Vickers Vampire

F.B.26 Vampire

Role: Fighter
National origin: United Kingdom
Manufacturer: Vickers
First flight: May 1917
Status: Prototype
Number built: 4
Developed from: Vickers F.B.12

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; it was a single-bay biplane with a nacelle for the pilot and armament of two .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Guns. Behind this was a water-cooled 200 hp (150 kW) 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 up at a 45° angle, the FB.26 was thought able to engage enemy bombers from below.

Picture - Vickers Vampire

The FB.26 was passed to Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at 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 (170 kW) Bentley rotary engine, but the war ended before work was completed.

Operators

United Kingdom

Royal Flying Corps
No. 141 Squadron RFC

Specifications (F.B.26 Vampire I)

Data from Vickers Aircraft since 1908

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 23 ft 5 in (7.14 m)
Wingspan: 31 ft 6 in (9.60 m)
Height: 9 ft 5 in (2.87 m)
Wing area: 267 ft² (24.8 m²)
Empty weight: 1,467 lb (667 kg)
Loaded weight: 2,030 lb (923 kg)
Powerplant: 1x— Hispano-Suiza 8 water cooled V-8, 200 hp (149 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 105 kn (121 mph, 195 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m)
Service ceiling: 20,500 ft (6,250 m)
Wing loading: 7.60 lb/ft² (37.2 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.099 hp/lb (0.16 kW/kg)
Endurance: 3 hours
Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 10 min

Armament

Guns: 2 x— 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Guns

Bibliography

Andrews, C.F and Morgan, E.B. Vickers Aircraft since 1908. London:Putnam, Second edition 1988. ISBN 0 85177 815 1.
Bruce, J.M. War Planes of the First World War: Volume Three Fighters. London:Macdonald, 1969. ISBN 356 01490 8.
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.

Vickers Vampire Pictures

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Source: WikiPedia