Austin Osprey
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2017}}
| {{Infobox Aircraft Begin
| name=A.F.T.3 Osprey | image= OspreyTriplane.jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type | type=Fighter aircraft | national origin=British | manufacturer=Austin Motor Company | designer= | first flight=1918 | introduced= | retired= | status=Prototype | primary user= | number built=1 | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Austin A.F.T.3 Osprey was a prototype British fighter triplane of the First World War. Developed by the motor car manufacturer Austin as a replacement to the Sopwith Camel, only one was built, the Sopwith Snipe being preferred.
Development and design
In 1917, Britain's War Office issued Specification A.1.A for a single-seat fighter to replace the Sopwith Camel. To meet this requirement, the Austin Motor Company, already a large scale manufacturer of aircraft to Royal Aircraft Factory designs, produced its own design for a single-engined triplane, the A.F.T.3 Osprey, receiving a licence to build three prototypes as a private venture.Mason 1992, p.128.
The Osprey was of conventional wood and fabric construction, with single-bay triplane wings. It was powered by a Bentley BR2 rotary engine, and featured the required armament of two Vickers machine guns and a single Lewis gun. The synchronised Vickers guns were mounted ahead of the pilot, while the Lewis gun was mounted on a movable mounting on the centre section of the middle wing, where it had a very limited field of fire, with the large diameter propeller blocking any forward fire.Bruce 1965, p.27. Like a similar gun mounted on the Snipe it would probably have been deleted had the type gone into production.
The first Osprey flew in February 1918,Bruce 1965, p.28. being tested at Martlesham Heath in March. It was heavier than expected, and its performance was inferior to Sopwith's Snipe. When the Snipe was selected as the winner of the competition for the new fighter, Austin abandoned development of the Osprey, with the second and third prototypes not completed.Mason 1992, p.273. The first prototype was briefly used for trials at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough until at least June 1918.Bruce 1965, p.29.
Specifications
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=British Aeroplanes 1914-18 Bruce 1957, p.33.
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=1
|capacity=
|length m=
|length ft=17
|length in=7
|span m=
|span ft=23
|span in=0
|height m=
|height ft=10
|height in=8
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=233
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=1106
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=1888
|gross weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|40|impgal|USgal L|abbr=on}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Bentley BR2
|eng1 type=nine-cylinder rotary engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=230
|prop blade number=
|prop name=
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=118.5
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=at {{convert|10000|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed kts=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|range km=
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|endurance=3 hr at {{convert|15000|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=19000
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|time to altitude=10 min 20 s to {{convert|10000|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|more performance=
|guns= 2× forward-firing, synchronised .303 in Vickers machine guns and one Lewis gun on semi-free mounting on rear of middle wing
|bombs=
|rockets=
}}
See also
{{aircontent
|see also=
|related=
|similar aircraft=
|lists=
}}
Notes
{{reflist}}
References
{{refbegin}}
- Bruce, J.M. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. London:Putnam, 1957.
- Bruce, J.M. War Planes of the First World War:Volume One: Fighters. London:Macdonald, 1965.
- Mason, Francis K. The British Fighter since 1912. Annapolis, USA:Naval Institute Press, 1992. {{ISBN|1-55750-082-7}}.
{{refend}}
External links
{{commons category|Austin Osprey}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120823143313/http://www.austinmemories.com/page6/page6.html Austin Memories: Aircraft Production]
{{Austin aircraft}}
Category:1910s British fighter aircraft
Category:Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United Kingdom
Category:Rotary-engined aircraft