BAT Bantam
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The BAT F.K.23 Bantam was a British single-seat fighter biplane produced by British Aerial Transport Company Limited of London during World War I.
Design and development
Frederick Koolhoven's first design for the British Aerial Transport Company (BAT) was the F.K.22 single-seat fighter. It was a two-bay biplane of wooden construction. It was planned to have a 120 hp (90 kW) A.B.C Mosquito radial engine but the failure of this engine led to the installation of the 170 hp (127 kW) A.B.C.Wasp I in the first and third aircraft. The second machine was fitted with a 100 hp (75 kW) Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine and was the first to fly at Martlesham Heath in January 1918. The original contract called for six development aircraft but three aircraft were built as the F.K.23 Bantam I, the second prototype then being renamed the Bantam II. The Bantam I was the same wooden structure but was slightly smaller. Two further prototypes of the larger design were also built followed by at least 9 development aircraft. One aircraft was delivered to the Royal Aircraft Establishment on 26 July 1918, one was delivered to the French at Villacoublay and a further aircraft to the United States Army Air Corps at Wright Field in 1922.
The production Bantam had to be modified due to unsatisfactory spin characteristics of the prototypes. Continuous engine problems and downsizing of the Royal Air Force were factors in no more orders for the Bantam. Koolhoven returned to Netherlands with one aircraft where it was re-engined with a 200 hp (149 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Lynx radial engine. Several examples were operated as civil racing aircraft.
Variants
- F.K.22 Bantam I
- Prototypes and evaluation version, 2 built.
- F.K.23 Bantam II
- Production aircraft, 3 prototypes + 9 aircraft were built.
Operators
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- French Air Force received 1 aircraft for evaluation.
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- Koolhoven factory operated 1 aircraft.
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- Royal Air Force operated 1 aircraft.
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- United States Army Air Corps received 1 aircraft for evaluation.
Survivors
- One aircraft, registered K-123, originally on display at the Aviodome, Netherlands. The airplane was acquired[1] by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
- The remains of a second FK 23 are used to build a flying example. It is a project from the "vroege vogels" from Lelystad in the Netherlands.
Specifications (F.K.23 Bantam)
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1919[2] War Planes of the First World War: Fighters Volume One[3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 378 lb (171.46 kg) disposable loadTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convert
- Fuel capacity: 22 imp gal (100.01 L; 26.42 US gal)Template:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/engTemplate:Aircraft specs/engTemplate:Aircraft specs/engTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/convert
- Propellers: 2-bladed BAT tractor 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) pitchTemplate:Aircraft specs/length
PerformanceTemplate:Aircraft specs/speedTemplate:Aircraft specs/speedTemplate:Aircraft specs/speedTemplate:Aircraft specs/speedTemplate:Aircraft specs/speedTemplate:Aircraft specs/rangeTemplate:Aircraft specs/rangeTemplate:Aircraft specs/range
- Endurance: 3 hours 30 minutesTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convert
- Time to altitude: 5,000 ft (1,524.00 m) in 3 minutes 10 seconds
- 10,000 ft (3,048.00 m) in 7 minutes 12 seconds
- 15,000 ft (4,572.00 m) in 21 minutes 29 secondsTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convert
- Power/mass: 0.1274 hp/lb (0.21 kW/kg)
Armament
- Guns: 2× forward firing, synchronised 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns
Notes
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- ^ B.A.T. F.K.23 Bantam moves to Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum, the Dutch National museum for classic art and history in Amsterdam that is most of all known for Rembrandt's The Night Watch, recently acquired the B.A.T. (Koolhoven) F.K.23 Bantam. It will be part of a future exhibition on the twentieth century. The B.A.T. F.K.23 Bantam was restored by members of the Koolhoven Aeroplanes Foundation.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Grey, C.G. (1969). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1919 (Facsimile ed.). David & Charles (Publishing) Limited. pp. 79a to 80a. ISBN 978-0-7153-4647-1.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bruce, J.M. (1965). War Planes of the First World War: Volume One: Fighters. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers). p. 63.
References
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bruce, J.M. (1965). War Planes of the First World War: Volume One: Fighters. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers).
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Grey, C.G. (1969). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1919 (Facsimile ed.). David & Charles (Publishing) Limited. pp. 79a to 80a. ISBN 978-0-7153-4647-1.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Jackson, A. J. (March 1983). "Bats and Bantams – Part 1". Aeroplane Monthly. Vol. 11, no. 3. pp. 150–155. ISSN 0143-7240.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Jackson, A. J. (April 1983). "Bats and Bantams – Part 2". Aeroplane Monthly. Vol. 11, no. 4. pp. 205–208. ISSN 0143-7240.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Jackson, A. J. (May 1983). "Bats and Bantams – Part 3". Aeroplane Monthly. Vol. 11, no. 5. pp. 274–277. ISSN 0143-7240.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Jackson, A. J. (June 1983). "Bats and Bantams – Part 4". Aeroplane Monthly. Vol. 11, no. 6. pp. 339–342. ISSN 0143-7240.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Jackson, A. J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-10006-9.
External links
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- BAT FK23 Bantam Walkaround photos at IdFlieg.com
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The B.A.T. Bantam". Flight. XI (21): 662–667. 22 May 1919. No. 543. Retrieved 12 January 2011. Contemporary technical description of F.K.23 Bantam with photographs and drawings.
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