P.Lewis British Aircraft 1809-1914 (Putnam)
White and Thompson Twin-engine Flying-boat
The second of the White and Thompson flying-boats for the 1914 Daily Mail Circuit of Britain was entered as No. 9, with Lt. A. Loftus Bryan scheduled as the pilot.
Based, as was its companion, on the Curtiss design, the machine was powered by two eight-cylinder vee Austin-built Curtiss OX engines of 90 h.p. each, driving three-bladed pusher propellers of adjustable pitch, and was larger and heavier than No. 6. Side-by-side seating was provided again in the hull, which was constructed at Littlehampton, Sussex, by Williams and Co., a subsidiary of White and Thompson. The fore-part of the hull was given a cross-section of rectangular form, which changed to circular towards the rear. The same form of long tail fin extended along the top of the hull, but No. 6's type of extra fore-fin was not included. The engines' radiators were carried at the front of the bearers, and below the wing-tips the deep rectangular-section floats were mounted.
The twin-engined White and Thompson flying-boat was completed just after the outbreak of the 1914-18 War, but the design was not developed. The prototype made one flight only, and was then taken back to the works for alterations which were not finally carried out.
SPECIFICATION
Description: Two-seat pusher biplane flying-boat. Wooden structure, fabric covered.
Manufacturers: White and Thompson, Co. Ltd., Middleton-on-Sea, Bognor, Sussex.
Power Plant: Two 90 h.p. Curtis OX-5.
Dimensions: Span, 52 ft. Length, 32 ft. 3 ins. Wing area, 500 sq. ft.
Weights: Empty, 2,000 lb. Loaded, 3,000 lb.
Performance: Endurance, 6 hrs.
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M.Goodall, A.Tagg British Aircraft before the Great War (Schiffer)
Deleted by request of (c)Schiffer Publishing
WHITE & THOMPSON flying boat 'Seaplane No.1'
This was a twin engined flying boat based on Curtiss design, and was developed by the firm to compete in the Daily Mail Seaplane Circuit of Britain, which was canceled by the outbreak of war in 1914. The fin carried the company name and 'Seaplane No. 1'; the rudder bore No.9, the entry number in the contest, although in fact the machine would not have been ready in time.
The Curtiss H.1 type named 'America', was a machine being prepared to fly the Atlantic with J.C. Porte as one of the pilots. This was bought by the Admiralty, together with two other similar machines, Curtiss type H.2, which became known as 'Small Americas'. The White and Thompson machine was sometimes referred to by the same name, after it was taken over by the Admiralty as serial No.883. It remained with the company until late in 1915 in use as a test and trial installation machine, until developments at Felixstowe, for which Porte was largely responsible, rendered it obsolete. Later the H.4 version of the 'Small America' was bought by the Admiralty in some quantity from Curtiss, who also established a Canadian branch for their production, and from the Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Airco.
The White and Thompson machine was basically a scaled-up version of the single-engined Curtiss in appearance, but it embodied some new features. The hull was of rectangular section at the front, changing, behind the step, to circular towards the tail and it accommodated two crew side-by-side with dual controls, just ahead of the wing. A ninety gallon fuel tank was positioned behind the pilot's seat. The hull was built by Williams & Co. boat builders of Littlehampton. Gordon England, when testing the machine in September and October 1914, was unable to get off the water, until flared planing fins were added to the sides of the hull.
The wings were of RAF 6 section, and had squarecut tips and large tip floats to which springboards were fitted, otherwise the general configuration was similar to Curtiss. The tailplane was of rectangular shape, still on top of the fin, with a revised arrangement of struts. The tail surfaces were all larger in area. The Curtiss OX engines were made by the Austin Motor Co., who were licensees from Curtiss, and drove three-bladed, variable pitch metal pusher propellers. The engines were mounted in the center section, by an arrangement of inverted vee struts, and this was wider, and supported by bracing struts to the lower part of the hull.
Power: Two 90hp Curtiss OX eight-cylinder water-cooled vee.
Data
Span top 52ft
Span bottom 40ft
Chord 5ft.6in.
Gap 5ft 6in
Area 500 sq. ft
Area tailplane 59 sq. ft
Area elevators 38 sq. ft
Area fin 12 sq. ft
Area rudder 18 sq. ft
Length 32ft 3in
Height 1 Oft 6in
Weight 2,000 lb.
Weight allup 3,000 lb.
ax. speed 70 mph
Endurance 6 hr
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G.Duval British Flying-Boats and Amphibians 1909-1952 (Putnam)
White and Thompson Twin-engined Boat (1914)
The second machine built by White and Thompson for the 1914 Round Britain Race was a large biplane flying-boat, powered by two 90 h.p. Curtiss OX engines arranged as pushers and driving three-bladed adjustable-pitch propellers. The hull was built by Williams and Co. of Littlehampton, and although the complete machine showed obvious traces of Curtiss influence, it was, like its single-engined companion, designed throughout by the British company. The crew of two were in a side-by-side cockpit and provided with dual control, and the machine carried 90 gallons of fuel, sufficient for six hours of flight. One test flight took place, revealing a need for modifications which were not, in the event, carried out, because the Round Britain Race was cancelled, and because of the preoccupation of the company with a Naval order for the single-engined ex-race machine. However, the twin-engined flying-boat eventually came into its own, for it formed a basis for the design of the successful Norman Thompson N.T.4 of 1915.
SPECIFICATION
Power Plant: Two Curtis 90 h.p. OX engines
Span: 52 feet
Length: 32 feet 3 inches
Weight Loaded: 3,000 pounds
Total Area: 500 square feet
Max. Speed: -
Endurance: 6 hours
Armament: Nil
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Журнал Flight
Flight, October 9, 1914.
THE "ROUND BRITAIN" MACHINES.
THE seaplane for which Mr. Loftus Bryan had been nominated pilot in the circuit of Britain, and which had been officially numbered 9, was
The White and Thompson Flying Boat.
As regards the general disposition of its component parts this machine adheres fairly closely to the practice followed in the original American Curtiss flying boats, but the greater portion of the detail work has undergone alteration and modification with the object of improving, both aerodynamically and constructionally, upon its American prototype.
Aerodynamically the greatest improvement has possibly been effected in the shape of the wing section, which is a reproduction of the famous R.A.F. 6, that has proved so efficient both under laboratory tests and on full - sized machines. In plan the wings are of rectangular form and the upper plane has a very pronounced overhang braced by steel tubes running to the bases of the outer interplane struts. The balancing flaps are hinged to the outer portion of the upper rear spar and not, as in the original Curtiss, to the plane struts. Consistent with modern practice, the flaps are inter-connected, so that when one is depressed the other is correspondingly elevated. The spars of the lower main plane pass through the boat, to which they are further stayed by four steel tubes running from the plane struts immediately outside the engines to the sides of the boat.
Instead of running vertically from top to bottom plane the inner pair of interplane struts form an inverted V as seen from in front, so that their upper apices meet on the centre line of the upper plane. Between the planes and spaced about 8 ft. apart are mounted two Curtiss engines of the OX model, each of 90 h.p. and driving a three - bladed propeller with adjustable pitch. The method of mounting these engines is the same as that employed when only a single motor is fitted, and consists, as our readers will remember from previous descriptions of Curtiss machines, of stout engine bearers of ash supported on a structure of steel tubes resting with their lower extremities on the spars of the lower main plane. In front of the engines are mounted the two radiators, which in this machine are placed astride the engine bearers. The engines are braced forward by means of two struts running to the keel of the boat some distance behind the bow. As the engines are not enclosed in any way, they are easily accessible should it become necessary to effect minor adjustments.
The boat or hull, which has been built by Messrs. Williams and Co. of Littlehampton, is of approximately rectangular section in front, whilst gradually running into a circular section at the rear. Being about 4 ft. deep and of practically the same beam, it affords ample accommodation for pilot and passenger, who sit side by side just in front of the leading edge of the main planes. Curtiss control of the usual dual type is fitted, so that either of the occupants can pilot the machine. Behind the seats and inside the boat is placed the petrol tank, which has a capacity of 90 gallons, or sufficient for a flight of 6 hours' duration.
The tail planes are of the usual Curtiss form, but are slightly larger in size than those fitted on the single-engined machines. A vertical fin resting on the top of the rear circular portion of the boat, to which it is braced by means of steel tubes, provides the fixed vertical surface aft. To the trailing edge of this fin is hinged a large rudder, which has a small forward extension above the fixed stabilising plane. The lower part of the rudder is covered with metal for the sake of protection. The large horizontal tail plane is mounted on top of the vertical fin and braced by tubes to the boat. A divided elevator hinged to the rear edge of the tail plane completes the tail unit.
The weight of the machine empty is 2,000 lbs., and with full load, including pilot, passenger and 6 hours' fuel, 3,000 lbs.
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