The Mersey Monoplane was a prototype two-seat British

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

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple wings. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...

of the early 1910s. A single example was built and entered into the

1912 British Military Aeroplane Competition In 1911 the British War Office announced their first Military Aeroplane Competition for aircraft to meet the requirements of the Air Battalion Royal Engineers. The formal requirements were published in December 1911. By the time the trials were he ...

but crashed during the trials and was destroyed.

Design and development

In 1909, W P Thompson of

Formby Formby is a town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, three manors are recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 under ...

, Lancashire set up Planes Limited to develop his ideas for aeroplane design, commissioning

Frederick Handley Page Sir Frederick Handley Page (15 November 1885 – 21 April 1962) was an English industrialist who was a pioneer in the aircraft industry and became known as the father of the heavy bomber. His company Handley Page, Handley Page Limited wa ...

to build a

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 ...

based on his ideas, the Handley Page Type B, with much of the detailed design work for the Type B was carried out by Handley Page or by Thompson's assistant, Robert C Fenwick. Early testing of the Type B proved unsuccessful, and Handley Page abandoned the aircraft unflown. After further modification by Fenwick at Planes Limited's works at

Freshfield Freshfield is an area of Formby, in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, situated at the northern end of the town. It has no local political distinction or representation and is included as part of the two council wards whi ...

, Formby, the aircraft flew successfully in November 1910.Bruce 1982, p. 31.Barnes 1976, pp. 64–65. Fenwick and Sydney T Swabey designed a second aircraft for Planes Limited in 1911, this being a single-engined pusher

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. ...

, which was mounted in the aircraft's nose, driving a two-bladed propeller by a long extension shaft. The pilot and passenger sat side-by side in the fuselage nacelle, which was mounted below the aircraft's wing, with the propeller shaft passing between them. The tail surfaces were carried on two steel tube booms, while the aircraft's undercarriage consisted of two mainwheels and long skids designed to prevent the aircraft turning over onto its nose in the event of a rough landing.Bruce 1982, pp. 31–32.''Flight'' 17 August 1912, pp. 755–756. Aviation in Britain Before the First World War RAE-O844

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War RAE-O844

The monoplane first flew in late 1911. In April 1912, Fenwick and Swabey set up their own company, The Mersey Aeroplane Company, purchasing the monoplane from Planes Limited and continuing to operate from their works at Freshfield. It was flown frequently in the spring of 1912, often carrying passengers, including the 70-year-old Thompson, who was believed to be the oldest person to have flown at that time.''Flight'' 18 May 1912, p. 448. The monoplane crashed in the summer of 1912, but was rebuilt by Fenwick with the intent of entering it into the Military Trials which were to take place in August that year. The rebuilt aircraft had longer-span wings, larger tail surfaces and shorter tail booms, but retained the Isaacson radial engine. The rebuilt aircraft flew successfully at Larkhill as part of the trials on 9 and 11 August, but when carrying out a third flight on 13 August in gusty weather conditions, dived into the ground from a height of about 200 feet (60 metres), killing Fenwick.''Flight'' 17 August 1912, p. 756. The accident was investigated by the

Royal Aero Club The Royal Aero Club (RAeC) is the national co-ordinating body for air sport in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1901 as the Aero Club of Great Britain, being granted the title of the "Royal Aero Club" in 1910. History The Aero Club was foun ...

, and was blamed on instability of the aircraft causing Fenwick to lose control when it was caught in a powerful gust of wind.''Flight'' 21 September 1912, p. 852.

Specifications

Notes

References

* Barnes, C.H. ''Handley Page Aircraft since 1907''. London: Putnam, 1976. . * Bruce, J.M. ''The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing)''. London: Putnam, 1982. . * Lewis, P. ''British Aircraft 1809-1914''. London: Putnam, 1962.
"Fatal Accident to Mr R. C. Fenwick"
''Flight'', 17 August 1912, p. 756.

''Flight'', 18 May 1912, pp. 448–449

''

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 ...

'', 17 August 1912, pp. 755–756.
"The Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom: Official Notices to Members"
''Flight'' 21 September 1912, pp. 852–853. {{refend 1910s British experimental aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1911