Air Department A.D. Scout (Sparrow)

1915

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Air Department A.D. Scout (Sparrow)

Designed by Harris Booth of the Air Department of the Admiralty as a single-seat anti-airship fighter, the A.D. Scout - later to become known unofficially as the '"Sparrow" - was an extraordinary single-bay staggered biplane intended to carry a Davis two-pounder recoilless gun. The rudders and outsize tailplane were carried by four parallel tailbooms, and the unusual appearance of the A.D. Scout resulted primarily from the fact that the large mainplane gap was below rather than above the nacelle accommodating the pilot. The gun was intended to be mounted in the bottom of the nacelle, to the tail of which was attached a 100hp nine-cylinder Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine driving a pusher propeller. Construction was of wood with fabric covering, and four prototypes were ordered and built (two by Hewlett & Blondeau and two by Blackburn) in 1915. Delivered to the RNAS, the A.D. Scouts proved seriously overweight and difficult to handle in the air. In consequence, all four aircraft were scrapped.

3-View 
Air Department A.D. Scout (Sparrow)A three-view drawing (821 x 784)

Specification 
 CREW1
 ENGINE1 x 100hp Gnome Monosoupape
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan10.18 m33 ft 5 in
  Length6.93 m23 ft 9 in
  Height3.12 m10 ft 3 in
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed135 km/h84 mph
  Cruise speed108 km/h67 mph
 ARMAMENT1 x 7.7mm

Comments
lxbfYeaa, e-mail, 14.03.2024 05:11

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lxbfYeaa, e-mail, 14.03.2024 05:10

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Barry, 31.03.2016 13:11

More on this on the Blackburn page.

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lxbfYeaa, e-mail, 14.03.2024 Barry

20

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lxbfYeaa, e-mail, 14.03.2024 Barry

20

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