The Siddeley Deasy R.T.1 was designed in 1917 as a R.E.8 replacement. Like the R.E.8, it was a two-seat single-engined biplane built for reconnaissance work.

Development

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 ...

, the car makers

Siddeley-Deasy The Siddeley-Deasy Motor Car Company Limited was a British automobile, aero engine and aircraft company based in Coventry in the early 20th century. It was central to the formation, by merger and buy-out, of the later Armstrong Siddeley Motor ...

had been one of several manufacturers of the Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8. Though this aircraft was produced in large numbers, it was rumoured that the upper wing could fail in dives and that its spinning characteristics were dangerous. The R.T.1, the first of Siddeley Deasy's own designs set out to answer these criticisms in an aircraft of better performance. The main difference between the R.T.1 and the R.E.8 was in the wings, which were completely new. The large overhang of the R.E.8's upper wing, the source of the structural concerns, was gone and the R.T.1 was a two bay biplane with equal span constant chord wings, though the lower ones were significantly narrower than the upper. There were only small changes to the R.E.8 fuselage: the decking aft of the gunner, together with his gun-ring were raised, and the fin and rudder were larger and more rounded. Only three R.T.1s were built, differing chiefly in their engines. The first and third were powered by a 200 hp (150 kW)

Hispano-Suiza Hispano-Suiza () is a Spanish automotive company. It was founded in 1904 by Marc Birkigt and as an automobile manufacturer and eventually had several factories in Spain and France that produced luxury cars, aircraft engines, trucks and weapons. ...

and the second by the 150 hp (110 kW)

RAF 4A The RAF 4 is a British air-cooled, V12 engine developed for aircraft use during World War I. Based on the eight–cylinder RAF 1 it was designed by the Royal Aircraft Factory but produced by the two British companies of Daimler and Siddeley-De ...

also used in the R.E.8. The Hispano-Suiza installations differed in their nose and radiator arrangements: the first used a rectangular nose radiator like that of the

S.E.5 The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the ...

, whereas the third had a neatly rounded nose with a small chin radiator. The ailerons on the third aircraft were extended beyond the wing-tips to allow horn balancing. Direct comparisons of the RAF 4A powered R.T.1 and the R.E.8 showed the former had much the same top speed but better climb and ceiling because of its lower wing loading. The more powerful engine in the third R.T.1 increased the speed by some 10 mph (16 mph) and the ceiling by 2000 ft over the second machine. The R.T.1 flew well and one went for service trials on the Front, the other two going to training units, but with the war at its end there was no chance of further orders.

Specifications (Third aircraft)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * {{refend 1910s British military reconnaissance aircraft R.T.1 Biplanes Aircraft first flown in 1917