Vickers F.B.12

Vickers Limited

Company type	Private company
Industry	Aerospace, Defence
Founded	1828
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom
Products	Aircraft, armaments, engineering products

File:Vickers F.B.12 front view.jpg

Front view

The Vickers F.B.12 was a biplane fighter aircraft featuring a pusher configuration developed by Vickers Limited during World War I. Due to the failure of its intended engine and the declining relevance of the pusher design, it remained solely an experimental model.

Development and design

At the onset of the First World War, Vickers collaborated with the Hart Engine Company to create a 150 hp (110 kW) nine-cylinder radial engine designed by Hart. This powerplant was intended to equip several new Vickers aircraft, starting with a compact single-engine pusher biplane fighter, designated the F.B.12.

The F.B.12 utilized the outdated pusher layout similar to the D.H.2 and F.E.8, but featured a raised nacelle that significantly enhanced rearward visibility from the cockpit. Its wings were constructed from wood and fabric with rounded tips. The circular nacelle incorporated a steel tube frame, housing the engine behind the pilot and driving a wooden propeller. Steel booms extended to support the tail assembly. A .303 in (7.7 mm) machine gun was mounted inside the front of the nacelle, with only its barrel exposed.

Initially, the first F.B.12 flew in June 1916 powered by an 80 hp (60 kW) Le Rhône rotary engine, as the Hart engine was not yet ready. This configuration proved underpowered, prompting a replacement with a 100 hp (75 kW) Gnome Monosoupape engine. The aircraft was subsequently modified with increased wingspan and wing area, resulting in the F.B.12A variant. In December 1916, it underwent operational evaluation in France where it was considered comparable to the D.H.2 and F.E.8—though this was a modest endorsement given that both predecessors had already been surpassed by contemporary German fighters like the Albatros D.I and D.II.

The F.B.12B, resembling the F.B.12A, was equipped with the originally planned Hart engine and took flight in early 1917. Meanwhile, in November 1916, the War Office placed an order for 50 Hart-powered units designated as F.B.12C for service with the RFC. After the F.B.12B crashed during testing in early 1917, Vickers abandoned development of the Hart engine. Consequently, only 18 units were completed, fitted with various engines including a 110 hp (80 kW) Le Rhône and a 100 hp (75 kW) Anzani radial engine. Testing conducted between May and July 1917 resulted in just one F.B.12C being delivered to a Home Defence squadron.

The final model, the F.B.12D, consisted of a single prototype powered by an enlarged 110 hp (80 kW) Le Rhône engine.

Gallery

• File:Vickers F.B.12 single-seat fighter biplane.jpg
• File:Vickers F.B.12 single-seat pusher fighting scout (IWM Q 68158).jpg

Operators

Template:UK

• Royal Flying Corps

Variants

F.B.12

F.B.12a

Equipped with a Mono-Gnome engine

F.B.12b

Powered by a 150 hp (110 kW) Hart radial engine

F.B.12c

Featured a flat-sided nacelle along with an enlarged fin and rudder. A total of 18 units produced.

F.B.12d

Utilized either a 110 hp (80 kW) Le Rhone or a 100 hp (75 kW) Gnome Monosoupape engine

References

Bibliography

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