http://acepilots.com/airplanes Photos and summaries of historical aircraft Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:52:08 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/supermarine-spitfire/ http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/supermarine-spitfire/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:35:08 +0000 Stephen http://acepilots.com/airplanes/?p=581 Probably the most famous British aircraft of all time, the great fighter played a secondary role in the Battle of Britain to the less glamourous Hawker Hurricane. But the Spitfire’s elegant looks, excellent handling characteristics, and huge production give it a unique place in aviation history. There was a bit of happenstance in the Spitfire’s [...]]]> http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/supermarine-spitfire/feed/ 0 http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/sopwith-atlantic/ http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/sopwith-atlantic/#comments Fri, 23 May 2008 15:11:31 +0000 Stephen http://acepilots.com/airplanes/?p=563 An attempt was made to cross the Atlantic in a Sopwith Atlantic biplane by Com. Mackenzie Grieve and Maj. Harry Hawker on 18 May 1919. This plane generally followed the design of Sopwith warplanes, and had a 46 feet wingspan and was 31 feet long, weighing 6000 pounds fully equipped for flight. It was supposed [...]]]> http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/sopwith-atlantic/feed/ 0 http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/r-34/ http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/r-34/#comments Wed, 21 May 2008 18:43:59 +0000 Stephen http://acepilots.com/airplanes/?p=561 The British dirigible R-34 left East Fortune, near Edinburgh, Scotland, at 2 A.M., July 2, 1919 and proceeded via Newfoundland to Mineóla, New York, arriving at Roosevelt Field at 9 A.M., Sunday, July 6. To show that this was not merely good fortune, a return trip even more successful was made, leaving New York at [...]]]> http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/r-34/feed/ 0 http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/vickers-vimy-bomber/ http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/vickers-vimy-bomber/#comments Wed, 21 May 2008 18:28:30 +0000 Stephen http://acepilots.com/airplanes/?p=559 The first non-stop flight from America to Europe was accomplished in 1919 by the Vickers “Vimy” Bomber, a bi-motored Rolls-Royce airplane, piloted by Captain John Alcock and navigated by Lieut. Arthur W. Brown. The trip started at St. Johns, Newfoundland, at 12.13 P.M., New York time, on Saturday, June 14, 1919 and 16 hours and [...]]]> http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/vickers-vimy-bomber/feed/ 0 http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/martinsyde-s1/ http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/martinsyde-s1/#comments Sat, 03 May 2008 23:02:38 +0000 Stephen http://acepilots.com/airplanes/?p=508 Similar to the Sopwith Tabloid, the Martinsyde S.1 also served as an observation airplane in France. It only remained in service until summer of 1915; only 60 were built. Top Speed: 84 m.p.h. Manufacturer: Martinsyde Year: 1914 Engine: 80 h.p. Gnome rotary Wingspan: 21 feet Weight: n.a. Armament: none Martinsyde was a short-lived British aircraft [...]]]> http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/martinsyde-s1/feed/ 0 http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/sopwith-tabloid/ http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/sopwith-tabloid/#comments Sat, 03 May 2008 20:32:28 +0000 Stephen http://acepilots.com/airplanes/?p=505 One of the most notable developments at the end of 1913 was the appearance of the Sopwith ‘Tabloid’ tractor biplane. This single-seater, fitted with an 80 horsepower Gnome rotary engine, had the remarkable speed (for those days) of 92 miles an hour. A still more notable feature was that it could remain in level flight [...]]]> http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/sopwith-tabloid/feed/ 0 http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/raf-be8/ http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/raf-be8/#comments Sat, 03 May 2008 20:07:06 +0000 Stephen http://acepilots.com/airplanes/?p=503 This was the last of the B.E. (Bleriot Experimental, and then British Experimental) series built by the Royal Aircraft Factory. Compared to the B.E.2, it had a more powerful rotary engine, but otherwise was quite similar. It could only carry a 100 lb. (45 kg.) bombload, even less with a two-man crew. A few were [...]]]> http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/raf-be8/feed/ 0 http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/bristol-m1c/ http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/bristol-m1c/#comments Sat, 03 May 2008 19:45:54 +0000 Stephen http://acepilots.com/airplanes/?p=501 One of the fastest planes of its time, the Bristol M.1C monoplane fell victim to official concern about its stability and the perceived hazards of its high landing speed. There seemed to be an official distrust of monoplanes by the British authorities, and the M.1 was much-delayed. Finally some were sent to the Middle East [...]]]> http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/bristol-m1c/feed/ 0 http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/airco-dh5/ http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/airco-dh5/#comments Sat, 03 May 2008 19:29:29 +0000 Stephen http://acepilots.com/airplanes/?p=499 An unusual-looking biplane with a reverse stagger of the wings, the upper being set back just aft of the cockpit, to allow better visibility for the pilot. The idea was to combine the superior performance of a tractor biplane with the unobstructured pilot’s forward view of a pusher type. In May, 1917, No. 24 and [...]]]> http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/airco-dh5/feed/ 0 http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/sopwith-pup/ http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/sopwith-pup/#comments Fri, 02 May 2008 01:10:19 +0000 Stephen http://acepilots.com/airplanes/?p=494 The Sopwith ‘Pup’ was fast, agile, and easy-to-fly, perhaps reflecting the fact that it was developed from the personal aircraft of Harry Hawker, Sopwith Aviation’s test pilot. Entering service in late summer of 1916, the Sopwith “Scout” (as it was officially termed) was one of the first British tractor biplanes with a synchonized machine gun. [...]]]> http://acepilots.com/airplanes/country/british/sopwith-pup/feed/ 0