AD Scout
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The AD Scout (also known as the Sparrow) was designed by Harris Booth of the British Admiralty's Air Department as a fighter aircraft to defend Britain from Zeppelin bombers during World War I.
The Scout was a decidedly unconventional aircraft - a biplane with a fuselage pod mounted on the upper wing. A twin-rudder tail was attached by four booms, and it was provided with an extremely narrow-track undercarriage. The primary armament was intended to be a 2 pounder recoilless Davis Gun, but this was never fitted.
Four prototypes were ordered in 1915 and two each were built by Hewlett & Blondeau and the Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company. Trials flown by pilots of the Royal Naval Air Service proved the aircraft to be seriously overweight, fragile, sluggish, and difficult to handle, even on the ground. The project was abandoned and all four prototypes scrapped.
[edit] Specifications (AD Scout)
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 22 ft 9 in (6.93 m) ()
- Wingspan: 33 ft 5 in (10.18 m) ()
- Height: 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) ()
- Powerplant: 1× Gnôme Monosoupape , 100 hp (75 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 84 mph (135 km/h)
- Range: 210 miles (336 km)
Armament
- 1x downward-firing .303 Lewis machine gun
- 1x 2-lb Davis recoilless gun (intended, but never fitted in view of the fragility of the Scout's construction)
[edit] References
- British Aircraft Directory accessed 1 February 2007
[edit] Related content
Designation sequence
- Air Department: AD Scout - AD Boat - AD Navyplane - AD Type 1000
- Blackburn: Type I - AD Scout - R.T.1 Kangaroo - Blackbird - T.1 Swift
Timeline of aviation
Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines
Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft
Notable military accidents and incidents · Notable airline accidents and incidents · Famous aviation-related deaths
Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.
