Sopwith Bat Boat
Страна: Великобритания
Год: 1913


Описание
Фотографии
Sopwith Batboat

   Первой из известных разработок компании "Sopwith" стала летающая лодка Batboat с толкающим винтом, построенная в 1913 году. Первые два самолета имели корпус, изготовленный по технологии "Consuta" (сшитая проволокой фанера) судостроительной фирмой "S. Е. Saunders boat company", к которому крепилось нижнее крыло.
   Первая машина была оснащена 90-сильным (67 кВт) ПД Austro-Daimler, и в феврале 1913 года ее купило британское Адмиралтейство. Самолет проходил испытания в Калшоте, но получил серьезные повреждения при аварии, позднее он был отремонтирован.
   Второй Batboat был оснащен 100-сильным (75 кВт) ПД Green и 8 июля 1913 года выиграл состязания "Mortimer Singer".
   Проведенные ВМС испытания заставили доработать конструкцию Batboat, сделав его более подходящим для военной службы. В 1914 году "Sopwith" построила вторую партию машин. Оснащенные 200-сильным (149 кВт) ПД Canton-Unne, они отличались увеличенными размерами - размах крыла возрос до 16,76 м, а максимальная масса до 1043 кг. Самолет мог находиться в воздухе четыре с половиной часа, а радиус действия составлял 290 км.
   Первый из этих самолетов был испытан Королевскими ВМС в Калшоте, но на вооружение его не приняли, продав в июле 1914 года Греции. Второй самолет был куплен Германией. Он базировался в Киль-Холтенау и использовался для учебных целей.
   Пятый Batboat был построен для гонок "Circuit of Britain" 1914 года, но это состязание отменили из-за начавшейся войны. Самолет был реквизирован Королевскими ВМС и эксплуатировался до апреля 1915 года.
Самолеты Batboat были первыми летающими лодками, построенными в Великобритании. Несколько из них несли службу в авиации британских ВМС в начале Первой мировой войны.
Bat Boat in ‘Singer’ configuration; twin fins and rudders, 100hp Green, amphibious undercarriage and revised wing floats.
The twin-boom Bat-Boat in the form in which it won the Mortimer Singer prize, with a 100 h.p. Green engine replacing the Austro-Daimler.
This photograph of the amphibious twin-rudder Bat-Boat that won the Mortimer Singer prize on July 8, 1913, was taken at Folly. As the engine appears to be an Austro-Daimler driving a Levasseur propeller, this may be an early photograph. Features of this historic aircraft were its ailerons, one-piece elevator and its landing wheels, seen here in the raised position. At this time there were no interplane struts between the forward ends of the tailbooms.
The Mortimer Singer Bat-Boat later went to the Naval Wing of the RFC with its wheels removed and its Austro-Daimler engine reinstated. It is seen here at Calshot Naval Air Station with its serial number 118 on the rudders. Also noteworthy are the twin fixed fins that had been fitted by May 18, 1914, and the CAV headlight that was first tried out in a night flight made by Lt A. W. Bigs worth RN on June 25.
This single-rudder Bat-Boat was the first to serve with the Naval Wing and must have been the first to be allotted the serial number 38, a marking that was never painted on. Here it is seen off Netley on August 16, 1913.
The Naval Wing’s first Bat-Boat after its arrival at Brighton on August 23, 1913. Moored out overnight, it was found to be sinking next morning, and well-intentioned efforts to bring it ashore only brought about its destruction.
In this closer view of No 118 the starboard bearing for the shaft that had carried the landing wheels may be seen on the hull side immediately below the elevator actuating lever. The engine had no vestige of cowling or fairing and was flanked by two large radiator surfaces, and interplane struts had been fitted between the points where the tailbooms met the rear spars.
Presumably taken shortly after the original No 38 was delivered to the Naval Wing, this photograph clearly illustrates the side-by-side positions of the crew.
An Austro-Daimler-powered Bat-Boat takes off.
The Austro-Daimler-powered Bat-Boat which visibly wore the number 38 was delivered just before the Admiralty redesignated the RFC's Naval Wing as the Royal Naval Air Service, it is seen here in early August 1914 at Felixstowe, where it was briefly stationed before going north to Scapa Flow.
A relatively rare shot of a Salmson (Canton-Unne)-powered Bat-Boat in flight.
Sopwith Bat Boat with original form with single fin and rudder, powered by the 90hp (67kW) Austro-Daimler.
The Sopwith company’s impressive exhibit at the 1914 Olympia Aero Show, which opened on March 16, was this Bat-Boat of the larger type, fitted with a 200 h.p. Salmson (Canton-Unne) water-cooled radial engine.
The Sopwith "Bat Boat" exhibited at Olympia in 1914 was one of the earliest British flying boats. The engine was a 200 h.p. Salmson Canton-Unne 14-cyl. water-cooled radial.
One of the Salmson-powered Bat-Boats beside the Pemberton-Billing shed at Woolston.
The other known Salmson-powered Bat-Boat was purchased by Germany. It was flown to that country in late May 1914 by Wilhelm Hillman and was given the German naval serial 44.
This Sunbeam powered Bat-Boat, one of two Sopwith aircraft entered for the 1914 Circuit of Britain seaplane contest, was photographed at Woolston. To provide clearance for the Sunbeam’s large four-bladed propeller, the wings had to be raised above the hull to the extent seen here.
As neither this photograph (taken at Woolston) nor the one at right (taken at Calshot) bears a date, it is uncertain which was the earlier; but, as suggested in the text, it seems possible that the fin and rudder were at one time inverted in an attempt to improve directional control.
The 1914 Circuit Bat-Boat, seen here at Calshot Naval Air Station, was allotted the official serial 879 on being acquired by the RNAS. In this view the basic outlines of the balanced rudder and the fixed fin may be seen.
Sopwith design for gun-carrying Bat-Boat (100 h.p. Gnome Monosoupape)