Vickers Vampire

Infobox Aircraft
name = F.B.26 Vampire


caption =
type = Fighter
national origin = United Kingdom
manufacturer = Vickers
designer =
first flight = May 1917 [ [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=893 British Aircraft Directory Accessed 4th April 2008] ]
introduction =
retired =
status = Prototype
primary user =
more users =
produced =
number built = 4
program cost =
unit cost =
developed from = Vickers F.B.12
variants with their own articles = The Vickers F.B.26 Vampire was a British single seat biplane pusher fighter built by Vickers during the First World War.

Four were built by Vickers at Bexleyheath, one of these was subsequently modified to become the F.B.26A.

Design and development

The design was a development of the earlier Vickers F.B.12 prototypes; [Lamberton, 1960. p 78.] it was a single bay biplane with a nacelle for the pilot and armament of two Lewis guns. Behind this was a water-cooled 200 hp Hispano-Suiza engine driving the propeller. The tailplane was a boom mounted single rudder.

From an initial two Lewis guns the planned effectiveness of the armament was increased; firstly by adding flexibility in elevation then by addition of an extra gun. With three guns capable of firing at 45 degrees of elevation the FB.26 ought to be able to engage enemy bombers from below.

The FB.26 was passed to Martlesham Heath for evaluation and then to No. 141 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps in February 1918 with the service name "Vampire". From their evaluation, it was concluded that it was unsuitable as a fighter for Home Defence. Plans were made to try it as a ground attack aircraft, the Vampire II with a 230 hp Bentley rotary engine but the war ended before work was completed.

Operators

;UK
*Royal Flying Corps
**No. 141 Squadron RFC

pecifications (F.B.26 Vampire I)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref= Vickers Aircraft since 1908 Andrews and Morgan 1988, p.75]
crew=1
capacity=
length main= 23 ft 5 in
length alt= 7.14 m
span main= 31 ft 6 in
span alt= 9.60 m
height main= 9 ft 5 in
height alt= 2.87 m
area main= 267 ft²
area alt= 24.8 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,467 lb
empty weight alt= 667 kg
loaded weight main= 2,030 lb
loaded weight alt= 923 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Hispano-Suiza 8
type of prop=water cooled V-8
number of props=1
power main= 200 hp
power alt= 149 kW
power original=
max speed main= 105 knots
max speed alt= 121 mph, 195 km/h
max speed more= at 5,000 ft (1,500 m)
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ferry range main=
ferry range alt=
ferry range more=
ceiling main= 20,500 ft
ceiling alt= 6,250 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 7.60 lb/ft²
loading alt= 37.2 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.099 hp/lb
power/mass alt= 0.16 kW/kg
more performance=*Endurance: 3 hours
*Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 10 min

guns= 2 x 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis guns
bombs=

References

Notes

Bibliography

*Andrews, C.F and Morgan, E.B. "Vickers Aircraft since 1908". London:Putnam, Second edition 1988. ISBN 0 85177 815 1.
* Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. "The Complete Book of Fighters". New York: Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
* Lamberton, W.M. "Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War". Herts, UK:Harleyford Publications, 1960.

External links

* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=893 British Aircraft Directory Accessed 4th April 2008]
* [http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/vickers_fb-26.php Aviastar.org Accessed 4th April 2008]
* [http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v3/v3n2/ww1-arcana.html Profile of the Vampire and Vampire II]