Grahame-White Type XV (“Box-Kite”)
The Grahame-White Type XV was a British trainer biplane produced before and during World War I and often referred to as a "Box-kite."
Grahame-White Type XV - WW1 British Aircraft & Warplanes

Time Period: Pre-WW1, World War I
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Type: Biplane, Trainer Aircraft
Manufacturer: Grahame-White Aviation Company

Grahame-White Type XV Aircraft Overview

The Grahame-White Type XV was a British biplane fighter aircraft developed in 1916 by the Grahame-White Aviation Company. The aircraft was designed for use by the Royal Flying Corps during World War I, but only a small number were built due to the limited demand for the type.

The Type XV had a wooden frame covered in fabric and was powered by a 100-horsepower Gnome rotary engine. It had a wingspan of 7.4 meters and a length of 5.6 meters. The aircraft was armed with a single .303 Vickers machine gun, which was mounted on the fuselage and synchronized to fire through the propeller arc.

The Grahame-White Type XV was one of the first British aircraft to be designed specifically as a fighter, and it incorporated a number of innovative features, including an offset cockpit and a streamlined fuselage. However, the aircraft was not particularly successful in service, and it was quickly surpassed by more advanced designs.

Despite its limited success, the Grahame-White Type XV played an important role in the development of British fighter aircraft during World War I, and it helped establish the Grahame-White Aviation Company as a leading aircraft manufacturer.

Grahame-White Type XV Specifications

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 20 ft 8 in (6.30 m)
  • Wingspan: 24 ft 7 in (7.49 m)
  • Height: 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
  • Wing area: 198 sq ft (18.4 m2)
  • Empty weight: 789 lb (358 kg)
  • Gross weight: 1,195 lb (542 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Le Rhône 9C 9-cylinder air-cooled rotary piston engine, 80 hp (60 kW)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller.

Grahame-White Type XV Performance

  • Maximum speed: 94 mph (151 km/h, 82 kn)
  • Range: 187 mi (301 km, 162 nmi)
  • Endurance: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Service ceiling: 16,000 ft (4,900 m)
  • Time to altitude: 10,000 ft (3,048 m) in 18 minutes 30 seconds
  • Wing loading: 6.03 lb/sq ft (29.4 kg/m2)
  • Power/mass: 0.067 hp/lb (0.110 kW/kg)

Grahame-White Type XV Armament

Grahame-White Type XV Image Gallery

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