BAT Bantam

infobox Aircraft
name = F.K.23 Bantam
type = Single-seat Fighter
manufacturer = British Aerial Transport Company Limited

---

caption =
designer = Frederick Koolhoven
first flight = 1918
introduced = 1921
retired =
status =
primary user = Royal Air Force
more users =
produced =
number built = 15
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles =

The BAT F.K.23 Bantam was a British single-seat fighter biplane produced by British Aerial Transport Company Limited of London during World War I.

Design and development

Frederick Koolhoven's first design for the British Aerial Transport Company (BAT) was the F.K.22 single-seat fighter. It was a two-bay biplane of wooden construction. It was planned to have a 120hp (90 kW) A.B.C Mosquito radial engine but the failure of this engine led to the installation of the 170hp (127kW) A.B.C.Wasp I in the first and third aircraft. The second machine was fitted with a 100hp (75kW) Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine and was the first to fly at Martlesham Heath in January 1918. The original contract called for six development aircraft but three aircraft were built as the F.K.23 Bantam I, the second prototype then being renamed the Bantam II. The Bantam I was the same wooden structure but was slightly smaller. Two further prototypes of the larger design were also built followed by at least 9 development aircraft. One aircraft was delivered to the Royal Aircraft Establishment on 26 July 1918, one was delivered to the French at Villacoublay and a further aircraft to the United States Army Air Corps at Wright Field in 1922.

The production Bantam had to be modified due to unsatisfactory spin characteristics of the prototypes. Continuous engine problems and downsizing of the Royal Air Force were factors in no more orders for the Bantam. Koolhoven returned to Netherlands with one aircraft where it was re-engined with a 200hp (149kW) Armstrong Siddeley Lynx radial engine. Several examples were operated as civil racing aircraft.

A side-by-side two-seat aerobatic and racing version was developed as the F.K.27 but only one was built.

Variants

*F.K.22 Bantam I Prototypes and evaluation version, 2 built.

*F.K.23 Bantam II Production aircraft, 3 prototypes + 9 aircraft were built.

*F.K.27 Two-seat racing variant, 1 built.

Operators

;FRA
*French Air Force received 1 aircraft for evaluation.;NLD
*Koolhoven factory operated 1 aircraft.;UK
*Royal Air Force operated 1 aircraft.;USA
*United States Army Air Corps received 1 aircraft for evaluation.

urvivors

*One aircraft, registered K-123, is on display at the Aviodome, Netherlands.

pecifications (F.K.23 Bantam)

aircraft specification

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew=1
length main= 18 ft 5 in
length alt= 5.61 m
span main= 25 ft 0 in
span alt= 7.62 m
height main= 6ft 9 in
height alt= 2.06 m
area main= 185 ft²
area alt= 17.19²
empty weight main= 833 lb
empty weight alt= 378 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main= 1,321 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 599 kg
engine (prop)=A.B.C Wasp I
type of prop= radial piston
number of props=1
power main= 170 hp
power alt= 127 kw
max speed main= 128 mph
max speed alt= 206 km/h
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main= 20,000 ft
ceiling alt= 6100 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
armament= * two fixed forward firing 0.303in (7.7mm) Vickers machine-gun

References

*cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= |publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn=
*cite book |last= Jackson|first= A.J.|authorlink= |coauthors= |title= British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1|year= 1974|publisher= Putnam|location= London|isbn=0 370 10006 9

External links

* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=828 British Aircraft Directory]
* [http://www.idflieg.com/lelystad_BAT_FK23_Bantam.htm BAT FK23 Bantam Walkaround photos at IdFlieg.com]

ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=

sequence=F.K.22 • F.K.23 Bantam • F.K.24 Baboon • F.K.26 • F.K.27
lists=

see also=