Engineering:Short S.81
| S.81 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Gun-carrying Seaplane |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Short Brothers |
| First flight | 1914 |
| Introduction | 1914 |
| Retired | 1915 |
| Primary user | Royal Naval Air Service |
| Number built | 1 |
The Short S.81 was an experimental United Kingdom gun-carrying pusher biplane seaplane, ordered from Short Brothers by the British Admiralty in 1913 for use by the Royal Naval Air Service.[1]
The seaplane, manufacturers serial number S.81, was built at Eastchurch and allocated the military serial number 126.[1] S.81 was delivered to Calshot on 25 May 1914 and accepted by the Navy on 2 June 1914.[1] It had three-bay wings with overhanging upper wings, and was powered by a 160 hp (119 kW) Gnome rotary engine.[2] It was first fitted with a 1½ pounder (37 mm) semi-automatic Vickers quick-firing gun in July 1914. Tests with this gun showed that recoil was severe, with claims that firing the gun would induce a stall.[3][4] It was fitted with a number of different guns for trials,[1] testing a six-pounder (57 mm) Davis gun (an early recoilless gun) in 1915.[5] In 1915 it had a dynamo and searchlight fitted. No longer needed for trials, it was deleted from the inventory in October 1915.[1]
Specifications
Data from The British Fighter since 1912[4]
General characteristics
- Crew: two
- Wingspan: 67 ft 0 in (20.42 m)
- Wing area: 540 sq ft (50 m2)
- Empty weight: 2,200 lb (998 kg)
- Gross weight: 3,600 lb (1,633 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Gnome rotary engine, 160 hp (120 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 60 mph (97 km/h, 52 kn) at sea level
Armament
- Guns: 1 × 1½ pounder Vickers gun
Operators
United Kingdom
- Royal Naval Air Service
See also
Related lists
- List of aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Bruce, J.M. British Aeroplanes 1914–18. London:Putnam, 1957.
- Mason, Francis K. The British Fighter since 1912. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1992. ISBN:1-55750-082-7.
- Ray Sturtivant and Gordon Page Royal Navy Aircraft Serials and Units 1911-1919 Air-Britain, 1992. ISBN:0-85130-191-6.
- Williams, Anthony G. and Emmanuel Gustin. Flying Guns World War I. Ramsbury, UK:Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN:1-84037-396-2.
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