AD Seaplane Type 1000

The design of the AD.1 was by Harris Booth of the Admiralty's Air Department just prior to World War I. It was the world's first aircraft designed from scratch as a torpedo bomber, one of the three planned versions of the design. The other two were a bomber and an aircraft armed with a recoilless Davis 12-pounder gun (approximately 76 mm calibre).

The aircraft was a float-equipped biplane of pod-and-boom design, with engines mounted at the front of both booms, as well as at the rear of the crew pod. Development began in 1915; it was completed and flown for the first time during the summer of 1916. It was found that the Davis gun would project a blast rearwards so the weapon was changed for a conventional 12-pounder 'Naval Landing Gun' though in practice a gun was never installed in the AD.1.[1]

Initially the plane was to use Sunbeam Nubian engines, but this was delayed and Hispano-Suiza selected instead, though eventually the Sunbeam Nubian IIs of 150 hp were delivered in 1917.[2]

Seven aircraft were ordered from J. Samuel White, but when the first one delivered was tested, it was found that its weight was higher than expected, its performance was unexpectedly poor and its undercarriage was not robust enough.

Based on these findings, the contract for the remaining six aircraft was cancelled.

The sole example is known to have survived until 1916, probably at the Royal Naval Air Service's Seaplane Experimental Station, Felixstowe base.

General characteristics

• Crew: 5
• Length: 64 ft 3 in (19.6 m)
• Wingspan: 115 ft 0 in (35.1 m)
• Empty weight: 22,352 lb (10,160 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 27,900 lb (12,700 kg)
• Powerplant: 3 × Hispano-Suiza 8 liquid-cooled V-8 inline engine, 180 hp (130 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 73 kn (84 mph, 135 km/h)
• Range: 481 nmi (553 mi, 885 km)
• Service ceiling: 4,900 ft (1,500 m)

Armament

• One 12 pdr gun or two 14 in, 810 lb (360 mm, 367 kg) torpedoes

Notes

Bibliography