| Kittiwake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Prototype G-EAUD. | |
| Role | Seven-passenger amphibian |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | S.E. Saunders Limited |
| Designer | Francis Percy Beadle [1] |
| First flight | 19 September 1920 |
| Retired | Scrapped July 1921 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Saunders Kittiwake was a British amphibian flying-boat built by S. E. Saunders at East Cowes, Isle of Wight. Only one was built, and it was scrapped after less than a year of testing.
It was designed to compete for the 1920 Air Ministry Commercial Amphibian Competition, although it was too late to enter. [2]
The Kittiwake was a wooden amphibian biplane flying boat powered by two ABC Wasp II radial engines mounted on struts between the upper and lower wing. [2] It had a crew of two and room for seven passengers. [2]
The fuselage, [3] [4] like most of the Kittiwake was built with Saunders' patent Consuta method for jointing plywood panels with sewn copper wire. This was well tested on motor boats – it circumvented the absence of waterproof glues pre-1945 – but had only been used once before on an aircraft, Saunders' own, much smaller T.1.[ citation needed ] The hull was of two step design with a shallow V planing bottom and tumblehome sides. On its top were two accommodation levels, the lower glazed in cockpit for the two crew and above them, set back and roofed by the upper wing was the passenger space. This had its own enclosing front and side windows and held seven passengers. Though the forward part of the fuselage containing crew and passengers was married to the hull, aft of the wings these became separate, so that the Kittiwake was somewhere between a flying boat and a single float seaplane in appearance. This separation made it straightforward to mount the tail high up and well clear of the water. There was a variable-incidence tailplane with unbalanced elevators and bearing three wire braced fins, the central one carrying a balanced rudder.
The Kittiwake was a four bay biplane [3] [4] with high aspect ratio, parallel chord Consuta covered wings without sweep or stagger. The lower one joined the fuselage at the top of the hull, with two pairs of struts to just above the chine; the upper wing met the top of the cabin. The three outer wide chord, Consuta faired interplane struts were of I form, which simplified the interplane wire bracing. Aerodynamically, the most unusual features of the Kittiwake's wings were the interlinked camber changing devices on both the leading and trailing edges of upper and lower wings, intended to increase the speed range of a quite heavily loaded aircraft (wing loading 7.2 lb/ft2). Because these lift-enhancing devices occupied most of the trailing edges, the ailerons were mounted halfway between the wings on the two outboard interplane struts. The two radial engines were also mounted mid-plane in seven sided nacelles, supported by the innermost duralumin interplane struts and steel strut braced to the fuselage. Their faired fuel tanks sat immediately above them, protruding from the upper wing surface.
As an amphibian [3] [4] the Kittiwake needed to have a retractable undercarriage, a most unusual feature at this time. The two main wheels were retracted with a hand crank into boxes within the hull, placed between the first and second step. These boxes had cam-operated doors to preserve the hull surface. Inevitably, this arrangement led to a very narrow track undercarriage. At the rear of the hull/central float was a combined water rudder/ tailskid. Stabilising floats with planing bottoms were fixed to the lower wing below the outermost interplane struts.
The prototype and only Kittiwake, registered G-EAUD, first flew briefly on 19 September 1920 with Norman Macmillan at the controls. The aircraft was damaged making a forced water landing immediately after takeoff when the leading edge camber gear was lost. [2] It made a number of experimental flights in 1921 before it was scrapped in July 1921. [2] It was the first of a family of Saunders and Saunders-Roe flying boats.
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
The Blackburn Pellet was a single-engined, single-seater biplane flying boat designed as a contender for the 1923 Schneider Trophy competition. It was destroyed while taking off for the trials of the contest.
The Saunders A.4 Medina was a British flying boat built by S.E. Saunders at East Cowes, Isle of Wight.
The Saunders T.1 was the first aircraft built by the Saunders Company, a two-seat single-engined biplane with unusual monocoque fuselage construction. Only one was built.
The Saunders A.3 Valkyrie was a large three-engined biplane flying boat with a wooden hull built to an Air Ministry specification. It was not found suitable for production and helped to confirm a preference for metal-hulled flying boats.
The Saunders Severn was a three-engined biplane flying boat intended for maritime patrol duties. It performed well but was fragile and unreliable. Only one was built.
The Latécoère 4 was a three-engined, 15-passenger biplane built in France in the early 1920s. It proved difficult to fly and was discontinued, though a second machine was completed as the Latécoère 5 bomber.
The Short Gurnard was a single-engined two-seat biplane naval fighter, built in the United Kingdom to an Air Ministry specification in 1929. It failed to win production orders and only two flew.
The Dunne D.8 of 1912 was a tailless swept wing biplane, designed by J. W. Dunne to have inherent stability. One example was supplied to RAE Farnborough. License-built Burgess-Dunne models were used by the US Signal Corps and United States Navy and the short-lived Canadian Aviation Corps. It was the latter's first and only warplane.
The Sopwith Special torpedo seaplane Type C was the first British aircraft designed to drop torpedoes. A single-engine biplane floatplane, it flew in July 1914 but proved unable to lift the design load and was soon abandoned.
The Hanriot H.26 was a French single seat fighter aircraft prototype completed in 1923. Only one was built.
The Albatros L.71 was a two-seat, single pusher engined biplane built in Germany in the 1920s.
The Caudron C.25 was a large, three-engined, biplane airliner, designed and built in France soon after the end of World War I. Its enclosed cabin could accommodate up to eighteen passengers.
The Hydroaéroplane Caudron-Fabre, (Caudron-Fabre), was a French amphibious seaplane that competed in the 1912 Monaco event. It was one of the first true amphibians, able to take-off from water and touch down on land.
The Caudron Type L was a two-seat French pusher configuration amphibious biplane, flown around 1913 and intended for naval use.
The Latham HB.5 was a French biplane flying boat with four engines in push-pull configuration pairs. Ten were used by the French Navy.
The Latham Trimotor was a large French trimotor biplane built just after World War I and used in small numbers by the French Navy.
The Lioré et Olivier Leo H-15 was a French twelve-seat civil flying boat, flown in a national contest in 1926. It did not win but set two load carrying records, one a world record.
The LFG V 8 Bärbel (Barbel) in English) was a small, single-engined, biplane flying boat which carried two passengers. The sole example was built in Germany shortly after World War I but was exported and used for Baltic flights.
The Miami Maid was a US three passenger amphibian first flown in 1929. Despite ambitious production plans, only two were built.
The Ireland Neptune was a four or five place pusher configuration biplane sold in flying boat and amphibian versions. Designed in the U.S. and first flown in 1927, well over 50 were built.
