PlaneSpottingWorld welcomes all new members! Please gives your ideas at the Terminal.

Martinsyde Buzzard

From PlaneSpottingWorld, for aviation fans everywhere

The Martinsyde F4 Buzzard was developed as a powerful and fast biplane fighter for the Royal Air Force (RAF), but the end of the First World War led to the abandonment of large-scale production. Fewer than 400 were eventually produced, with many exported. Of particular note was the Buzzard's high speed, being one of the fastest aircraft developed during WWI.[1]

Design and development

In 1917, George Handasyde of Martinsyde designed a single seat biplane fighter powered by a Rolls-Royce Falcon V-12 engine, the Martinsyde F.3, six being ordered in 1917, with the first flying in November that year.[2] While its performance during testing was impressive, demonstrating a maximum speed of 142 mph (229 km/h)[2] and described in an official report as "a great advance on all existing fighting scouts",[3] all Falcon production was required to power Bristol F.2 Fighters, so no orders for the F.3 were placed.

To solve this problem, Martinsyde designed a new fighter based on the F.3, but powered by a 300 hp (224 kW) Hispano-Suiza engine, the F.4 Buzzard. The Buzzard, like the F.3, was a single bay tractor biplane powered by a water cooled engine. It had new lower wings compared with the F.3 and the pilot's cockpit was positioned further aft, but otherwise the two aircraft were similar. The prototype F.4 was tested in June 1918, and again demonstrated excellent performance, being easy to fly and manoeuverable as well as very fast for the time.[4] Large orders followed, with 1,450 ordered from Martinsyde, Boulton & Paul Ltd, Hooper & Co and the Standard Motor Company. It was planned to equip the French Aéronautique Militaire as well as the British Royal Air Force, and production of a further 1,500 aircraft in the United States of America was planned.[5]

Deliveries to the RAF had just started when the Armistice between the Allies and Germany was signed. Martinsyde was instructed to only complete those aircraft which were part built, while all other orders were cancelled. The Buzzard was not adopted as a fighter by the post war RAF, the cheaper Sopwith Snipe being preferred despite its lower performance.[6]

Martinsyde continued development of the Buzzard, buying back many of the surplus aircraft from the RAF, and producing two seat tourers and floatplanes. After the Bankruptcy of Martinsyde in 1924, these aircraft were obtained by the Aircraft Disposal Company, which continued to develop and sell F.4 variants for several years.[7]

Operational history

Despite the very limited production, four of the six Martinsyde F.3s ordered were issued to Home Defence squadrons of the RAF in 1918, with two being operated by No. 39 Squadron RAF on 8 July 1918.[3] The RAF received 57 F.4 Buzzards before the end of World War I, but these did not reach operational squadrons. In the immediate post war period, two Buzzards were used as high speed communications aircraft in support of the British delegation at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, while a few other Buzzards were used at the Central Flying School.[8][9]

While the post war RAF did not want the Buzzard, Martinsyde had more success selling the Buzzard overseas, with single and two-seat versions being sold to a number of air forces, including those of Spain (30 aircraft), Finland (15 aircraft) and the Soviet Union (100 aircraft).[10] Some of these aircraft had long careers, with six of the Spanish Buzzards remaining in service at the start of the Spanish Civil War.[11] Following the bankruptcy of Martinsyde, the Aircraft Disposal Company managed to sell eight Jaguar engined versions, the ADC.1 to Latvia, two of these remaining in sevice until 1938.[10]

As well as military use, many Martinsydes were sold to civil owners, being used as Tourers, racing aircraft and for survey and seal spotting work in Canada.[12]

Variants

F.3
Single seat fighter biplane. Powered by Rolls-Royce Falcon. Six built.
F.4 Buzzard
Single-seat fighter biplane. Powered by 300 hp Hispano-Suiza engine. Main production type.
F.4 Buzzard 1a
Long range escort fighter for Independent Air Force. Three built.[8]
F.4A
Surplus F.4 Buzzards converted into two-seat touring aircraft.
Type A.Mk I
Surplus F.4 Buzzards converted into two-seat long-range aircraft. Larger two-bay wings, powered by Rolls-Royce Falcon.[13]
Type AS.Mk I
This version of the Type A.Mk I was fitted with float landing gear.[13]
Type A.Mk II
Four-passenger cabin version of A Mk.I. Powered by Hispano-Suiza or Falcon engine.[13][14]
F.6
Surplus F.4 Buzzards converted into two-seat aircraft. Revised wing and landing gear.[15]
A.D.C. 1
Single-seat fighter version, powered by a 295-kW (395-hp) Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar radial piston engine. The aircraft was developed by the Aircraft Disposal Company.[16] One prototype.[17] Eight production aircraft were exported to Latvia.[10]
Nimbus Martinsyde
One aircraft was converted by A.D.C., and fitted with a 300 hp (224 kW) ADC Nimbus engine.[18][10]
A.V. 1
One aircraft built for the engine designer Amherst Villiers.[15]

Operators

Template:FIN
Template:IRL
Template:JPN
  • One aircraft only.[9]
Template:LAT
  • Eight A.D.C. 1s.[10]
Template:Country data Lithuania
Template:POL
  • One aircraft used 1923-1926 as a personal machine of the Air Force Commander Włodzimierz Zagórski, all painted in red and white stripes.
Template:POR
  • Four F.4s purchased.[10]
Template:Country data Spain
  • Twenty single and two seat aircraft operated.[10]
Template:USSR
Template:UK

Specifications

Data from War Planes of the First World War:Volume One Fighters [11]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 25 ft 5⅝ in (7.76 m)
  • Wingspan: 32 ft 9⅜ in (9.99 m)
  • Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
  • Wing area: 320 ft² (29.7 m²)
  • Empty weight: 1,811 lb (823 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 2,398 lb (1,090 kg)
  • Powerplant:Hispano-Suiza 8Fb inline engine, 300 hp (224 kW)

Performance

Armament


See also

Template:Commonscat-inline

References

  1. Bruce 1965, p.162. Note:"...one of the fastest then in existence."
  2. 2.0 2.1 Mason 1992, p.118.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Bruce 1965, p.160.
  4. Bruce 1965, p.162.
  5. Bruce 1965, p.164.
  6. Mason 1991, pp.137—138.
  7. Bruce 1965, pp.165—166.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Bruce 1965, p.165.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Mason 1992, p.138.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Green and Swanborough 1994, p.364.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Bruce 1965, p.166.
  12. Jackson 1988, pp.28—34.
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Jackson 1988, p.28.
  14. Flight 17 August 1922, pp.463—465.
  15. 15.0 15.1 Donald 1997, p.605.
  16. Flight 27 November 1924, pp. 742—745.
  17. Jackson 1988, p.33.
  18. Flight 3 June 1926, pp. 315—317.
  19. Ilmavoimien koneet vuodesta 1917 alkaen / Airplanes of FAF since 1917. Keski-Suomen Ilmailumuseo (Aviation Museum of Central Finland). Retrieved on 25 November 2008.
  20. Air Corps History. Irish Defence Forces. Retrieved on 25 November 2008.
  21. Air Corps Aircraft Register. IrishAirPics.com. Retrieved on 25 November 2008.
  22. 132.5 mph (115 knots, 213 km/h) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m).

Bibliography

External links

fr:Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard pl:Martinsyde F.4 fi:Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard sv:Martinsyde F.4

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Martinsyde Buzzard".