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Short S.81

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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 British 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

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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

[edit]
 United Kingdom

See also

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Related lists

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e Sturtivant and Page 1992, p. 37
  2. ^ Bruce 1957, p. 479.
  3. ^ Williams and Gustin 2003, p. 93.
  4. ^ a b Mason 1992, p. 24.
  5. ^ Williams and Gustin 2003, p. 94.

Bibliography

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  • 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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