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Supermarine Baby
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Supermarine Baby
The Supermarine Baby (also called the Supermarine N.1B Baby) was a First World War fighter aircraft that was the earliest example of a single-seat flying boat fighter to be built in the United Kingdom. It was designed by Supermarine to meet a 1917 Navy Board specification which stipulated the aircraft have a speed of 95 knots (176 km/h; 109 mph) and a ceiling of 20,000 feet (6,100 m), and be capable of being launched from ships at sea. When it first flew in February 1918 it was one of the smallest and fastest flying boats then in existence.
Supermarine's chief designer William Hargreaves based his design on the AD Flying Boat. The Baby was given folding wings, a streamlined hull and a 150 horsepower (110 kW) Hispano-Suiza engine. A single aircraft was built by the company which performed well during trials, and the aircraft was fitted with a more powerful engine in August 1918. A production contract was not awarded, as the Admiralty decided to operate the Sopwith Pup and Sopwith Camel fighters from aboard ships. One of the designs for the Baby formed the basis for other aircraft, including the Supermarine Sea Lion I which participated in the 1919 Schneider Trophy race. Supermarine's future chief designer Reginald Mitchell was probably involved in the Sea Lion's design and preparation for the contest.
The Baby was designed and built under the direction of the owner of Supermarine, Hubert Scott-Paine, who had joined Pemberton-Billing Limited in 1911. Scott-Paine bought out its original owner, Noel Pemberton Billing, in June 1916, after which the company was renamed Supermarine Aviation Works Limited. During the First World War, the company continued to specialise in producing and maintaining marine aircraft, as testified by its location at Woolston on the banks of the River Itchen, its lack of an aerodrome and its maintenance of a workforce skilled in constructing boats. Scott-Paine forged good links with the Air Department (AD), which took over jurisdiction of the company during the war.
The Baby was notable for being the first single-seat flying boat fighter aircraft to be designed and built in the United Kingdom. It was designed to meet Navy Board specification N.1B. The specification was for a single seat floatplane or flying boat fighter to counter the German Brandenburg aircraft patrolling the North Sea. It had to be capable of operating from the Royal Navy's seaplane carriers and reach a speed of 95 knots (176 km/h; 109 mph) at 10,000 feet (3,000 m), and a ceiling of 20,000 feet (6,100 m). The Baby was produced under Air Department contract A.S. 3929.
Supermarine received an order for three aircraft. On awarding the contract, the AD established its presence at Supermarine by sending one of its lead designers, Harold Bolas, and his deputies to oversee the production of the Baby.
The Baby was designed by Supermarine's chief designer William Hargreaves, who had joined the company in 1916. Hargreaves based his design on the AD Flying Boat, a two-seater sea patrol and reconnaissance biplane with a poor performance record that had a flexible, tubular body and wings separated by four vertical struts that folded forwards.
Hargreaves produced a design for a pusher biplane with a small single engine, folding single-bay wings and a T-tail. The streamlined wooden hull for the Baby, which was based on the design used in the AD Flying Boat produced by the British designer Linton Hope, had the pilot's cockpit located in the nose. The engine and propeller were positioned so as to minimise the effect of spray during take-off. It was initially designed with a 150 horsepower (110 kW) Hispano-Suiza engine that drove a propeller with four blades.
The Baby reached a speed of 102 knots (189 km/h; 117 mph) at sea level and 97 knots (180 km/h; 112 mph) at 10,000 feet (3,000 m). It landed with a maximum speed that varied from 87 to 178 kilometres per hour (54 to 111 mph). It had a maximum wing load equal to 36.5 kg/m2 (7.48 lb/ft2).
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Supermarine Baby AI simulator
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Supermarine Baby
The Supermarine Baby (also called the Supermarine N.1B Baby) was a First World War fighter aircraft that was the earliest example of a single-seat flying boat fighter to be built in the United Kingdom. It was designed by Supermarine to meet a 1917 Navy Board specification which stipulated the aircraft have a speed of 95 knots (176 km/h; 109 mph) and a ceiling of 20,000 feet (6,100 m), and be capable of being launched from ships at sea. When it first flew in February 1918 it was one of the smallest and fastest flying boats then in existence.
Supermarine's chief designer William Hargreaves based his design on the AD Flying Boat. The Baby was given folding wings, a streamlined hull and a 150 horsepower (110 kW) Hispano-Suiza engine. A single aircraft was built by the company which performed well during trials, and the aircraft was fitted with a more powerful engine in August 1918. A production contract was not awarded, as the Admiralty decided to operate the Sopwith Pup and Sopwith Camel fighters from aboard ships. One of the designs for the Baby formed the basis for other aircraft, including the Supermarine Sea Lion I which participated in the 1919 Schneider Trophy race. Supermarine's future chief designer Reginald Mitchell was probably involved in the Sea Lion's design and preparation for the contest.
The Baby was designed and built under the direction of the owner of Supermarine, Hubert Scott-Paine, who had joined Pemberton-Billing Limited in 1911. Scott-Paine bought out its original owner, Noel Pemberton Billing, in June 1916, after which the company was renamed Supermarine Aviation Works Limited. During the First World War, the company continued to specialise in producing and maintaining marine aircraft, as testified by its location at Woolston on the banks of the River Itchen, its lack of an aerodrome and its maintenance of a workforce skilled in constructing boats. Scott-Paine forged good links with the Air Department (AD), which took over jurisdiction of the company during the war.
The Baby was notable for being the first single-seat flying boat fighter aircraft to be designed and built in the United Kingdom. It was designed to meet Navy Board specification N.1B. The specification was for a single seat floatplane or flying boat fighter to counter the German Brandenburg aircraft patrolling the North Sea. It had to be capable of operating from the Royal Navy's seaplane carriers and reach a speed of 95 knots (176 km/h; 109 mph) at 10,000 feet (3,000 m), and a ceiling of 20,000 feet (6,100 m). The Baby was produced under Air Department contract A.S. 3929.
Supermarine received an order for three aircraft. On awarding the contract, the AD established its presence at Supermarine by sending one of its lead designers, Harold Bolas, and his deputies to oversee the production of the Baby.
The Baby was designed by Supermarine's chief designer William Hargreaves, who had joined the company in 1916. Hargreaves based his design on the AD Flying Boat, a two-seater sea patrol and reconnaissance biplane with a poor performance record that had a flexible, tubular body and wings separated by four vertical struts that folded forwards.
Hargreaves produced a design for a pusher biplane with a small single engine, folding single-bay wings and a T-tail. The streamlined wooden hull for the Baby, which was based on the design used in the AD Flying Boat produced by the British designer Linton Hope, had the pilot's cockpit located in the nose. The engine and propeller were positioned so as to minimise the effect of spray during take-off. It was initially designed with a 150 horsepower (110 kW) Hispano-Suiza engine that drove a propeller with four blades.
The Baby reached a speed of 102 knots (189 km/h; 117 mph) at sea level and 97 knots (180 km/h; 112 mph) at 10,000 feet (3,000 m). It landed with a maximum speed that varied from 87 to 178 kilometres per hour (54 to 111 mph). It had a maximum wing load equal to 36.5 kg/m2 (7.48 lb/ft2).
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