Redback

Martinside F.3/F.4 Buzzard.

F3 used a Rolls Royce engine, F4 a Hispano Suiza

Terry

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

And there is the answer! Good job, Redback!! And, you get to ask the next question. Less than 400 Buzzards were produced, and many of those went into civilian hands. Even so, the Buzzard was such a superior design, that it served in 13 separate air forces. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What warbird do I describe?

Clues:

(1) This aircraft was flying a full year before the war ended.

(2) It was noted as being, not only superior to every existing aircraft of its type, but superior by a good margin.

(3) Nevertheless, it was just entering service when the war ended.

(4) Production delays meant, with the end of the war, less than 400 were produced.

(5) With plenty of war surplus aircraft available, no one wanted to spend the money necessary to produce this new plane.

(6) When the plane first flew, it was very, very fast.

(7) Unfortunately, the engine used on the prototype was needed for another needed aircraft; one that was already in production.

(8) So, another prototype was produced, using a different engine; and the plane was still, very, very fast.

(9) Both prototypes were quite similar, and were named for a bird.

(10) The second prototype was scheduled for production, and was noted as being easy to fly and very maneuverable; in addition to being very fast. Several β€œfirst generation” aircraft had been produced.

(11) The company had produced other aircraft used in the war, but it wasn’t one of the β€œbig name” companies.

(12) The company had been around for only a few years before the war; and it also produced some excellent motorcycles after the war.

(13) The company ultimately went out of business, after the war, as a result of a fire.

(14) After the war, some of the aircraft that had been produced were sold to other countries.

(15) Others were modified and sold to a variety of customers. Some were turned into two or four seat tourers, floatplanes, long range aircraftm fitted with various engines, etc.

(16) Armament of the warbird was two machine guns.

(17) Amazingly, although less than 400 total aircraft had neen produced, the air forces of at least a dozen countries had the plane in their inventory. And this in addition to those in civilian hands!


Answer: Martinsyde Buzzard

The Martinsyde F.4 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 World War I.

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, with a single prototype being built as a private venture without an official order, and had flown at Brooklands aerodrome by October 1917; six being ordered in 1917, with the first flying in November that year. Its performance during testing was impressive, demonstrating a maximum speed of 142 mph (229 km/h), and was described in an official report as "a great advance on all existing fighting scouts", resulting in an order for six pre-production aircraft and 150 production fighters being placed late in 1917. It soon became clear, however, that all Falcon production was required to power Bristol F.2 Fighters, so use of the Falcon for the F.3 would be problematical.

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 maneuverable as well as very fast for the time. 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 AΓ©ronautique 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.

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.

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.

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 and one used by 141 Squadron. The RAF received 57 F.4 Buzzards before the end of the First World War, 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.

While the postwar 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). Some of these aircraft had long careers, with six of the Spanish Buzzards remaining in service at the start of the Spanish Civil War. 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 service until 1938.

Many Martinsydes were sold to civil owners being used as Tourers, racing aircraft and for survey and seal spotting work in Canada.

Martinsyde was a British aircraft and motorcycle manufacturer between 1908 and 1922, when they were forced into liquidation by a factory fire.

The company was first formed in 1908 as a partnership between H.P. Martin and George Handasyde and known as Martin & Handasyde. Their No.1 monoplane was built in 1908–1909 and succeeded in lifting off the ground before being wrecked in a gale. They went on to build a succession of largely monoplane designs although it was a biplane, the S.1 of 1914, that turned Martin-Handasyde into a successful aircraft manufacturer.

In 1915 they renamed the company Martinsyde Ltd. Britain's third largest aircraft manufacturer, with workshops at Brooklands and Woking, they began manufacturing motorcycles from 1919. Martinsyde bought the rights to engine designs by Howard Newman which included a 350 cc single and a 677 cc V-twin with an unusual exhaust-over-inlet layout.

The 680 engine was fitted into a diamond-type frame with Brampton forks. Martinsyde had to overcome problems with components before their new range could be launched, initially under the trade name of Martinsyde-Newman until the third partner Newman left the company. Newman was also involved in manufacturing and designing the Ivy (motorcycles). The motorcycle twin had a hand gear change and a three-speed gearbox built under licence from AJS. The Martinsyde’s engine was very flexible and became popular for off-road trials competition, where the singles quickly gained a reputation for reliability, at Brooklands, where Martinsyde won the team award in 1922, and the Scottish Six Days Trial.

Martinsyde motorcycles were offered with sidecars and the Martinsyde 680 was followed by a 500 cc model in 1920, with a sports version in 1921. In 1922 Martinsyde produced a 738 cc sports V-twin, named the Quick Six which produced 22 horsepower (16 kW) and was capable of 80 miles per hour (130 km/h). Martinsyde were experimenting with new designs, including valve gear controlled by leaf springs, when their factory was destroyed by a fire in 1922, forcing them into liquidation having produced over 2,000 motorcycles. The company's motorcycle manufacturing rights were purchased by Bat Motor Manufacturing Co. Ltd, who produced a number of twin-cylinder motorcycles in 1924 and 1925 before ending production.

Burt Reynolds

good job, I was too stuck on ww2.

Redback

OK, lets give it a go!

This must rank as one of the most inauspicious starts of any aircraft. It took a redesign with more power and a larger wing before the prototype would even leave the ground!!

Terry

Redback

Another clue

Later versions performed much better than the prototype, but time was running out.

Terry

Redback

OMG, is mine going to be the post that killed the quiz[&o]

Another clue:

A number of later models delivered in time for the ensuing conflict would have been more use but for the lack of gunsights and in some cases propellers.

Burt Reynolds

Focke-Wulf Ta 152 ?

[/list]

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Not at all, Sir; you're doing fine! It won't take long before the experts here figure it out. After all, which air service would you expect to produce a new plane that couldn't fly? And then, when they got it sorted out, produce more than 100 fighters without gunsights and propellers? Still, in the end, after some redesign,it wasn't a bad plane; pretty good, in fact. Thanks; Ernie P.

Redback

No Burt, TA152 is not your deliverance[:@]

Can't imagine Kurt designing a plane that the test pilot would scared to take off the ground!!!

Terry

Burt Reynolds

This sounds very FW-190 ish. I would like my next guess to generally just be FW-190A - D versions?

adavis

Bloch MB.150?

Best Regards,
=Adrian=

Redback

Adrian you are correct!

The Bloch MB.150 was a French low-wing, all-metal monoplane fighter aircraft with retractable landing gear and enclosed cockpit developed by SociΓ©tΓ© des Avions Marcel Bloch as a contender in the 1934 French air ministry competition for a new fighter design.
Although the competition was won by the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 prototype, development proceeded culminating in the first attempted flight of the MB.150.01 prototype in 1936. Unfortunately, the aircraft proved unable to leave the ground. With modifications consisting of a strengthened wing of greater area, revised landing gear, and installation of a 701 kW (940 hp) Gnome-Rhone 14N-0 radial engine with a three-blade constant speed propeller, the MB.150 finally flew in October 1937.

Handed over to the Centre d'Essais du Materiel Aerien (CEMA) for service trials, its performance proved sufficiently interesting to warrant further development. This brought, at the very beginning of 1938, a small increase in wing span and installation of a 14N-7 engine. When trials were completed in late spring 1938, SNCASO was awarded an order for a pre-production batch of 25 of these aircraft.

No such production of the MB-150.01 occurred, the aircraft being totally unsuitable for mass production.[1] Redesign would lead to the MB.151.01 and MB.152.01 prototypes, developed and produced in parallel. By the outbreak of World War II, some 120 had reached the ArmΓ©e de l'Air, but few of them were flyable, most missing their gunsights and propellers.

The MB.153 and MB.154 were intended as testbeds for American engines, but only the former flew, and when it crashed, a few days later, damaged beyond repair, pursuit of these alternatives also ceased. Instead, attention shifted to extending the range of the MB.152. This was achieved by moving the cockpit aft in order to make room for a new fuel tank. Other modifications included a slightly broader wing and revised aerodynamics around the cowling. The result, designated MB.155 performed favourably in flight tests and was ordered into production in 1940, however only 10 aircraft had been completed by the Fall of France. Under the terms of the armistice, the remaining 25 on the production line were completed and delivered into Vichy service. From there, some eventually made their way into the Luftwaffe after 1942.

The final member of the family, the MB.157 utilised a far more powerful engine and eventually became a very different aircraft as the design evolved from the MB.152 to accommodate the larger and heavier powerplant. Unfinished at the time of the armistice, it was ordered to be completed and flown under German supervision. Demonstrating superb performance, it was taken to Orly where the powerplant was removed for testing within a wind tunnel. The excellence in the design was confirmed. It was later destroyed in an Allied air raid.


You're up!

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Adrian; you still with us? Thanks; Ernie P.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Adrian;

Unless you post your question soon, we will have to move on. Thanks; Ernie P.

adavis

Next Warbird:-

1) Single engine.

2) Two seat.

3 Monoplane.

4) Less than 30 built.

Best Regards,
=Adrian=

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Playing a hunch... The two-seat Spitfire? Thanks; Ernie P.


The only unofficial two-seat conversions that were fitted with dual-controls were a small number of Russian lend/lease Mk IX aircraft. These were referred to as Mk IX UTI and differed from the Supermarine proposals by using an inline "greenhouse" style double canopy rather than the raised "bubble" type of the T Mk VIII.


In the postwar era, the idea was revived by Supermarine and a number of two-seat Spitfires were built by converting old Mk IX airframes with a second "raised" cockpit featuring a bubble canopy. Ten of these TR9 variants were then sold to the Indian Air Force along with six to the Irish Air Corps, three to the Royal Dutch Air Force and one for the Royal Egyptian Air Force. Currently a handful of the trainers are known to exist, including both the T Mk VIII, a T Mk IX based in the U.S., and the "Grace Spitfire" ML407, a veteran flown operationally by 485(NZ) Squadron in 1944.

adavis

Next Clue:-

1) Single engine.

2) Two seat.

3 Monoplane.

4) Less than 30 built.

5) Intended for Navy use.

Best Regards,
=Adrian=

Burt Reynolds

Douglas AD-3Q?

adavis

Next Clue:-

1) Single engine.

2) Two seat.

3 Monoplane.

4) Less than 30 built.

5) Intended for Navy use.

6) Fixed landing gear.

Best Regards,
=Adrian=

ducky22

M6A1 Seiran?

adavis

Next Clue:-

1) Single engine.

2) Two seat.

3 Monoplane.

4) Less than 30 built.

5) Intended for Navy use.

6) Fixed landing gear.

7) Did not enter service.

Best Regards,
=Adrian=

adavis

Next Clue:-

1) Single engine.

2) Two seat.

3 Monoplane.

4) Less than 30 built.

5) Intended for Navy use.

6) Fixed landing gear.

7) Did not enter service.

8) Designed to be equipped with radar.

Best Regards,
=Adrian=

Redback

Trying hard, failing dismally[&o]

Terry

adavis

Next Clue:-

1) Single engine.

2) Two seat.

3 Monoplane.

4) Less than 30 built.

5) Intended for Navy use.

6) Fixed landing gear.

7) Did not enter service.

8) Designed to be equipped with radar.

9) Intended to replace a WW2 design in a particular role.

Best Regards,
=Adrian=

JohnnyS

Short Seamew?