AD Navyplane
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The AD Navyplane was designed by the British Admiralty's Air Department as a reconnaissance aircraft for use during World War I. Performance of the prototype was so disappointing that plans to produce it were cancelled almost immediately.
The Navyplane was designed by the Admiralty's Harold Bolas with the assistance of R.J. Mitchell of Supermarine. It was a seaplane of unusual biplane configuration – the pilot and observer being seated in a streamlined nacelle mounted in the gap between the upper and lower sets of wings. A Smith Static inline engine rotary engine and a pusher propeller were installed behind them.
Two examples were ordered in January 1916 for the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Serial numbers were allocated for seven Navyplanes (9095-'96, N.1070-'74) but just one prototype (9095) was completed. Tests of this Supermarine-built prototype commenced in August 1916 (flown by Lieutenant-Commander John Seddon) but soon proved seriously underpowered and unsatisfactory. The engine was replaced with an AR.1 rotary engine (which was later redesignated the BR.1 for Bentley Rotary 1) and retested in May 1917. However, even without a military load and observer, the Navyplane's performance still proved to be too poor, and the design was abandoned on 27 August 1917, with no second prototype being produced.
Specifications (AD Navyplane)
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