Vickers E.F.B.7

Vickers Limited

Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1828
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Aircraft, armaments

The Vickers E.F.B.7 was a British experimental fighter aircraft from the First World War era. Featuring a twin-engine biplane configuration, only a single unit of this model was ever constructed, as the design did not achieve success.

Development and design

Following the commencement of the First World War in August 1914, renowned British aircraft designer Howard Flanders joined Vickers Limited as part of their design team. His initial assignment was to create a combat aircraft equipped with a Vickers 1 pounder (37 mm) cannon. This weapon differed from the famous QF 1 pounder pom-pom; it was a smaller, lighter long recoil-operated cannon firing less potent ammunition. Flanders developed a twin-engine iteration based on his earlier single-engine Flanders B.2 biplane, designated the E.F.B.7 (Experimental Fighting Biplane No.7).

The E.F.B.7 featured a two-bay biplane design constructed with a steel tube framework, covered in plywood and fabric. Its wings were unstaggered, with the upper wing spanning significantly wider—approximately 22 ft (6.7 m)—than the lower wing, creating a sesquiplane layout. Propulsion came from two tractor-configured Gnome Monosoupape rotary engines mounted between the wings. The gunner occupied a spacious cockpit at the front of the aircraft, equipped with a rotating mount for the cannon and an armoured floor designed to be bullet-resistant. The pilot's cockpit was situated behind the wings, which unfortunately prevented direct communication between pilot and gunner.

The prototype took to the air for its maiden flight in August 1915 and was subsequently handed over to the Central Flying School for evaluation. Early in its operational period, large engine cowlings were added to help collect oil discharged by the engines. On 20 August 1915, an order was placed for twelve additional units featuring an altered fuselage design that positioned the pilot closer to the gunner. Due to shortages of Monosoupape engines, these new models were intended to be powered by two 80 hp (60 kW) air-cooled Renault V8 engines instead. The original prototype was modified accordingly and redesignated as the E.F.B.7A. However, performance declined with these less powerful engines, leading to cancellation of all further production on 16 February 1916 before any additional aircraft were completed.

References

• Andrews, C. F., and Morgan, E.B. Vickers Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam, Second edition, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.
• Bruce, J. M. War Planes of the First World War: Volume Three, Fighters. London: Macdonald, 1969. ISBN 0-356-01490-8.
• Mason, Francis K. The British Fighter since 1912. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1992. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.
• Williams, Anthony G., and Gustin, Emmanuel. Flying Guns: World War I and its Aftermath 1914–32. Ramsbury, UK: Airlife, 2003. ISBN 1-84037-396-2.