Time Period: World War I
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Type: Biplane, Fighter Aircraft
Manufacturer: Vickers Limited
Vickers F.B.5 Aircraft Overview
The British two-seat pusher military biplane of the First World War was the Vickers F.B.5, also known as Fighting Biplane 5 or the “Gunbus.” It was the first aircraft designed specifically for air-to-air combat to reach service, making it the first operational fighter aircraft in history. It was armed with a single.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis cannon that was controlled by the observer at the front of the nacelle.
Vickers F.B.5 Aircraft History and Development
In 1912, Vickers started experimenting with the idea of an armed warplane that could take out other aircraft. The “Destroyer” (later known as Vickers E.F.B.1), the first resultant aircraft, was displayed at the Olympia Aero Show in February 1913 but crashed on its first flight. To avoid the issue of firing via a tractor propeller, this aircraft had a “Farman” pusher configuration, and it was armed with a single belt-fed Vickers gun.
The Vickers Type 18, also known as the Vickers E.F.B.2, was created by Chief Designer Archie Low as part of Vickers’ ongoing efforts to produce armed pusher biplanes. This two-bay biplane had a duralumin-covered nacelle with sizable celluloid windows in the sides and was powered by a single 80 horsepower (60 kW) Gnome Monosoupape nine-cylinder rotary engine. The aircraft was constructed of steel tubes. Its wings and tail were covered in fabric. The aircraft had a big semi-circular tailplane and unstaggered wings with wing warping for lateral control. The nacelle’s nose was still equipped with a single Vickers gun, which had a highly restricted range of motion and a terrible field of view for the shooter. On November 26, 1913, the E.F.B.2 took off from Brooklands for the first time.
The F.B.5 made its debut on July 17, 1914. In contrast to its predecessors, it had a straightforward, conventional design with a single 100 horsepower (75 kW) Gnome Monosoupape nine-cylinder rotary engine that drove a two-bladed propeller. There were 224 F.B.5s made in total, 119 of which were made in Britain by Vickers, 99 in France, and six in Denmark.
Vickers F.B.5 Operational History During WW1
The Vickers F.B.5 saw its first combat in December 1914 and was deployed in small numbers before No. 11 Squadron RFC became the first dedicated fighter unit in July 1915.
Though its forward-firing gun gave it an early advantage, the F.B.5 was slow and quickly became outdated. Only one crew became aces flying it. By late 1915, it was outclassed by German fighters like the Fokker Eindecker, and by mid-1916, it was withdrawn from frontline service and used mainly for training.
Vickers F.B.5 Specifications
- Crew: Two (pilot and observer/gunner)
- Length: 27 feet 2 inches (8.28 meters)
- Wingspan: 36 feet 6 inches (11.13 meters)
- Height: 11 feet (3.35 meters)
- Wing area: 382 square feet (35.5 square meters)
- Empty weight: 1,220 pounds (553 kilograms)
- Maximum takeoff weight: 2,050 pounds (930 kilograms)
- Engine: 1 × Gnome Monosoupape 9-cylinder rotary engine producing 100 horsepower (75 kilowatts)
Vickers F.B.5 Performance
- Top speed: 70 miles per hour (110 kilometers per hour, 61 knots) at 5,000 feet (1,500 meters)
- Operational range: 250 miles (400 kilometers, 220 nautical miles)
- Flight endurance: 4 hours and 30 minutes
- Maximum altitude: 9,000 feet (2,700 meters)
- Climb time: Reaches 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) in 16 minutes
Vickers F.B.5 Armament
- Gun: 1 × 0.303 inch (7.7 mm) Lewis gun mounted in the observer’s cockpit and fed by a drum magazine.
Vickers F.B.5 Variants
The Vickers “Gunbus” series evolved from early prototypes into one of the first purpose-built fighter aircraft. The E.F.B.2 and E.F.B.3 were experimental designs, each with only one unit built. The E.F.B.5 led to the production F.B.5, which became the first operational fighter aircraft and saw a total production of over 200 units by various manufacturers.
Variants like the F.B.6 and F.B.9 introduced improvements in aerodynamics and structure, with the F.B.9 produced in moderate numbers. Proposed models such as the E.F.B.4, F.B.10, and S.B.1 were never built. Overall, the series marked a key step in the development of air combat.
