British Army Aeroplane No 1

Template:Infobox Aircraft The British Army Aeroplane No 1 or sometimes Cody 1 made the first recognised powered and sustained flight in the United Kingdom in 1908.

Development and design

With reluctance, as they were more interested in airships, the British Army contracted the American Samuel Franklin Cody to design their first powered aeroplane. Cody had problems acquiring an engine through the Army but eventually acquired a 50&nbsphp (37 kW) Antoinette engine. No 1 was a biplane of similar configuration to the that designed by the Wright brothers. The wings had booms fore and aft that mounted respectively the elevator and rudder. It had a wheeled landing gear, and power from the Antoinette engine drove two pusher propellers using a belt-drive.

Operational history

The aircraft made the first recognised powered and sustained flight in the United Kingdom on 16 October 1908 at Farnborough. The aircraft first flight covered only 1,390 ft (424 m). The aircraft was modified as the Cody 2 and then as the Cody 3 with a more powerful engine that enabled a 40 miles (64 km) flight on 8 September 1908.

Variants

Cody 1

Initial configuration with 50 hp Antoinette engine.

Cody 2

Cody 1 modified.

Cody 3

Cody 2 re-engined with a 60 hp (45 kW) E.N.V. Type F engine.

Operators

United Kingdom

Specifications (Cody 1)

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)

General characteristics

• Crew: One

Performance

References

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)