Armstrong Whitworth Armadillo
| Industry | Aerospace, Defence |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1885 |
| Founder | William George Armstrong, Whitworth |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Aircraft, armaments, engineering |
The Armstrong Whitworth Armadillo was a British single-seat biplane fighter aircraft developed by Armstrong Whitworth.
Development and design
In 1917, Armstrong Whitworth's newly appointed chief designer, Fred Murphy, created the Armadillo as a private venture single-seat fighter powered by a Bentley BR2 rotary engine. Although its design fulfilled the criteria set out in Air Board Specification A1(a) for a Sopwith Camel replacement, the primary purpose of the aircraft was to evaluate the capabilities of Armstrong Whitworth's fresh design team rather than to compete seriously for the contract.[1] Nonetheless, in January 1918, Armstrong Whitworth received authorisation to build two prototypes.[2]
The Armadillo featured a two-bay biplane configuration with a fuselage of square cross-section. Its nose-mounted engine was enclosed within a circular cowling, topped by a prominent hump that housed twin .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns synchronised to fire through the propeller arc.[2][3]
The prototype completed its first flight in April 1918.[4] The Air Ministry did not conduct formal trials on the type, with the limited cockpit visibility attracting criticism.[5] By this time, the Sopwith Snipe, equipped with the same powerplant and offering superior speed, was already being produced on a large scale. Meanwhile, Murphy had begun development of the more advanced Ara fighter. Consequently, work on the Armadillo was discontinued and the second prototype remained unfinished.[6][7]
Specifications
See also
Notes
References
- Bruce, J.M. (1957). British Aeroplanes 1914–18. London: Putnam.
- Bruce, J.M. (1965). War Planes of the First World War:Volume One: Fighters. London: Macdonald.
- Mason, Francis K. (1992). British Fighters since 1912. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.
- Tapper, Oliver (1988). Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft since 1913. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-826-7.
- Taylor, Michael (2001). Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I. London: Random House Group. ISBN 1-85170-347-0.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1990). Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I. London: Studio Editions. p. 49.