AD Flying Boat

Infobox Aircraft
name = Air Department Flying Boat
type = Flying boat
manufacturer = Pemberton-Billing Ltd.


caption =
designer = Linton Hope
first flight = 1916
introduced =
retired =
status =
primary user = Royal Naval Air Service
more users =
produced =
number built = 27
unit cost =
variants with their own articles = The AD Flying Boat was designed by the British Admiralty's Air Department to serve as a patrol aircraft that could operate in conjunction with Royal Navy warships. Intended for use during World War I, production of the aircraft was terminated as the end of the war came into sight, and the type saw little operational use.

Designed by Lieutenant Linton Hope, the aircraft was of conventional biplane flying-boat configuration, and also featured a biplane tail with twin rudders. The pilot and observer sat in tandem in the nose, with the engine and pusher propeller mounted behind them, between the wings. The wings could be folded forwards to facilitate shipboard stowage.

Two prototypes were constructed in 1915 by Pemberton-Billing Ltd (later to become Supermarine Aviation), and these were followed by twenty-seven production machines out of an original order for eighty-five.

Following the Armistice, Supermarine purchased nineteen of these aircraft back to remanufacture for the civil market as the "Supermarine Channel", either as the Channel Mk I with 119-kW (160-hp) Beardmore engines, or the Channel Mk II powered with 179-kW (240-hp) Armstrong Siddeley Puma engines. The reconfigured flying-boats provided accommodation for a pilot and three passengers in three open cockpits.

Operators

; UK
* Royal Naval Air Service; NOR
* Det Norske Luftfartrederi, Channel Mk I

pecifications (AD Flying Boat)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew=two, pilot and observer
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 30 ft 7 in
length alt= 9.32 m
span main= 50 ft 4 in
span alt= 15.34 m
height main= 13 ft 1 in
height alt= 4 m
area main= 479 ft²
area alt= 44.5 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 2,508 lb
empty weight alt= 1,138 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 3,567 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 1,618 kg
more general=

engine (prop)= Hispano-Suiza
type of prop=inline engine
number of props=1
power main= 200 hp
power alt= 149 kW
power original=
max speed main= 100 mph
max speed alt= 160 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 450 miles
range alt= 720 km
ceiling main= 11,000 ft
ceiling alt= 3,355 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
* 1 x .303 Lewis gun on flexible mount for observer
avionics=

ee also

Aircontent
related =
similar aircraft =
lists =
see also =

References