurance 1½ hours Service ceiling 15,400 ft Armament: 1 x 7.92 mm LMG 08/15 machine gun Fokker D.III Dimensions: Wingspan 29 ft 8 ins, Length 20 ft 8 ins, Height 8 ft 4 ins Crew: 1 Entered service: 1916 Number built: 210 The performance of the D.II had proved disappointing, and as a result one aircraft was fitted with a 160 hp Oberursel U.III rotary engine after the fuselage and undercarriage had been strengthened. There were also minor differences to the engine cowling, with the modified aircraft being designated the D.III, but even with the more powerful engine there was little difference in performance. From September 1916 to April 1917 159 D.IIIs were delivered to the Army Flying Corps, but by the end of May 1917 there were only seven aircraft listed as being operational over the Western Front. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 948 lbs Maximum take-off 1,565 lbs Powerplant: One 160 hp Oberursel III rotary engine
Performance: Maximum speed 89 mph, Endurance 3 hours Service ceiling 12,000 ft Armament: 1 x 0.303 inch Lewis gun, Bombload 112 lbs
Armstrong Whitworth FK.3
Dimensions: Wingspan 40 ft ½ ins, Length 29 ft, Height 11 ft 10½ ins Crew: 2 Entered service: 1916 Number built: 500
The Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3 was designed by Frederick Koolhoven as a replacement for the B.E.2 reconnaissance and artillery spotting aircraft. Trials with the aircraft were carried out in May 1916 which proved the F.K.3 had a better performance than the BE.2c, and resulted in Armstrong Whitworth being given a contract for 500 aircraft, 350 of which were built by Hewlett & Blondeau in Luton. The majority of the aircraft were retained in the U.K. where they were mainly used in the training role, No. 47 Squadron being the only operational unit to be equipped with the type on the Salonika Front in Greece. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 1,386 lbs Maximum take-off 2,056 lbs Powerplant: One 90 hp RAF 1a inline engine Performance: Maximum speed 84 mph, Endurance 6 hours Service ceiling 6,500 ft Armament: 2 x 0.303 inch machine guns, Bombload 336 lbs Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.7 Dimensions: Wingspan 57 ft, Length 31 ft 11½ ins, Height 12 ft 7 ins Crew: 2/3 Entered service: 1916 Number built: 250 The two-seat R.E.7 was developed from the disappointing R.E.5, and initially powered by a 120 hp Beardmore, and later by the more powerful 150 hp RAF 4A inline engine driving a four-bladed propeller. The R.E.7 could carry a heavier payload, and were thought to be suitable for reconnaissance and escort duties, but in service they proved difficult to fly, and with a top speed of only 84 mph (60 mph when carrying a full payload) they were easy targets for the enemy. No 21 Squadron was the only unit to be fully equipped with the type, but such were the losses that after only 3 months service in France they were withdrawn. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 2,285 lbs Maximum take-off 3,450 lbs Powerplant: One 150 hp RAF 4a inline engine Performance: Maximum speed 102 mph, Endurance 3½ hours Service ceiling 13,000 ft Armament: 2 x 0.303 inch machine guns, Bombload 224 lbs Sopwith 1½ Strutter Dimensions: Wingspan 33 ft 6 ins, Length 25 ft 3 ins, Height 10 ft 3 ins Crew: 2 Entered service: 1916 Number built: 6,000+ In 1915 Sopwith designed a two seat biplane that was destined for a successful career, and would have the distinction of being the first British tractor aircraft with a synchronised machine gun firing through the propeller arc. They began to enter service in early 1916 and soon proved their worth. The aircraft's long range and good armament enabled effective offensive patrols to be carried out, but by October the new Halberstadt and Albatros scouts began to appear and the type was outclassed as a fighter. However it was still a useful long range reconnaissance aircraft, and remained in service until the end of World War One. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 1,259 lbs Maximum take-off 2,149 lbs Powerplant: One 110 hp Clerget rotary engine Performance: Maximum speed 102 mph, Endurance 3½ hours Service ceiling 13,000 ft Armament: 2 x 0.303 inch machine guns, Bombload none Sopwith 1½ Strutter Home Defence Fighter Dimensions: Wingspan 33 ft 6 ins, Length 25 ft 3 ins, Height 10 ft 3 ins Crew: 1 Entered service: 1917 Number converted: 200+ The success of the Sopwith 1½ Strutter meant that they would remain in production for the rest of World War One, the largest user of the type being France who licenced built over 4,200 aircraft. In the U.K. the type's long range and stability were good qualities for a home defence fighter which served with No. 37, No. 44 and No. 78 squadrons. Most of these aircraft had been built as two-seaters but converted locally to single-seaters to improve performance. The cockpit was moved back and the armament changed to one or two Lewis guns, either mounted on Foster mountings or fixed to fire upwards. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 1,259 lbs Maximum take-off 2,149 lbs Powerplant: One 110 hp Clerget rotary engine Performance: Maximum speed 103 mph, Endurance 4 hours Service ceiling 13,100 ft Armament: 2 x 7.92 mm machine guns, Bombload 100 lbs L.F.G. Roland C.II DImensions: Wingspan 33 ft 9 ins, Length 25 ft 3 ins, Height 9 ft 6 ins Crew: 2 Entered service: 1916 Number built: 400 One of the first military aircraft to be produced by L.F.G. Roland was the C.II, a two-seat reconnaissance aircraft. The prototype first flew in October I915, and soon accepted for production, and when they first enter service in March 1916 they were highly respected by allied pilots. One serious problem with the design was the restricted downwards view for the pilot. This was soon exploited by pilots such as Albert Ball who would position his aircraft below the C.II without fear of retaliation. Most surviving C.IIs had been retired from the front line by mid 1917, although a small number could still be seen scattered behind the lines. S P E C I F I C A T I O N : Weights: Empty 1,681 lbs Maximum take-off 2,825 lbs Powerplant: One 160 hp Mercedes Dlll inline engine
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