Avro Type F
Type F | |
---|---|
Role | Experimental aircraft |
Manufacturer | A.V.Roe and Company |
First flight | 1 May Template:Avyear |
Number built | 1 |
The Avro Type F was an early single seat British aircraft from Avro. On 1 May 1912 it became the first aircraft in the world to fly with a completely enclosed cabin for the pilot as an integral part of the design.[1]
Design and development
It was a wire-braced mid-wing monoplane with a tailskid undercarriage. The fuselage was teardrop-shaped with flat sides and cellon windows. Oil leakage from the engine had been anticipated to obscure pilot view by coating cabin windows; so two circular windows at the pilot's head level could be opened for the pilot's head to protrude when flying, but their use proved unnecessary. Ingress and egress was via a sheet-aluminum trapdoor in the fuselage top.[1] The cabin was quite cramped, being only 2 ft (60 cm) across at its widest point.
The Type F made a few test flights in mid-1912 until damaged beyond repair in a hard landing on 13 September, after which it was not repaired. Its Viale 35 hp engine is on display at the Science Museum in London; and the rudder was preserved by the Royal Aero Club.[1]
Specifications
Data from [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one pilot
Performance
References
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 91.
- World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 889 Sheet 92–93.
- Avro Type F – British Aircraft Directory