P.Lewis The British Fighter since 1912 (Putnam)
Mid-1917 saw the debut of a two-seat fighter, the F.1, from Martinsyde at Brooklands. The machine was odd in carrying its observer in the front cockpit where he could do little that would be effective in combat. A 250 h.p. Rolls-Royce Mk.III powered the F.1, giving it a top speed at 6,500 ft. of 109-5 m.p.h. A two-bay biplane of normal appearance and construction, the F.1 had little to recommend it in its original form but Martinsyde made another effort at producing a two-seat fighter reconnaissance machine when they completed their F.2 biplane in May, 1917. <...>
F.Mason The British Fighter since 1912 (Putnam)
Martinsyde F.1
Designed early in 1917, possibly by Tony Fletcher shortly before he left Martinsyde Ltd, the F.1 was the first of a new series of fighters which culminated in the Buzzard. It was clearly influenced by the Bristol F.2 Fighter, even to the extent of placing the fuselage in the wing gap and clear of the lower wing. It was a two-bay biplane, and in effect a scaled-up derivative of the successful G. 100/102 Elephant, the airframe being strengthened to accommodate the new Rolls-Royce Mark III (Eagle III).
The broad-chord wings were rigged with slight stagger, and ailerons were fitted to upper and lower wings. The upper wing was clear of the top decking of the fuselage by some nine inches, while the lower wings were left uncovered below the fuselage, as on the Bristol F.2A; however, unlike the Bristol, the F.1’s wings remained uncovered - resulting in unnecessary end drag.
The F.1 was officially declared to be a fighter, and it certainly possessed a fairly respectable performance for such a big single-engine aircraft. Nevertheless, a feature of the F.1, which drew puzzled comments from Martlesham following its trials in July 1917, was the location of the crew, the observer’s cockpit being directly below the upper wing (with entry to it only possible through a large aperture in the wing’s centre section); the pilot’s cockpit was about five feet aft of the observer, well clear of the wing trailing edge and with precious little view forward. No armament was fitted in the prototype, A3933, and no logical suggestion indicated exactly what gun armament was proposed.
With the Bristol Fighter becoming firmly established in production, it was hardly surprising that development of the F.1 was not pursued further, and it is not known if the planned second prototype was even completed.
Type: Single-engine, two-seat, two-bay biplane fighter.
Manufacturer: Martinsyde Ltd, Brooklands, Surrey.
Powerplant: One 250hp Rolls-Royce Mark III (Eagle III) engine driving four-blade propeller.
Dimensions: Span: 44ft 6in; length, 29ft lin; height, 8ft 6in; wing area, 467 sq ft.
Weights: Tare, 2,198 lb; all-up, 3,260 lb.
Performance: Max speed, approx 112 mph at sea level; climb to 10,000ft, 13 min 40 sec; service ceiling, 16,500ft; endurance, 3 3/4 hr.
Armament: None fitted in prototype.
Prototypes: Two ordered, A3933 and A3934 (A3933 flown in May 1917). No production.
W.Green, G.Swanborough The Complete Book of Fighters
MARTINSYDE F.1 UK
The F.1 two-seat fighter was conceived late in 1915 as a tractor biplane in which the gunner occupied the forward cockpit and stood upright to fire a 0.303-in (7,7- mm) Lewis gun on a mount built into the upper wing centre section. Powered by a 250 hp Rolls-Royce Mk III engine (later to become known as the Eagle III), the F.1 suffered a somewhat protracted development and, by the time that it was officially tested in July 1917, it was already obsolete. Obviously not acceptable for operational use, the F.1 was not further developed.
Max speed, 109 mph (175 km/h) at 6,500 ft (1 980 m).
Time to 10,000 ft (3 050 m), 13.66 min.
Endurance, 3.75 hrs.
J.Bruce British Aeroplanes 1914-1918 (Putnam)
Martinsyde F.1
THE first of the Martinsyde F series was a large two-seat biplane, powered by the 250 h.p. Rolls-Royce Mk. Ill engine, which was tested in the summer of 1917. The F.1 was intended to be a two-seat fighter, but its large size and the peculiar (at that late date) seating arrangements would have detracted seriously from its performance in that capacity.
The observer occupied the forward cockpit, whence he could observe very little outside the aircraft, for he sat directly under the upper wing and over the lower. Ingress to the front cockpit was gained via a large rectangular cut-out in the centre-section. The mainplanes were of unequal chord, and the fuselage was mounted about midway between them, as on the Bristol Fighter. There was no wing surface immediately under the fuselage; the lower centre-section was an open structure.
The fuselage was basically similar to that of the Elephant, but was suitably strengthened to take the more powerful Rolls-Royce engine. The tailplane and elevators appeared to be identical to those of the earlier type.
The official report on the Martinsyde F.1 ran as follows:
“The observer is in the front seat, and there is no fixed gun firing forward. The testing squadron suggested it would be a decided improvement, in extent of view and fire, if positions of pilot and observer were reversed, while machine would be better able to resist a strong attack from below. Flying qualities, stability, and controllability good; magneto, carburettors, tanks, etc., very inaccessible.”
It seems, however, that the type was never developed; and it is doubtful whether any attempt was made to install armament. No guns or mountings were fitted when the F.1 was delivered to the Testing Squadron, and its performance tests were conducted with ballast of 185 lb to represent the standard reconnaissance load for two-seat aircraft.
Since it was the first of the Martinsyde F series, the F.1 was known in the works as “Father”.
SPECIFICATION
Manufacturers: Martinsyde, Ltd., Brooklands, Byfleet.
Power: 250 h.p. Rolls-Royce Mk. Ill (284 h.p. Eagle III).
Dimensions: Span: upper 44 ft 6 in., lower 44 ft 2 in. Length: 29 ft 1 in. Height: 8 ft 6 in. Chord: upper 6 ft 8 in., lower 5 ft 10 in. Gap: 6 ft. Stagger: 1 ft 7 in. Dihedral: 30. Incidence: 30. Tyres: 750 X 125 mm. Airscrew diameter: 9 ft 7 in.
Areas: Wings: 467 sq ft. Ailerons: total 54 sq ft. Tailplane: 26 sq ft. Elevators: 21 sq ft. Fin: 5 sq ft. Rudder: 11 sq ft.
Weights and Performance: No. of Trial Report: M.115. Date of Trial Report: July, 1917. Type of airscrew used on trial: Lang, Series No. 9334. Weight empty: 2,198 lb. Military load: 185 lb. Crew: 360 lb. Fuel and oil: 517 lb. Loaded: 3,260 lb. Maximum speed at 6,500 ft: 109-5 rn.p.h.; at 10,000 ft: 104-5 m.p.h.; at 13,000 ft: 98-5 m.p.h.; at 15,000 ft: 94m.p.h.; at 16,500 ft: 89 m.p.h. Climb to 1,000 ft: 1 min; to 6,000 ft: 6 min 55 sec; to 10,000 ft: 13 min 40 sec; to 12,000 ft: 18 min 35 sec; to 14,000 ft: 25 min 20 sec; to 16,000 ft: 36 min 20 sec. Service ceiling: 16,500 ft. Endurance: 3 3/4 hours.
Tankage: Petrol: 66 gallons. Oil: 5 1/2 gallons. Water: 6 gallons.
Serial Numbers: A.3933-A.3934, ordered under Contract No. 87/A/435.
H.King Armament of British Aircraft (Putnam)
F.1. The mystery that surrounds this two-seat fighter of 1917 may be dispelled in some degree by evidence later adduced in connection with the Vickers F.B.24E, an aircraft of similar layout. The author inclines to the view that both aircraft were designed for the Vickers mounting described and illustrated in the context of the Vickers type named.
