The Vickers F.B.5 (Fighting Biplane 5) (known as the "Gunbus") was a British two-seat pusher military

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 ...

of the

First World War 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 ...

. Armed with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun operated by the observer in the front of the

nacelle A nacelle ( ) is a streamlined container for aircraft parts such as Aircraft engine, engines, fuel or equipment. When attached entirely outside the airframe, it is sometimes called a pod, in which case it is attached with a Hardpoint#Pylon, pylo ...

, it was the first aircraft purpose-built for air-to-air combat to see service, making it the world's first operational

fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft (early on also ''pursuit aircraft'') are military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air supremacy, air superiority of the battlespace. Domina ...

Design and development

Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...

began experimenting with the concept of an armed warplane designed to destroy other aircraft in 1912. The first resulting aircraft was the "Destroyer" (later designated Vickers E.F.B.1) which was shown at the Olympia Aero Show in February 1913, but crashed on its maiden flight.Andrews and Morgan 1988, pp. 43–44. This aircraft was of the "

Farman Farman Aviation Works () was a French aircraft company founded and run by the brothers Richard, Henri, and Maurice Farman. They designed and constructed aircraft and engines from 1908 until 1936; during the French nationalization and rational ...

" pusher layout, to avoid the problem of firing through a

tractor A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a Trailer (vehicle), trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or constructio ...

propeller, and was armed with a single belt-fed

Vickers gun The Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a water-cooled .303 British (7.7 mm) machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army. The gun was operated by a three-man crew but typically required more men to move and ...

. Vickers continued to pursue the development of armed pusher biplanes, and their Chief Designer Archie Low drew up a new design, the Vickers Type 18, or Vickers E.F.B.2. This was a two-

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

Gnome Monosoupape The ''Monosoupape'' ( French for single-valve), was a rotary engine design first introduced in 1913 by Gnome Engine Company (renamed Gnome et Rhône in 1915). It used a clever arrangement of internal transfer ports and a single pushrod-opera ...

nine-cylinder

rotary engine The rotary engine is an early type of internal combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration. The engine's crankshaft remained stationary in operation, while the entire crankcase and its ...

; the aircraft had a steel tube structure, with fabric-covered wings and tail, and a

duralumin Duralumin (also called duraluminum, duraluminium, duralum, dural(l)ium, or dural) is a trade name for one of the earliest types of age hardening, age-hardenable aluminium–copper alloys. The term is a combination of ''Düren'' and ''aluminium'' ...

-covered

with large celluloid windows in the sides. The unequal-span wings were unstaggered, with lateral control by

wing warping Wing warping was an early system for lateral (roll) control of a fixed-wing aircraft or kite. The technique, used and patented by the Wright brothers, consisted of a system of pulleys and cables to twist the trailing edges of the wings in opposit ...

, while the aircraft had a large semi-circular

tailplane A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabilizer, is a small lift (force), lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters ...

. Armament remained a single Vickers gun mounted in the nose of the nacelle, with limited movement possible, and a very poor view for the gunner.Mason 1992, p.17Bruce 1980, p. 55. The E.F.B.2 made its first flight at

Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields, ...

on 26 November 1913. It was soon followed by the E.F.B.3, powered by a similar engine, but using

aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement aroun ...

s instead of wing warping, and with equal-span wings, while the nacelle omitted the large windows fitted to the E.F.B.2.Bruce 1980, p. 56.Mason 1992, pp. 20–21. The belt-fed machine gun proved problematic, and the weapon was changed to the lighter, handier, drum-fed .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun. The F.B.5 first flew on 17 July 1914. It was powered by a single 100 hp (75 kW)

nine-cylinder rotary engine driving a two-bladed propeller, and was of simple, clean, and conventional design compared with its predecessors.

F.B.6

The Vickers F.B.6 was a development of the F.B.5 with an increased span on the upper wing. Only one was built.

F.B.9

A further development of the F.B.5, the Vickers F.B.9, had a more streamlined nacelle and an improved ring mounting (either Vickers or Scarff) for the Lewis gun. Fifty were delivered to

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

training units. A few served in some F.E.2b squadrons while they were waiting for their new aircraft between late 1915 and early 1916.

Operational history

The first F.B.5 was delivered to No. 6 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) at

Netheravon Netheravon is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Avon (Hampshire), River Avon and A345 road, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire, South West England. It is within Salisbury Plain. The village is on ...

in November 1914.Andrews and Morgan 1988, p.49. On 25 December the first use of the F.B.5 in action took place, when F.B.5 No. 664 took off from Joyce Green airfield to engage a German Taube monoplane, hitting the Taube (and possibly causing its loss) with incendiary bullets from a

carbine A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges. The smaller size and ligh ...

after the Lewis gun jammed.Bruce 1980, p.61 Eighteen days later, the same flight crew, Second Lieutenants M. R. Chidson and D. C. W. Sanders, flying the first F.B.5 in France, No. 1621, were forced to land behind German lines, and the new plane fell into enemy hands. The F.B.5 began to be seen on the Western Front when the first reached No.2 Squadron RFC on 5 February 1915.Bruce 1980 p.62. The type served in ones and twos with several other units before No. 11 Squadron RFC became the world's first fighter squadron when, fully equipped with the F.B.5, it deployed to

Villers-Bretonneux Villers-Bretonneux () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Villers-Bretonneux is situated some 19 km due east of Amiens, on the D1029 road and the A29 motorway. Villers-Bretonneux borde ...

, France on 25 July 1915.Bruce 1980, p.63. Second Lieutenant G.S.M. Insall of 11 Squadron won the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

for an action on 7 November 1915 in which he destroyed a German aircraft while flying a Gunbus.Andrews and Morgan 1988, p.51. No. 18 Squadron RFC, which deployed to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in November 1915, also operated the F.B.5 exclusively. Early aircraft were fitted with British-built Monosoupapes, which initially proved less reliable than French-built engines, while much work was done before a useful gun mounting became available.Bruce 1994, p. 170. Although its forward-firing machine gun was a great advantage, the F.B.5 was relatively slow. German pilots often used the superior speed of their aircraft to avoid combat however this was still useful as it cleared the sky of enemy planes.Hare 2014, Chapter 2 - Pushers and Pulpits Only the single pilot/observer team of Lionel Rees and James McKinley Hargreaves became aces while flying this type.Gutmann and Dempsey 2009, pp. 90–91. By the end of 1915, the aircraft was outclassed by the Fokker ''Eindecker''. Examples of the improved Vickers F.B.9 were sent to France, pending sufficient supplies of the

Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 Between 1911 and 1914, the Royal Aircraft Factory used the F.E.2 ("Farman Experimental 2") designation for three quite different aircraft that shared only a common "Farman" pusher biplane layout. The third "F.E.2" type was operated as a day a ...

b however both the F.B.5 and F.B.9 were fully withdrawn from frontline service by July 1916. Remaining examples, in British service, were mostly used as trainers. 12 F.B.5s were built under license in Denmark. These were completed in 1916 and remained in service with the Danish Army Air Corps until their retirement in 1924.

Legacy

The

company persisted with an active experimental program during the

period, including a line of single-seat pusher fighters that culminated in the Vickers F.B.26 Vampire of 1917–18, but the F.B.5 remained their only significant production aircraft until the

Vickers Vimy The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft developed and manufactured by Vickers Limited. Developed during the latter stages of the First World War to equip the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), the Vimy was designed by Rex Pierson, Vickers ...

bomber, which entered service too late to affect the war. Vickers F.B.5 had a lasting legacy as German pilots continued to refer to British

pusher aircraft In aeronautical and naval engineering, pusher configuration is the term used to describe a drivetrain of Aircraft, air- or watercraft with propulsion device(s) after the engine(s). This is in contrast to the more conventional tractor configurati ...

as "Vickers-types". Many victories over D.H.2 or F.E.2b pushers were reported as destruction of a "Vickers". A flying replica of the F.B.5 Gunbus was completed in 1966 and flew until late 1968. It is now (2014) an exhibit at the

Royal Air Force Museum The Royal Air Force Museum is a museum dedicated to the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom. The museum is a non-departmental public body and is a registered charity. It has two public sites, Royal Air Force Museum London and Royal Air Fo ...

Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the London Borough of Barnet, northwest London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient Manorialism, manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has ...

near London.

Variants

;E.F.B.2 (Vickers Type 18) :Single-engined two-seat fighter prototype powered by 100 hp (75 kW)

rotary engine. It had a slight overhang on upper wings and

controls. Its nacelle was fitted with large celluloid windows and was armed with a single Vickers machine gun. One built.Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 48. ;E.F.B.3 (Vickers Type 18B) :Revised fighter, with equal-span wings,

controls and revised nacelle without windows. One built. ;E.F.B.4 :Proposed design of similar layout to "Destroyer" - unbuilt. ;E.F.B.5 :Further improved development of E.F.B.3. Six built for RFC and RNAS. ;F.B.5 :Production version of E.F.B.5 with rectangular tail surfaces. At least 120 built by Vickers, with 75 built by

Darracq STD Motors, formerly Darracq & Company, was a French manufacturer of motor vehicles and aero engines based in Suresnes near Paris. The French enterprise, known at first as A. Darracq et Cie, was founded in 1896 by Alexandre Darracq after he so ...

in France and 12 by the ''Tøjhusvoerkstedt'' (Danish Arsenal Workshops), giving a total of at least 207.Bruce 1980, p. 68. ;F.B.6 :Pre-production aircraft, differing from E.F.B.5 by having revised unequal span wings with large overhang and ailerons only on upper wing. One built.Bruce 1980, p. 58. ;F.B.9 :Improved derivative of F.B.5, with revised wings and tail, more streamlined nacelle, a new V-type undercarriage and using streamlined Rafwire bracing instead of conventional cable bracing.Andrews and Morgan 1988, pp. 54, 56. 95 built by Vickers and 24 by Darracq, giving 119 in total. ;F.B.10 :Proposed development with 100 hp (75 kW)

Isotta Fraschini Isotta Fraschini () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer, also producing trucks, as well as engines for marine and aviation use. Founded in Milan, Italy, in 1900 by Cesare Isotta and the brothers Vincenzo, Antonio, and Oreste Fraschini, in 195 ...

engine. Unbuilt.Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 56. ;S.B.1 :1914 design for dual control trainer based on E.F.B.3 and powered by 100 hp (75 kW)

Anzani Anzani was an engine manufacturer founded by the Italian Alessandro Anzani (1877–1956), which produced proprietary engines for aircraft, cars, boats, and motorcycles in factories in Britain, France and Italy. Overview From his native Italy, ...

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. ...

. Unbuilt.Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 58.Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 492.

Operators

; * Danish Army Air Corps, Operated 12 license built aircraft from 1916-1924. ; *

No. 2 Squadron RFC Number 2 Squadron, also known as No. II (Army Co-operation) Squadron, is the most senior squadron of the Royal Air Force. It is currently equipped with the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 at RAF Lossiemouth, Moray, since reforming there on 12 Januar ...

** No. 5 Squadron RFC ** No. 7 Squadron RFC ** No. 11 Squadron RFC ** No. 16 Squadron RFC ** No. 18 Squadron RFC ** No. 24 Squadron RFC ** No. 25 Squadron RFC ** No. 32 Squadron RFC ** No. 35 Squadron RFC ** No. 41 Squadron RFC

Specifications (Vickers F.B.5)

References

Notes

Bibliography

*Andrews, C. F. and Morgan, E. B. ''Vickers Aircraft since 1908''. London: Putnam, 1988. . *Bruce, J. M. ''The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing)''. London: Putnam, 1982. . *Bruce, J. M. "The Vickers Fighting Biplanes". ''

Air International ''AIR International'' is a British aviation magazine covering current defence aerospace and civil aviation topics. It has been in publication since 1971 and is currently published by Key Publishing Ltd. History and profile The magazine was fir ...

'', September 1994, Vol 47 No 3. pp. 166–171. * *Bruce, J. M. "Vickers' First Fighters". ''

Air Enthusiast ''Air Enthusiast'' was a British, bi-monthly, aviation magazine, published by the Key Publishing group. Initially begun in 1974 as ''Air Enthusiast Quarterly'', the magazine was conceived as a historical adjunct to ''Air International'' magaz ...

'' No. 12, April - July 1980. pp. 54–70. . *Gutmann, Jon and Dempsey, Harry. ''Pusher Aces of World War 1''. Osprey Publishing, 2009. , . *Mason, Francis K. ''The British Fighter since 1912''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1992. .
"The Olympia Exhibition"
''

Flight Flight or flying is the motion (physics), motion of an Physical object, object through an atmosphere, or through the vacuum of Outer space, space, without contacting any planetary surface. This can be achieved by generating aerodynamic lift ass ...

'', 22 February 1913, pp. 210–230. *Hare, Paul R. "Britain's Forgotten Fighters, Chapter 2 - Pushers and Pulpits". Fonthill, 2014.

External links

British Aircraft Directory: Vickers F.B.5
archived on

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

"Vickers Golden Jubilee"
- pictures of EFB 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, FB5 and FB6 {{Authority control Vickers F.B.05 Single-engined pusher aircraft F.B.05 Rotary-engined aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1914 Biplanes Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear