NORTHERN AIRCRAFT Co. Ltd. (Cockshot, Bownesson-Windermere, Cumberland)

   This company was formed in February 1914, with W.R. Ding as pilot and general manager, to operate commercial flights, initially using the Handley Page Type G biplane. Ding also applied to the Lakes Co. for the post of pilot, starting there in September 1914. By November he had arranged for the Northern Aircraft Co. to take over the whole of the Lakes company's activities.
   As the successors to the Lakes Co., NAC inherited the monoplane that was nearing completion (q.v.), which then became known as the NAC monoplane. The first new aircraft initiated after the change was a pusher biplane, which did not materialize until early in 1915.
   Although Ding has been credited with the design, the aircraft was mainly the work of C. Fleming Williams.


NAC pusher biplane seaplanes PB.l and PB.2

   The machine that appeared after the outbreak of war was a two bay biplane with strut braced top wing extensions, and ailerons in the top wing only. The twin tail booms tapered in plan to a vertical rudder post, and joined the wings at the junctions of the rear spars and inboard interplane struts. A triangular fin was inset in the booms, and a rudder, with curved outline, was fitted. The rectangular tailplane, with tapered tips, was mounted on the top longerons and carried a divided elevator.
   The nacelle was long and shallow and basically square in section. It carried a nose mounted radiator and had a raised decking to protect the pilot and passenger, aft of which the top was open. The Green engine was mounted aft with the cylinders protruding above the top of the nacelle, with fuel provided by a gravity tank under the top wing. The machine was mounted on a complex chassis of struts and cross members on twin floats.
   The PB.l was converted to the PB.2 by the change to an air-cooled rotary. This enabled the nose radiator to be dispensed with, with a consequent improvement to the shape of the nacelle and rearrangement of the rear portion for the new engine installation.
   The first test flight was carried by J. Lankester Parker, who later was for many years the chief test pilot for Short Bros. Ding also flew the machine but little is known of its use in the early war years.

   Power:
   PB.l 60hp Green four-cylinder inline water-cooled
   PB.2 80hp Gnome seven-cylinder air-cooled rotary