The BAT F.K.23 Bantam was a British single-seat fighter

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

produced by British Aerial Transport Company Limited of

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during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

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 120 hp (90 kW) A.B.C Mosquito

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating engine, reciprocating type internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinder (engine), cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. ...

but the failure of this engine led to the installation of the 170 hp (127 kW) A.B.C.Wasp I in the first and third aircraft. The second machine was fitted with a 100 hp (75 kW) 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

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on 26 July 1918, one was delivered to the French at Villacoublay and a further aircraft to the

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at Wright Field in 1922. The production Bantam had to be modified due to unsatisfactory spin characteristics of the

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s. Continuous engine problems and downsizing of the

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were factors in no more orders for the Bantam. Koolhoven returned to

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with one aircraft where it was re-engined with a 200 hp (149 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Lynx radial engine. Several examples were operated as civil racing aircraft.

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.

Operators

; *

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received 1 aircraft for evaluation. ; * Koolhoven factory operated 1 aircraft. ; *

operated 1 aircraft. ; *

received 1 aircraft for evaluation.

Survivors

*One aircraft, registered K-123, originally on display at the Aviodome,

. The airplane was acquiredB.A.T. F.K.23 Bantam moves to Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum, the Dutch National museum for classic art and history in Amsterdam that is most of all known for

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The Night Watch ''Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq'', also known as ''The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch'', but commonly referred to as ''The Night Watch'' (), is a 1642 painting ...

, recently acquired the B.A.T. (Koolhoven) F.K.23 Bantam. It will be part of a future exhibition on the twentieth century. The B.A.T. F.K.23 Bantam was restored by members of the Koolhoven Aeroplanes Foundation. by the Rijksmuseum in

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. *The remains of a second FK 23 are used to build a flying example. It is a project from the "vroege vogels" from Lelystad in the Netherlands.

Specifications (F.K.23 Bantam)

Notes

References

* * * * * * * *

External links

BAT FK23 Bantam Walkaround photos at IdFlieg.com
* Contemporary technical description of F.K.23 Bantam with photographs and drawings. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bat Bantam 1910s British fighter aircraft Bantam Biplanes Single-engined tractor aircraft Koolhoven aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1918