M.Goodall, A.Tagg British Aircraft before the Great War (Schiffer)
Deleted by request of (c)Schiffer Publishing
WHITE & THOMPSON biplane NT.3 'Bognor Bloater'
The company engaged EP.H. Beadle, previously a partner in Perry Beadle & Co., soon after Perry was killed in France on 16 August 1914 and their company was liquidated. His first type as chief designer flew in March 1915, and was the first of a batch of twelve ordered by the Admiralty. These were serial Nos.1171-1182, known in the RNAS as 'Bognor Bloaters', all delivered by September 1915, although the last two were not assembled by the firm.
The NT.3 was in the same category as the BE.2C, which the Admiralty required for training purposes, and was fitted with similar wings of unequal span and without stagger. The aircraft was a two-seater of conventional tractor layout, but incorporated a rather original feature in the form of a monocoque fuselage, the wooden skins of which were copper sewn by the Saunders 'Consuta' process at the works of Williams and Co. of Littlehampton. The undercarriage was of the two wheel, twin skid type.
The wings were of unequal span, the top overhang being unbraced, and consisted of two bays with pairs of full height interplane struts adjacent to the fuselage. There were ailerons on all wings, connected top to bottom by struts, whose wide chord caused these to extend beyond the general line of the wing.
Dr. White, a medical man who had largely financed and managed the company, withdrew his support in June 1915 and joined the RAMC. Thereafter the company was reconstituted in September as the Norman Thompson Flight Co.
Power: 70hp. Renault eight-cylinder air-cooled vee driving a 10ft 4in diameter four-bladed propeller.
Data
Span top 37ft
Span bottom 32ft 6in
Chord 6ft
Tailplane span 12ft
Tailplane chord 7ft 6in
Length 28ft 3in
Height 12ft.
J.Bruce British Aeroplanes 1914-1918 (Putnam)
White and Thompson “Bognor Bloater”
SHORTLY after the outbreak of war, F. P. H. Beadle joined the White and Thompson company as chief designer. His first design for his new firm was a two-seat tractor biplane landplane which was remarkable for a fine wooden monocoque fuselage. The type appeared in 1915, and it has been claimed that it was the first aircraft in the world with a monocoque fuselage to go into production.
There may be justification for this claim, for a small batch was ordered by the Admiralty. When the machines were delivered to the R.N.A.S. they were nicknamed “Bognor Bloaters”, a name which coupled their place of origin to the allegedly scaly appearance of the fuselage with its copper stitching against the cedar planking.
The fuselage was a boat-built structure, in which diagonal planking of Saunders “Consuta” plywood was applied to formers and stringers. Great care was taken to ensure a good finish: the copper stitching was made flush with the surface, and the completed fuselage was varnished. The fuselages were built by Williams of Littlehampton. A 70 h.p. Renault engine was mounted in the nose, and had exhaust manifolds which ran downwards to exhaust under the lower wing.
It seems a pity that these fine fuselages were fitted with such unprepossessing flight organs. The two-bay wings were of unequal span, and were fitted with ailerons which projected behind the trailing edges of the mainplanes. Instead of conventional centre-section struts there were full-length interplane struts hard against the fuselage.
The tail surfaces were of simple design, and the undercarriage was a twin-skid affair reminiscent of that of the B.E.2. The undercarriage could be fitted with a claw brake which could be released on landing to drag in the ground and bring the aircraft to a standstill.
The test-flying of the Bognor Bloater was performed by E. G. Gordon England, and the first machine was flying in March, 1915. The type was also flown by Clifford Prodger, who had a good opinion of it, and it is recorded that he looped one of the Bloaters.
The Service function of this unwarlike aeroplane remains obscure, but there can be little doubt that it would have been used for training purposes.
SPECIFICATION
Manufacturers: White & Thompson, Ltd., Bognor Regis, Sussex.
Power: 70 h.p. Renault.
Service Use: R.N.A.S. Stations at Eastbourne, Great Yarmouth and Killingholme.
Production: Twelve were ordered and at least ten were built.
Serial Numbers: 1171-1182.
O.Thetford British Naval Aircraft since 1912 (Putnam)
WHITE AND THOMPSON 'BOGNOR BLOATER'
This biplane, remarkable for its wooden monocoque fuselage, was first flown in March 1915. Nine were delivered to the RNAS with the serial numbers 1171 to 1179 and entered service at coastal air stations at Eastbourne, Great Yarmouth and Killingholme. One 70 hp Renault engine.
