Supermarine Nighthawk

Supermarine Aviation Works Ltd.

Industry	Aircraft manufacturing
Predecessor	Pemberton Billing Ltd.
Founder	Noel Pemberton Billing
Headquarters	Woolston, Southampton , United Kingdom
Key people	Noel Pemberton Billing, Hubert Scott-Paine, Reginald Mitchell

This article is about the 1917 British fighter. For other aircraft named Nighthawk, see Nighthawk (disambiguation) § Aircraft.

The Supermarine Nighthawk, also known as the P.B.31E, was a British aircraft developed during the First World War. Conceived by Noel Pemberton Billing and constructed at Woolston, Southampton following the transformation of Pemberton Billing's firm into Supermarine Aviation Works Ltd., this model was a successor to the P.B.29 "Battle Plane". Like its predecessor, the P.B.31E was intended as an anti-Zeppelin night fighter, accommodating a crew of three to five personnel and engineered to sustain flight durations ranging from nine to eighteen hours. The prototype took to the skies in February 1917 but rapidly lost relevance once it became apparent that igniting Zeppelin hydrogen envelopes with explosive ammunition was a more effective countermeasure. Only a single prototype was ever produced.

Background

The Nighthawk emerged as a response to the German Zeppelin bombing campaigns targeting the United Kingdom during World War I. In 1916, aviator and British MP Noel Pemberton Billing authored Air War: How To Wage It, advocating for the deployment of aircraft as a defensive strategy against Zeppelin incursions. He stated:

File:Pemberton Billing PB-29.jpg

The Pemberton Billing PB-29 undergoing trials at RNAS Chingford in 1916

After being commissioned by the British government, Pemberton Billing—owner of a modest aircraft manufacturing company based in Woolston, Southampton—was tasked with creating a slow-flying aircraft capable of engaging enemy Zeppelins airborne. In response, he personally designed a quadruplane following the specifications outlined in Air War: How To Wage It. This design was designated as the P.B.29E, where "E" denoted 'experimental'. The quadruplane layout was selected due to its large wing surface area necessary for achieving altitudes comparable to those of Zeppelins. The aircraft featured dual cockpits located fore and aft of the wings, each equipped with dual controls, complemented by a tailplane and three rudders for stability and control. Propulsion was provided by two 90-horsepower (67 kW) Austro-Daimler engines, driving two propellers. An air gunner operated a Lewis gun from an enclosed station positioned above the third wing.

Delivered to the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) base at Chingford, Essex, the P.B.29E underwent evaluation on 1 January 1916, receiving mixed reviews. Shortly after completing these trials, the aircraft suffered a crash at Chingford and was subsequently written off; its remains were sent back to Woolston for assessment. Despite this setback, the RNAS considered the P.B.29E’s design promising enough to warrant further development and placed an order for two enhanced versions.

Design and development

File:Supermarine Nighthawk at Woolston.jpg

The P.B.31E displayed at the Supermarine facility in Woolston, Southampton. R.J. Mitchell, who later became the company's chief designer, is positioned fourth from the left.

The P.B.31E was an enhanced iteration of the earlier P.B.29E model. The aircraft’s blueprints, dated between July and November 1916, bear the initials of Reginald Mitchell, who assumed the role of chief designer during this period. Mitchell is widely recognized for his work on racing seaplanes such as the Supermarine S.6B and for leading the design team behind the iconic Supermarine Spitfire.

Retaining the quadraplane wings and tailplane configuration from its predecessor, the P.B.31E was equipped with two 100 hp (75 kW) Anzani 9-cylinder radial engines. It was engineered for extended-duration missions, intended to conduct slow-speed patrols during Zeppelin interceptions. A trainable searchlight was mounted in the nose to assist in detecting enemy aircraft. Armament included a 1½-pounder (37 mm) Davis gun positioned above the upper wing with twenty rounds and two .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis guns. The searchlight’s power source was an independent petrol engine-driven generator produced by ABC Motors, potentially representing one of the earliest examples of an airborne auxiliary power unit. Crew comfort was addressed through features such as an enclosed, heated cockpit and onboard sleeping accommodations provided by a bunk. Although the Admiralty placed an order for two units, only aircraft number 1388 reached completion.

Operational history

File:Supermarine-Nighthawk-propeller.jpg

The Nighthawk’s propeller exhibited at Solent Sky

Known subsequently as the Nighthawk, this aircraft completed its maiden flight in February 1917, approximately eight months after ownership of Pemberton Billing Ltd. transferred to aviator and businessman Hubert Scott-Paine, who rebranded it as Supermarine Aviation Works Ltd. The test pilot Clifford B. Prodger from America conducted flight evaluations. During flight trials at Eastchurch, Kent, Prodger achieved a top speed of 75 mph (121 km/h) and a landing velocity of 35 mph (56 km/h).

Due to insufficient engine power, ascending to an altitude of 10,000 feet (3,000 m) required approximately one hour. The aircraft was rendered obsolete once it became clear that Zeppelins could be effectively neutralized by explosive ammunition fired from lighter-armed planes, which ignited their hydrogen-filled gasbags. The Nighthawk was dismantled in July 1917. A propeller from this model is currently conserved at Solent Sky, an aviation museum located in Southampton.Template:Fix/category

Further reading

• Gunston, Bill. Night Fighters: A Development & Combat History. New York: Scribner, 1976. Available via Archive Foundation (registration required). ISBN 978-0-684-14842-7.

External links

• Pemberton Billing P.B.29 / P.B.31 Nighthawk at Avia DejaVue
• PB.29E & PB.31E Supermarine Nighthawk on Plane Encyclopedia