J.Davilla, A.Soltan French Aircraft of the First World War (Flying Machines)

F.B.A. Type D Cannon Fighter

  The French were strong believers of the value of the cannon-armed fighter. Aircraft of this classification (class D) included the Breguet 5, 6, and 12 as well as the Voisin 4. The D class called for an aircraft with a speed of 125 km/h able to climb to 2,000 in in 14 minutes and carrying a cannon with a wide field of fire. A variation of the D class intended for the destruction of airships called for a speed of 120 km/h and a climb to 2,000 m in 17 minutes.
  To meet this specification, Louis Schreck modified one of his Type H flying boats (number 101) into a fighter. This was accomplished by fitting the wings of a Type H flying boat to a fish-shaped monocoque fuselage made of wood. A pair ol wheels were attached directly to the aircraft's hull. A conventional fin and rudder were fitted. The aircraft featured a 37-mm Hotchkiss cannon; apparently this did not use the same mount that was patented and designed by Schreck. The Hotchkiss was fitted in the nose and had a limited field of fire. The engine was a 150-hp Hispano-Suiza 8A or a 175-hp 8Aa. Despite its odd appearance, the F.B.A. cannon fighter exceeded the required maximum speed, but its climb to 2,000 meters barely met the 14 minutes that was called for in the D category. The restricted field ol fire and the relative suitability of the Voisin cannon series would seem to have made the F.B.A. design superfluous, and further development was abandoned.


F.B.A. Type D Two-Seat Cannon Fighter with 150-hp Hispano-Suiza 8A or a 175-hp 8Aa
   Span 14.5 in: length 10.13 m; height 3.35 in; wing area 41 sq. m
   Empty weight 761 kg; loaded 1.166 kg
   Maximum speed: 135 km/h at 2,000 m; climb to 2,000 m in 14.0 minutes: climb to 3,000 m in 25.0 minutes 50 seconds; ceiling 4,700 m; endurance 3 hours
   Armament; one 37-mm Hotchkiss cannon
   One built