Richard's Planes

Blackburn Monoplane 1910-1913

Variants of this type were made to order by Robert Blackburn in his Leeds workshop, using ideas from at least two of the current French monoplanes.

Construction was mainly ash and spruce with a doped cotton covering. They were powered by a variety of engines with the 50 hp Gnome rotary being the most successful.

One took part in the Daily Mail ‘race’ of 1911 but, like most entrants, failed to finish. The Shuttleworth Collection has an original which is still flown on calm afternoons.

Etrich Taube.

These were constructed to various but broadly similar designs between1910and 1912. Earlier models were said to have been ordered by Prussian landowners seeking a modern way to observe the diligence of their employees. They became military observation aircraft and later trainers. British sources reported that some were capable of 45 miles per hour. They were built in different factories, but it was rare that any two, even from the same source, were exactly alike. Most display parts of the tailplane and wing with covering applied only to the upper surface. In spite of a wing design inspired by a slowly falling seed pod, they did not glide well and neither does the model. Power on landing was advised where possible and this is a feature which can be appreciated when flying.

Farman type 22.

This French design was often referred to as a Henri Farman, reflecting the fact that Henri and his brother and partner in aircraft manufacture were not always on good terms. Farmans generally used either Gnome or Renault engines. Both were a fairly reliable choice and this tended to encourage the success of what was a generally reliable brand. The low power to weight ratio provided by the earlier rotary Gnomes, meant that many later difficulties with throttle control and torque on landing were avoided. Farmans were predictable trainers, but pioneer airmen were advised to check the wire bracing; there was a lot, as well as the closed loop elevator system which had to make a long detour around the propeller. This is, again, sound advice for the model. Elevator cables do need be tight and become slack in several different ways. Construction was conventional, but unnecessarily complex in that the braced carbon tail booms were made removable and this is something you would avoid ever doing.

Halberstadt D type.

A variety of these types appeared on the Western Front in 1916. More conventional than the early Albatros types, they offered slightly less performance, probably because the larger Albatros company could demand supplies of the most recent variants of the Mercedes engine. They were, however stronger than an Albatros, the wings remaining attached even in steep descents, and this was viewed positively by the less dashing NCO pilots and those officers seconded from the less exclusive cavalry regiments. The entirely separate, balanced, all-moving tailplanes seem to have given no trouble that we know of. Halberstadts were reliable and easy to fly. The sprung main gear will roll almost anywhere. The model does need an occasional check on its direction and looking at the geometry, it is easy to imagine this being the case in 1916. Construction is entirely conventional with at least some of the interplane bracing being functional and necessary.

Gotha jet

This is a very stand off scale version of a Gotha jet, constructed in the final days of the war in 1945 but never flown. The model flew well, but on most fields needed to be bungee launched. It drew 70 amps (briefly) and someone with a radar gun said it did 160 kph in level flight.

Macchi seaplane

There were many versions of this Macchi seaplane built between 1916 and 1918 and they were regarded as quite successful. The model is a composite of balsa and depron making it light and easy to fly off water.

The de Havilland Venom

The de Havilland Venom was an early British jet which remained in service for some years. Some were used in the inglorious attempt to recapture the Suez canal in 1956. The model flew well from a bungee launch but the gracefully curved fuselage underside meant that it would always be difficult to land on anything other than long grass.