White & Thompson Bognor Bloater

The White & Thompson Bognor Bloater was a British First World War two-seat reconnaissance biplane. It was designed and built by White & Thompson Limited of Middleton-on-Sea, near Bognor Regis, Sussex for the Admiralty as a competitor to the Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2. Designated N.T.3 by White & Thompson, it is not known if there was an official designation for the aircraft, which was known in service with the nickname Bognor Bloater.

Bognor Bloater
Role Reconnaissance and coastal patrol biplane
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer White & Thompson
Designer Francis Percy Beadle[1]
First flight 8 March 1915
Introduction 1915
Retired 1916
Primary user Royal Naval Air Service
Number built 12

Design and development

The Bloater was a conventional unequal-span tractor biplane with a monocoque fuselage and powered by a 70 hp (52 kW) Renault engine. Twelve were ordered but only ten were delivered, the other two retained for spares. The Bloater nickname came from the unusual copper-sewn cedar monocoque fuselage built by S.E Saunders (later Saunders-Roe) the first production aircraft to use the monocoque technique.[2]

The prototype was first flown on 8 March 1915 at Bognor by Gordon England.[3]

Operational history

The Bloaters entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915 and had only limited service in communications and training roles but mainly on coastal patrols from the air stations at Eastbourne, Great Yarmouth and Killingholme.

Operators
 United Kingdom

Specifications
Side elevation

Data from The Norman Thompson File [3]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2 (pilot, observer)
  • Length: 28 ft 3 in (8.61 m)
  • Wingspan: 37 ft 0 in (11.28 m)
  • Height: 12 ft 0 in (3.66 m)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Renault 70 hp , 70 hp (52 kW)

See also

Related lists

Notes
  1. Moss, Roger. "Francis Percy Hyde Beadle". British Aviation - Projects to Production. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  2. Flight 8 February 1945
  3. Goodall 1985, pp. 39-43

References
  • Goodall, Michael H. (1995). The Norman Thompson File. Tunbridge Wells, UK: Air Britain. ISBN 0-85130-233-5.
  • Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
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