H.King Armament of British Aircraft (Putnam)

Port Victoria

P.V.9. Intended for the escort of flying-boats, this advanced single-seat seaplane of 1917 had a synchronised Vickers gun on top of the fuselage and a Lewis gun over the top centre-section, firing upwards and forwards over the airscrew.

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

PORT VICTORIA P.V.9 UK

  Owing much to the P.V.2, the P.V.9 single-seat fighter seaplane, first flown in December 1917, was a sesquiplane braced entirely by faired steel tubes. With a fuselage mounted between the wings, an armament of one synchronised 0.303-in (7,7-mm) machine gun and a similar-calibre weapon mounted on top of the fuselage, the P.V.9 had single-step pontoon-type floats and a 150 hp Bentley B.R.I rotary engine. Protracted engine problems delayed the initiation of full-scale trials until May 1918, at which time it was alleged to be the best float-equipped single-seat fighter extant. However, lack of a suitable propeller prevented full exploitation of its performance potential and, no longer fulfilling a service requirement, its development was discontinued.

Max speed, 110 mph(177 km/h) at 2,000 ft (610 m).
Time to 6,500 ft (1980 m), 13.33 min.
Endurance. 2.5 hrs.