Evening All,
Here are some more images of the completed model. A full build log is in the scratch build section.
In 1911 the aircraft designer and manufacturer A. V. Roe abandoned his earlier triplane design and instead started to build a biplane, the first of which flew for the first time on 1 April of that year. This was a two seat aircraft with a 35hp Green engine and a triangular tail, but the latter was quickly replaced with a square unit. The remainder of the machine was built following the same techniques as the earlier triplanes with a triangular shaped fuselage with only the front covered in fabric, and the radiator mounted in front of the pilot and obscuring his view rather badly.
Wing warping was used to control the aircraft which was relatively stable and easy to fly. The first machine took part in the Brooklands - Shoreham air race of 6 May 1911.
In June naval Commander Schwann bought the machine and had it transported to Barrow-in-Furness where he had the wheels removed and the skids mounted on floats. Following a series of trials on different designs of floats the aircraft unexpectedly lifted off the water to make the first take off from sea-water of any aircraft in Britain.
Five other machines were built in late 1911 and early 1912 with small variations in the basic design, including sesquiplane wings, different engines and repositioning of the radiator to improve the view of the pilot. The sixth machine was a single seater.
It is not known exactly how many type D biplanes were built at A. V. Roe's works at Manchester, but the second machine and two others were used in 1913 at the Avro Flying School at Shoreham. The records indicate that the machines were scrapped in early 1914.
This design was used by Roe and his design engineers to learn a great deal about aerodynamic stability, control, construction and much else. The Green engine was very good for its time, especially with reference to reliability, but the Type D was, like most of its contemporaries, underpowered. Nevertheless Roe and his team were able to use their experience to help them to design and build what was to become one of the first legends in aviation history - the Avro 504.
Thanks for looking.
Stephen.
