| Monoplane | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Training aircraft |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Vickers, Sons & Maxim |
| First flight | July 1911 |
| Primary user | Vickers Flying School |
| Number built | 8 |
The Vickers R.E.P. Type Monoplanes were a series of single-engined monoplane aircraft built by Vickers prior to the outbreak of the First World War. They were developed from a French design for which Vickers had purchased a license, with eight being built.
On 1 January 1911 [1] Vickers, Sons and Maxim (which would be renamed Vickers Limited later that year), entered into a license agreement to build aircraft and aero-engines designed by the Frenchman Robert Esnault-Pelterie (hence R.E.P.), and sell them in Britain and its Empire. [2] Following the agreement, Vickers purchased a French-built R.E.P. monoplane for use as a demonstrator together with an R.E.P.-built rear fuselage. [3]
The design was redrawn from metric to imperial measurements by Vickers, while the first example was built at the Vickers factory at Erith, Kent (now part of Greater London), using the French-built rear fuselage and a French-built engine, but was otherwise the rest of the components were Vickers-built. It made its maiden flight from Vickers' new airfield at Joyce Green, near Dartford in July 1911, piloted by Captain Herbert F. Wood, the manager of Vickers' aviation department. [4]
The aircraft was a shoulder-winged monoplane, with a deep but narrow fuselage of fabric-covered steel-tube construction, accommodating two people in tandem. A single five-cylinder air-cooled R.E.P. "fan" (or "semi-radial") engine rated at 60 horsepower (45 kW) driving a two-bladed propeller was fitted in the aircraft's nose, while the aircraft had a conventional landing gear, with both wheels and skids. The wings were of wood and steel construction, with lateral control by wing-warping, with the pilot operating a joystick. [5] [6]
The first five monoplanes were basically similar, and were powered by R.E.P engines, with the fifth one having a deeper fuselage. The sixth aircraft, built for the 1912 British Military Aeroplane Competition was noticeably different, with side-by-side seating for its two crew, a shorter wingspan (35 ft [10.67 m] rather than 47 ft 6 in [14.48 m] for the earlier aircraft), while a 70 hp (52 kW) Viale radial engine was fitted. [7] [8]
The seventh aircraft reverted to the tandem layout and longer wingspan of the first five aircraft, but replaced the R.E.P. engine with a 100 hp (75 kW) Gnome rotary engine, while the eighth, and final example, was similar to the sixth aircraft, with a 70–80 hp Gnome rotary. [9] [10]
The major role for the other aircraft was as trainers at the Vickers Flying School established at Brooklands, Surrey in 1912. In this role they proved underpowered, and were difficult to fly as they lacked inherent stability. [11]
The second monoplane was sold to the Australian explorer Douglas Mawson for the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911. It was badly damaged in a crash landing at Adelaide in October 1911, however, so it was taken to Antarctica without its wings to use as a tractor for sledges. It proved unsuccessful in this role as the low temperatures caused lubricating oil to solidify and the engine to seize. The airframe was abandoned at the Cape Denison base of the expedition, with parts of the aircraft being discovered in 2010. [12] [13] [14]
Data from Vickers Aircraft since 1908 [15]
General characteristics
Performance
The Vickers F.B.5 was a British two-seat pusher military biplane of the First World War. Armed with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun operated by the observer in the front of the nacelle, it was the first aircraft purpose-built for air-to-air combat to see service, making it the world's first operational fighter aircraft.
The Blériot XI is a French aircraft from the pioneer era of aviation. The first example was used by Louis Blériot to make the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909. This is one of the most famous accomplishments of the pioneer era of aviation, and not only won Blériot a lasting place in history but also assured the future of his aircraft manufacturing business. The event caused a major reappraisal of the importance of aviation; the English newspaper The Daily Express led its story of the flight with the headline "Britain is no longer an Island."
The Vickers Type 121 Wibault Scout was a British fighter built by Vickers in the 1920s. It was a licensed version of the French Wibault 7 aircraft, with 26 being sold to Chile in 1926, where they served until 1934.
The Bristol Coanda Monoplanes were a series of monoplane trainers designed by the Romanian designer Henri Coandă for the British company British and Colonial Aeroplane Company.
The Bristol Prier monoplane was an early British aircraft produced in a number of single- and two-seat versions.
The Bristol Gordon England biplanes were a series of early British military biplane aircraft designed by Eric Gordon England for the Bristol Aeroplane Company that first flew in 1912. Designed for easy ground transport, the aircraft could be quickly disassembled.
The Bristol Type 146 was a British single-seat, eight-gun fighter monoplane prototype built to a mid-1930s Air Ministry contract. Powered by a radial engine, it was outclassed by Merlin-engined fighters, and only one was built.
The Bristol M.R.1 was an experimental biplane with an aluminium monocoque fuselage and metal wings, produced by Bristol during the First World War. Two were built to government order.
The Vickers Type 279 Venom was a British low-wing monoplane single-seat, single-engined, eight-gun fighter aircraft. It was fast and manoeuvrable but its Bristol Aquila radial engine was disliked. Together with other designs built to the same specification, which included the Bristol Type 146, Gloster F.5/34, and Martin-Baker MB 2, it was rejected by the Air Ministry and only one Venom was built.
The Vickers Vireo was an experimental low wing all-metal monoplane built to explore both all-metal service aircraft and the use of catapult launched ship board fighters. Only one was built.
The Vickers Viastra was an all-metal 12-seat passenger high-wing monoplane, with variants powered by one, two and three engines. Two twin-engined Viastras operated commercially in Australia from 1931-6; another served as a Royal transport.
The Vickers Type 151 Jockey was an experimental low-wing monoplane interceptor fighter powered by a radial engine. It was later modified into the Type 171 Jockey II, which had a more powerful engine and detail improvements. Only one was built; it was lost before its development was complete, but the knowledge gained enabled Vickers to produce the more refined Venom.
The Vickers Type 253 was a single-engined two-seat biplane general-purpose military machine built to a 1930 government specification. It won a production contract, but this was transferred to the same company's monoplane equivalent, the Wellesley. Only one Type 253 was built.
The Vickers E.F.B.7 was a prototype British fighter aircraft of the First World War. A twin-engined biplane, the E.F.B.7 was unsuccessful, only one being built.
The Vickers E.F.B.8 was a prototype British twin-engined fighter of the First World War. It was abandoned after only one aircraft was built, single-engined fighters being considered to have superior manoeuvrability.
The Vickers E.S.1 was an early British Fighter aircraft of the First World War. A single-seat biplane, only three E.S.1s were built, although at least one was used by a home defence squadron of the Royal Flying Corps.
The Vickers F.B.24 was a British two-seat fighter aircraft of the First World War. Only a few prototypes were built, as, although it had good performance, the Bristol F.2 Fighter was preferred.
The Deperdussin 1912 Racing Monoplane was a French aircraft built by Société de Production des Aéroplanes Deperdussin especially for racing. It is notable for being the first aircraft to exceed 100 mph (161 km/h) in level flight.
The Short S.36 was a British two-seat tractor biplane, built by Short Brothers for Francis McClean in 1911. It was later developed into the Short S.41 and Short S.45, which were the first of a long series of similar aircraft built for the RNAS and RFC.
The Hanriot D.I was a French monoplane racing aircraft, designed in France in 1912 and strongly influenced by Nieuport practice. Examples were built and raced both in France and the UK during 1912.
