| AD Scout | |
|---|---|
| A.D. Scout Sparrow ExCC. | |
| Role | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Air Department |
| Designer | Harris Booth[1] |
| First flight | 1915 |
| Primary user | Royal Naval Air Service - testing only |
| Number built | 4[1] |
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.[1]
Design and development[]
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.[1] Four prototypes were ordered in 1915 and two each were built by Hewlett & Blondeau and the Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company.
Operational history[]
Trials flown by pilots of the Royal Naval Air Service at Chingford 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.[1]
Operators[]
United Kingdom
Specifications (AD Scout)[]
Data from The British Fighter since 1912[2]
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[3] rotary engine, 100 hp (75 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 84 mph [4] (73 knots, 135 km/h)
- Range: 210 miles[citation needed] (336 km)
Armament
- Guns: 1x 2-pounder (40 mm) Davis recoilless gun (intended, but never fitted in view of the fragility of the Scout's construction)
See also[]
- Blackburn: Type I - AD Scout - R.T.1 Kangaroo - Blackbird - T.1 Swift
References[]
- Notes
- Jackson, Aubrey Joseph (16 March 1989). Blackburn Aircraft since 1909 (1st ed.). London: Putnam & Company Ltd.. pp. 98–101. ISBN 0-85177-830-5.
- Lewis, Peter (1979). The British Fighter since 1912 (4th ed.). London: Putnam & Company Ltd.. ISBN 0-370-10049-2.
- Mason, Francis K. (1992). The British Fighter since 1912. Annapolis, USA: Putnam & Company Ltd.. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.
- Bruce, J.M. (1965). War Planes of the First World War: Volume One Fighters. London: Macdonald.
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The original article can be found at AD Scout and the edit history here.