F.Manson British Bomber Since 1914 (Putnam)

Martinsyde G.102 Elephant

   An almost exact contemporary of the Factory's F.E.2B in the bombing role, the single-seat Martinsyde G.102 was nevertheless of more modern concept and configuration, yet was possibly less popular among its pilots when used for night operations. Ironically, although both aeroplanes were powered by the 160hp Beardmore engine in their finite bombing configurations, and carried much the same bomb load, the Martinsyde was about ten per cent faster at all altitudes (being somewhat smaller and lighter), yet fewer than two hundred were built, and only fully equipped one front line bombing squadron in France.
   The G.102 was a derivative of the G.100, a fighting scout of portly dimensions and powered by the 120hp Beardmore. It entered service at the end of 1915, before the appearance of reliable British front gun synchronizing gear. Thus during the Battle of the Somme the G. 100s, which equipped No 27 Squadron (commanded by Maj Sydney Smith, later Bt Col, DSO, MC), were generally outclassed in air combat and straightway became employed as light support bombers over the battlefield and immediately behind the German lines, being capable of carrying a pair of 112 lb bombs or up to eight 25-pounders.
   Like the F.E.2B, the Martinsyde was then fitted with the 160hp Beardmore to improve its weight-lifting abilities, a remedy that increased its ground level speed (without bombs) from 93 to 103 mph, and enabled it to carry a maximum load of one 230 lb bomb under the fuselage and four 25 lb bombs under the wings, although more often it flew with two 112 lb and four 25 lb bombs, or four 65-pounders. This version was termed the G.102, quickly gaining the unofficial, but widely accepted name of Elephant, a name prepetuated in the device of the official Badge of No 27 Squadron.
   Unlike the F.E.2B, the G.102 was little used as a night bomber for, despite possessing adequate range to attack targets well behind the enemy lines, it was not considered realistic for the pilot to navigate himself over long distances at night, nor for that matter to aim his bombs with any great accuracy. The G.102 therefore confined its bombing raids to daylight, being capable to a reasonable degree of defending itself against enemy fighters. Nevertheless No 27 Squadron flew many noteworthy raids, particularly during the Battles of Arras, Messines and Ypres.
   Being thus confined to daylight bombing over short ranges, the Elephant was not chosen for inclusion in the 41st Wing's order of battle for strategic bombing during the winter of 1917-18, and was therefore replaced on No 27 Squadron by D.H.4s by November 1917.
   Overseas, however, Elephants equipped Nos 14 and 67 (Australian) Squadrons in Palestine and Mesopotamia, as well as elements of Nos 30, 63 and 72 Squadrons, also based in Mesopotamia, between September 1916 and the end of the War, when they also were withdrawn from service.

   Type: Single-engine, single-seat, two-bay biplane light support bomber.
   Manufacturer: Martinsyde Ltd, Brooklands, Byfleet, Surrey.
   Powerplant: One 160hp Beardmore water-cooled in-line engine driving two-blade propeller.
   Dimensions: Span, 38ft 0in; length, 27ft 0in; height, 9ft 8in; wing area, 410 sq ft.
   Weights: Tare, 1,793 lb; all-up (with two 112 lb bombs), 2,692 lb.
   Performance (with two 112 lb bombs): Max speed, 96 mph at sea level, 92 mph at 10,000ft; climb to 5,000ft, 9 min 15 sec; service ceiling, 12,800ft; endurance, 3 hr.
   Armament: One forward-firing 0.303in Lewis machine gun above the wing centresection and one Lewis gun on mounting behind the cockpit on the port side. Bomb load of either one 230 lb and four 25 lb bombs, two 112 lb and four 25 lb bombs, or four 65 lb bombs on external racks under fuselage and wings.
   Prototype: Identity of first aircraft with 160hp Beardmore engine not known.
   Production: 171 G.102s built (A1561-A1610, A3935-A4004 and A6250-A6300). At least two aircraft, B864 and B865, formerly G.100s, rebuilt as G.102s by No 1 (Southern) Aircraft Repair Depot, South Farnborough, Hampshire.
   Summary of Service: G.102s served with No 27 Squadron, RFC, over the Western Front, with Nos 14 and 67 (Australian) Squadrons in Palestine, and with elements of Nos 30, 63 and 72 Squadrons, RFC, in Mesopotamia. They also flew with the Central Flying School, Upavon, and with Nos 31, 39 and 51 (Training) Squadrons.

P.Lewis British Bomber since 1914 (Putnam)

Among the machines pressed into service by the R.F.C. as a bomber was the Martinsyde G.100, originally employed as an escort for other types engaged in bombing and reconnaissance. The machine’s relatively large size militated against it as a fighter, but it came into its own as a single-seat bomber carrying a 112 lb. bomb, particularly in the hands of the pilots of No. 27 Squadron, R.F.C. The G.100 was powered by the 120 h.p. Beardmore, but a later version designated G.102, which made its appearance during 1916, was given the increased power of the 160 h.p. Beardmore and found itself popularly called the Elephant. The G.102 was able to transport two 112 lb. bombs or one 230 lb. bomb. In addition to its use on the Western Front, the Martinsyde Elephant performed valiant and effective service as a bomber in the Middle East.

P.Lewis The British Fighter since 1912 (Putnam)

While their S.1 was being produced in small numbers for the R.F.C., the Martinsyde design staff pressed ahead with a project by A. A. Fletcher for a long-range, single-seat fighter of good all-round performance. The new machine, designated G.100 and serialled 4735, was completed during the Summer of 1915, being designed around the reasonably powerful 120 h.p. Beardmore engine, driving a three-blade propeller. In common with its ancestor, the S.1, the G.100 found itself known as the Martinsyde Scout.
   Well-proportioned and purposeful in appearance it utilized the normal fabric-covered wooden structure of the era but several modifications were embodied in the production machines which appeared during the last days of 1915. The metal cowling over the engine was considerably neater, a two-blade propeller replaced the three blader and double flying-wires were installed.
   To enable the G. 100’s forward-firing Lewis gun to be used effectively, it was mounted on the upper centre-section at a height from which the line of fire would pass over the propeller. The only really unconventional feature about the G.100 was the second Lewis gun carried on a bracket on the port side of the fuselage just to the rear of the cockpit. This very odd arrangement was for the protection of the pilot who was expected to be able to perform the remarkable combined feats of flying the machine and firing blindly behind him with the second gun.
   To fulfil its mission as a long-range fighter, the G.100 had been designed purposely as a relatively large biplane with generous wing area to carry aloft sufficient fuel for a worthwhile endurance of 5-5 hours. Consequently in combat it was at a disadvantage compared with smaller, more agile contemporaries.
   On reaching the Western Front at the beginning of 1916, the G.100 was allocated to escort two-seaters of various squadrons, No. 27 Squadron, R.F.C., being the sole unit to be equipped completely with the Martinsyde G.100 and arriving at the battle front on 1st March, 1916. The fact that it was a useful weight-lifter was quickly recognised and the G.100s found themselves soon adapted as bombers.
<...>
   An improved version of the Martinsyde G.100, the G.102, appeared during 1916, benefiting by the extra 40 h.p. available from its 160 h.p. Beardmore engine and taking to itself the name Elephant. Experimental armament installations on Elephants included one with a Lewis gun to starboard of the cockpit and firing upwards at about 45° through the centre-section and another which was used during the Summer of 1917 in trials with the Eeman gun gear. The Martinsyde G.100 and G.102 carried out some of their most redoubtable work in the Middle East and the memory of the Elephant has been carried forward as the symbol in the badge of No. 27 Squadron, R.A.F.

F.Mason The British Fighter since 1912 (Putnam)

Martinsyde G. 100 and G.102 Elephant

   Built during the summer of 1915, the Martinsyde G.100 was designed largely by A A Fletcher and, from the outset, was intended as a long-range escort single-seat fighter. It was a well-proportioned two-bay tractor biplane with moderate stagger and was fitted with ailerons on upper and lower wings. Power was provided by a 120hp Beardmore straight-six water-cooled engine which, in the prototype No 4735, drove a three-blade propeller - an unusual feature for its day.
   Probably flown by F P Raynham at the end of August, the prototype was followed by 100 production aircraft in two batches, the three-blade propeller having been replaced by the more customary two-blade type. Although G.100s were distributed among several squadrons, which employed them as escorts for their own bombing machines, only No 27 came to be fully equipped with the type, arriving in France on 1 March 1916. And it was about this time that the sobriquet ‘Elephant’ gained popularity - presumably on account of the aeroplane’s unusually large proportions for a single-seater - so much so that this animal was portrayed in No 27 Squadron’s Badge (which has remained in use to this day).
   Indeed, with a fuel load sufficient to sustain a 5 1/2-hour endurance, the power and load-carrying capacity of the Elephant quickly recommended it for use as a bombing aircraft, although it continued to be used in offensive fighting patrols. The first bombing attack was carried out by six Elephants of No 27 Squadron against Bapaume on 1 July 1916, the day on which the Somme offensive was launched.
   Normal gun armament of the Elephant in the air fighting role was a single Lewis gun above the upper wing centresection; to this was frequently added a second Lewis gun immediately aft of the pilot’s cockpit, firing rearwards; it is difficult to imagine how the pilot, while controlling his aircraft in combat, could contrive to aim and fire this gun with the slightest accuracy.
   Soon after the G.100s first arrived in France, a more powerful version, the G.102, appeared, powered by the 160hp Beardmore engine. Although of poorer reliability, this engine increased the Elephant’s speed by about 7 mph. This version remained in service for the rest of the War, principally with home-based training units, but also in the Middle East.


   Type: Single-engine, single-seat, two-bay biplane escort fighter (also extensively used as a bomber).
   Manufacturer: Martinsyde Ltd, Brooklands, Surrey.
   Powerplant: G.100. One 120hp Beardmore straight six-cylinder water-cooled in-line engine driving two-blade propeller. G.102. 160hp Beardmore.
   Dimensions: Span, 38ft 0in; length, 26ft 6in (G.102, 27ft 0in); height, 9ft 8in; wing area, 410 sq ft.
   Weights: G.100. Tare, 1,759lb; all-up, 2,424lb. G.102. Tare, 1,793lb; all-up, 2,458lb.
   Performance: G.100. Max speed, 96 mph at sea level; climb to 10,000ft, 19 min; service ceiling, 14,000ft; endurance, 5 1/2 hr. G.102. Max speed, 103 mph at sea level; climb to 10,000ft, 15 min 55 sec; service ceiling, 16,000ft; endurance, 4 1/2 hr.
   Armament: One 0.303in Lewis machine gun mounted above the upper wing centre section to fire above the propeller arc, and one Lewis gun mounted aft of the cockpit to fire rearwards.
   Prototype: One G.100, No 4735 (probably first flown by F P Raynham in August 1915 at Brooklands).
   Production: G.100, 100 aircraft (Nos 7258-7307 and 7459-7508); G.102, 171 aircraft (A1561-A1610, A3935-A4004 and A6250-A6300).
   Summary of Service: Martinsyde Elephants served with Nos 18, 20, 21, 23, 25 and 27 Squadrons, RFC, in France, with Nos 51, 63 and 110 Squadrons based in Britain, and with Nos 30, 67, 72 and 142 Squadrons in the Middle East).

W.Green, G.Swanborough The Complete Book of Fighters

MARTINSYDE ELEPHANT UK

   An unusually large aircraft by contemporary standards for a single-seater, the Elephant two-bay equi-span staggered biplane was designed by A A Fletcher of the Martinsyde Company, a prototype powered by a 120 hp Austro-Daimler engine entering test in the autumn of 1915. The initial production version, the G.100, was powered by a 120 hp six-cylinder Beardmore engine and was armed with a single 0.303-in (7,7-mm) Lewis gun mounted above the centre section (this later being augmented by a similar weapon bracket-mounted to port behind the cockpit), deliveries to the RFC commencing in 1916. The G.100 was succeeded by the G.102 version which differed in having a 160 hp Beardmore engine and replaced the lower-powered model progressively. The G.100 and G.102 Elephants were used in France and the Middle East, although only one RFC squadron was completely equipped with this type, a total of 270 being manufactured. While not particularly successful as a fighter owing to its poor agility by comparison with its smaller contemporaries, the Elephant performed a useful service as a bomber, carrying up to 230 lb (104 kg). The following data relate to the G.102.

Max speed, 103 mph (166 km/h) at sea level.
Time to 3,000 ft (915 m), 3.5 min.
Endurance, 4.5 hrs.
Empty weight, 1,793 lb (813 kg).
Loaded weight, 2,458 lb (1115 kg).
Span, 38 ft 0 in (11,58 m).
Length, 26 ft 6 1/2 in (8,08 m).
Height, 9 ft 8 in (2,95 m).
Wing area, 410 sqft (38,09 m2).

J.Bruce British Aeroplanes 1914-1918 (Putnam)

Martinsyde G. 100 and G.102 Elephant

  A NEW Martinsyde single-seat scout was designed and built during the summer of 1915. Designated G.100, it was a handsome biplane with two-bay wing bracing, powered by a 120 h.p. Beardmore engine. The machine was intended to be a long-range fighter, and its generous dimensions were dictated by the need to provide enough wing area to lift petrol for 5 1/5 hours’ flying.
  The first prototype, numbered 4735, was tested at Upavon in September, 1915, and was distinguished by a three-bladed airscrew. The engine cowling was rather an ugly affair which did not blend into the fuselage contours particularly well, and each cylinder of the engine had an individual exhaust stub; the radiator was mounted behind the engine. The undercarriage was a simple vee structure, and each wheel was carried on a half-axle pivoted at the centre point of the spreader bars. The tail-skid was large and sturdy. The low aspect-ratio fin and rudder were of pleasing appearance, and bore a family resemblance to the tail surfaces of the Martinsyde S.1.
  The first production G.100s were delivered at the end of 1915. These machines had a cleaned-up engine cowling with a manifold over the exhaust ports, and a two-bladed airscrew was used. All flying wires were double on the production aircraft, and a lighter pylon-type tail-skid was fitted.
  The Martinsyde G.100 appeared before an effective British machine-gun interrupter gear was available. The armament had to be disposed in such a way that the guns avoided the airscrew, so the machine was fitted with a Lewis gun above the centre-section and, rather curiously, a second Lewis on a mounting behind the cockpit on the port side. The latter was for firing rearwards.
  The machine was officially known as the Martinsyde Scout, as had been its predecessor, the Martinsyde S.1. Official records and statistics are therefore not explicit in dealing with either type.
  The first few G.100s which went to France early in 1916 were distributed to various squadrons in small numbers. They were then used as escorts for the two-seaters which formed the main equipment of the units. The first and only squadron to go to France equipped throughout with Martinsydes was No. 27, which arrived there on March 1st, 1916.
  Their first task was to escort reconnaissance and bombing aircraft, a duty for which their long range made them suitable, and they were thus employed until the Battle of the Somme was under way. Offensive patrols were also carried out, but the Martinsyde was not at its best in combat. It was not quite so quick to answer the controls as were most other contemporary fighting scouts, and the pilot’s view from his seat was somewhat obstructed by the disposition and unusually large chord of the wings. A flying quality which was regarded as a fault by most pilots of its day was the Martinsyde’s prolonged float before touching down. This float was in fact a testimonial to clean design, but seemed a strange phenomenon to pilots who were more accustomed to aeroplanes whose drag was high, and which sat down without floating as soon as the throttle was closed and the stick drawn back for the touch-down.
  If the Martinsyde G.100 did not make a name for itself as a single-seat fighter, its good load-carrying capabilities enabled it to be effectively employed as a bomber. In this capacity No. 27 Squadron flew its Martinsydes until they were replaced by D.H.4s in November, 1917.
  The squadron’s first systematic bombing operations began during the Battle of the Somme. On July 1st, 1916, the day the Somme offensive was launched, six Martinsydes bombed Bapaume, which was known to contain a German headquarters. Thereafter No. 27 Squadron made many bombing attacks in the area south of the Ancre: repeated attacks were made on such villages as Beaulencourt, Le Transloy and Sailly-Saillisel, which were usually full of enemy troops and stores.
  Ample proof of the Martinsyde’s great strength was given on September 23rd, 1916, when, in the course of a fight, the machine flown by Second Lieutenant L. F. Forbes of No. 27 Squadron collided with a German machine. The enemy crashed at once, but Forbes’s Martinsyde survived the collision with a badly damaged wing. Forbes managed to evade all further enemy attacks and flew his machine back to No. 24 Squadron’s aerodrome. After this gallant flight he was severely injured on landing, for the Martinsyde became completely uncontrollable when he tried to close the throttle for landing.
  In 1916, the Martinsyde was improved by the installation of the 160 h.p. Beardmore engine which, although not so mechanically reliable as the 120 h.p. version, improved the aeroplane’s weight-lifting capabilities. By this time the exhausts consisted of three stubs on the port side. The new type designation G.102 was applied to the modified machine, and it was at about this time that the nickname “Elephant” began to be used. The origin of the name has been attributed to the Martinsyde’s proportions which, for a single-seater and particularly one intended for fighting, were large. The name was unofficial, but was widely used.
  The new engine enabled the Martinsyde G.102 to carry two 112-lb bombs or one 230-pounder in place of the single 112-lb bomb carried by the G.100. Four of No. 27 Squadron’s Martinsydes, led by Captain P. C. Sherren, delivered their eight 112-pounders in telling fashion on the railway junction at Hirson on November 16th, 1916. Escorted by two further Martinsydes, the Elephants bombed from 1,000 feet, and their missiles blew six coaches off the track, destroyed rolling-stock in the siding and demolished two station buildings. All the Elephants returned after a 4 1/2-hour flight.
  Throughout the Battle of Arras, Messines and Ypres the Elephants carried out bombing attacks on various objectives. One of the finest flights made by an Elephant was the attack on the airship sheds at Gontrode made on November 1st, 1917, by Sergeant S. J. Clinch of No. 27 Squadron. His machine was one of three which took off for that objective, but his two companions became lost in the cloud and poor visibility. Flying solely by compass, Clinch flew on gamely and came out of the clouds directly over his target. Diving to the level of the roofs of the sheds he dropped his bombs and flew back to his aerodrome, again by compass.
  At least one Martinsyde was fitted with a Lewis gun pointing upwards at an angle of about 45 degrees. The gun was mounted on the starboard side of the cockpit and fired through the centre-section. The pilot had an Aldis sight mounted parallel to the gun. This installation may have been made as part of the experiments conducted at Orfordness with upward-firing guns. It is also recorded that a Martinsyde G.102 fitted with the Eeman gun gear was tested in August, 1917.
  The Martinsyde was used overseas, and saw service in Palestine and Mesopotamia. In Palestine, Squadrons Nos. 14 and 67 each had a few, which carried out bombing attacks. On March 22nd, 1917, these squadrons had between them fourteen Martinsydes, nine of which were serviceable on that date. Each squadron supplied one Martinsyde for an attempt to cut the Hejaz railway on November 24th, 1916. Captain R. H. Freeman of No. 14 Squadron dropped two 100-lb bombs on the railway bridge south of Qal’at el Hasa but failed to destroy it, while Lieutenant S. K. Muir of No. 67 (Australian) Squadron attacked the station at Jurf ed Derawish with one 100-lb and four 20-lb bombs. This sortie entailed a five-hour flight.
  One of the most remarkable fighting machines of any kind to see use during the war was “Mimi”. Mimi consisted of a Martinsyde G.102 fuselage, stripped of wings, tail unit and covering, mounted on floats and armed with two machine-guns. Mimi was made at the suggestion of Lieutenant-Colonel R. Williams as a means of harassing Turkish shipping in the Dead Sea. She was erected by the Dead Sea on February 28th, 1918; and next day, manned by Captain J. A. D. Dempsey, Captain P. D. Drury and First-Class Air Mechanic Doig, she set out to capture a group of boats on the eastern shore. On the outward journey the rudder yoke broke, and Mimi drifted southwards until she was beached. Only the floats were used subsequently; the Martinsyde fuselage was abandoned.
  Six Martinsyde G.100s arrived in Mesopotamia in September, 1916, and were used by No. 30 Squadron for bombing and reconnaissance. Just over a year later, a few Martinsydes were on the strength of one Flight of No. 63 Squadron, and “B” Flight of No. 72 Squadron was equipped with the type. The latter squadron arrived at Basra on March 2nd, 1918, and “B” Flight was at first based at Baghdad; at the end of May the Flight moved to Kazvin.
  The Martinsydes of No. 72 Squadron assisted in the campaign against the Jangalis, fought by “Dunsterforce”, the British force commanded by Major-General L. C. Dunsterville. On June 21st, 1918, two Elephants bombed the Jangali barracks at Kasma and did considerable damage. Some three weeks later, two Martinsydes assisted in the severe defeat inflicted on the Jangalis at Resht, and a ten-day bombing and strafing offensive made by the aircraft induced the Jangali leader Kuchik Khan to sue for peace.
  In the fighting around Baku in September, 1918, two Elephants flown by Lieutenants M. C. McKay and R. P. P. Pope gave admirable service. When the British force withdrew from the town the Martinsydes had to be burned. Their pilots thereafter fought with the infantry.
  The Martinsyde Elephant did not survive the Armistice, but its name and its association with No. 27 Squadron are perpetuated by the inclusion of an elephant in the badge of the squadron.


SPECIFICATION
  Manufacturers: Martinsyde, Ltd., Brooklands, Byfleet.
  Power: G.100: 120 h.p. Beardmore; G.102: 160 h.p. Beardmore.
  Dimensions: Span: 38 ft. Length: G.100, 26 ft 6 in.; G.102, 27ft. Height: 9 ft 8 in. Chord: 5 ft 11 3/4 in. Gap: 5 ft 8 in. Stagger: 18 in. Dihedral: 2°. Incidence: 30. Span of tail: 13 ft 6 in. Airscrew diameter: 9 ft 6 in. Wheel track: 6 ft 0 5/8 in. Tyres: 700 X 100 mm.
  Areas: Wings: 410 sq ft. Ailerons: each 10-5 sq ft, total 42 sq ft. Tailplane: 26 sq ft. Elevators: 21 sq ft. Fin: 4-75 sq ft. Rudder: 10 sq ft.
  Armament: One Lewis machine-gun above the centre-section; a second Lewis gun on mounting behind the cockpit on the port side. The bomb load varied considerably, and could consist of one 230-lb bomb, two 112-pounders, two 100-pounders, or four 65-pounders. The large bombs were usually carried under the fuselage, and there were racks under the wings for lighter bombs.
  Service Use: Western Front: R.F.C. Squadrons Nos. 18, 20, 21, 23 and 27. Palestine: Squadrons Nos. 14 and 67 (Australian). Mesopotamia: Squadrons Nos. 30, 63 (one Flight) and 72 (“B” Flight). Training: Central Flying School, Upavon; No. 10 Reserve Squadron, Joyce Green; No. 31 Training Squadron, Wyton; No. 39 Training Squadron, Narborough; Training Squadron at Dover; No. 51 Squadron.
  Production and Allocation: Approximately 300 Martinsyde G.100s and G.102s were built. One hundred and thirty-three went to the squadrons in France, and sixty-four to the Middle East Brigade. One was sent to a Home Defence squadron in 1917, and the remainder went to training units.
  Serial Numbers: 4735-4736; 7258-7307; 7459-7508; A.1561-A.1610; A.3935-A.4004; A.6250-A.6300. B.865.
  Notes on Individual Machines: Used by No. 27 Squadron: 7266, 7464, 7469, 7478, 7492, 7495, 7499, 7500, 7501, 7503, 7504, 7506, A.1566, A.1567, A.1572, A.1573, A.1579, A.1599, A.3976, A.3977, A.3986, A.3990, A.3992, A.3993, A.4004, A.6250, A.6251, A.6258, A.6259, A.6262, A.6263, A.6287, A.6288, A.6290, A.6291. Used by No. 67 (Australian) Squadron: A.1600, A.3945, A.3946, A.3955. Other machines: 7294: No. 51 Squadron. A.3996: No. 10 Reserve Squadron. A.4002: No. 51 Squadron. A.6252: Training Squadron at Dover.
Weights (lb} and Performance:
Aircraft G.100 G.102 G.102 with Eeman gun gear
No. of Trial Report - M.80 M.130
Date of Trial Report - January, 1917 August, 1917
Type of airscrew used on trial L.P.920 L.P.2400 L.P.2400
Weight empty 1,759 1,793 -
Military load 64 96 134
Pilot 180 180 180
Fuel and oil 421 389 -
Weight loaded 2,424 2,458 2,370
Maximum speed (m.p.h.) at
ground level - 103-1 -
2,000 ft - 104 -
3,000 ft - 103-7 -
6,500 ft 95 102 98-5
10,000 ft 87 99-5 97
14,000 ft - 93-5 -
m. s. m. s. m. s.
Climb to
1,000 ft - - 1 00 - -
3,000 ft - - 3 30 - -
6,000 ft - - 8 05 - -
6,500 ft 10 00 - - 10 00
10,000 ft 19 00 15 55 17 50
12,000 ft - - 21 10 - -
14,000 ft - - 29 00 - -
16,000 ft - - 40 45 - -
17,000 ft - - 49 30 - -
Service ceiling (feet) 14,000 16,000 17,500
Endurance (hours) 5 1/2 4 1/2 -

O.Thetford Aircraft of the Royal Air Force since 1918 (Putnam)

Martinsyde Elephant

   The Martinsyde G 100 Elephant, which had joined No 27 Squadron in February 1916, survived on No 72 Squadron with the RAF in Mesopotamia until November 1918. The Martinsyde G 102 version was powered by a 160hp Beardmore engine. Span, 38ft; length, 26ft 6in. Loaded weight, 2,458lb. Max speed, 102mph at 6,500ft. Armament of two Lewis guns.

H.King Armament of British Aircraft (Putnam)

G.100 and G.102. Dating from 1915, these large, robust single-seaters were well suited to carry armament, and the RFC name 'Elephant' seems to have been inevitable. On early production aircraft a Lewis gun fired over the centre-section; and for rearward fire a second Lewis gun was later clamped to a cranked pillar mounting just aft of the coaming on the port side. The over-wing gun was carried above the rear spar on a massive pyramid structure, itself braced to the front spar by a fore-and-aft tube. J. M. Bruce has recorded two forms of this mounting, designated Mk.I and Mk.II, the latter having the two elements which comprised the rear attachment pivoted on the underside of the spar. The gun was fired by Bowden cable and carried a long vertical handle attached to the spade grip. By means of this handle the gun could be swung down for reloading. An experimental installation was made of a triple-gun mounting of the Eeman (or, according to one official publication, Eaman) type, which was also tested by the Army. In this instance the fuselage-mounted guns fired upwards at 45 degrees through slots in the centre-section. There was an Aldis sight at the same angle. At least one aircraft had a non-standard mounting for a single Lewis gun offset lo starboard.
   As bombers, these Martinsydes were popular and successful, and in particular the more powerful G.102. Bombs were carried beneath the fuselage and wings, and among recorded loads were four 65-lb, one or two 112-lb, two 100-lb, one 230-lb, one 100-lb + four 20-lb, and twelve 20-lb. The constructors declared that the type was 'one of the few machines that could carry large 3 cwt bombs'. The bomb concerned was carried singly under the fuselage and was of the 336-lb type, designed at the Royal Aircraft Factory, Farnborough. At that establishment and also at Orfordness during the summer of 1916, tests were made with an 'Elephant' fitted with an experimental periscopic sight. The 'Bomb, H.E.. 336 lbs., Heavy Case, Mk.I' was nearly five feet long in its original form, in which it is known to have been carried by the 'Elephant'. It was later shortened to allow it to be carried on a 230-lb carrier. Mr Bruce reports that the periscopic bombsight was not developed sufficiently to see operational use in 'Elephants', but, though this may well have been so, a sight of the type was certainly made in quantity.