American Aircraft
Vought VE-7 Bluebird
Mr.Birdseye B. Lewis formed a group called Lewis & Vought Corp. in 1917. The Bluebird was named after Lewis, and was meant to be a trainer aircraft for the Army. After WW1, the Army turned down the offer for 1,000 Bluebirds. The Navy took the plane and equipped it with 1 .30 caliber machine gun. They made two squads. On October 17, 1922, Lt. Virgil C. Griffin made history to be the first pilot to take off of a carrier. And he did it in a VE-7.
Dimensions: Structure:
Length: 24.44 ft. Accommodation: 2
Wingspan: 34.35 ft Empty Weight:1,391lbs
Height: 8.63 ft. Max Take-Off Weight:1,938lbs
Performance: Engine:1 x Wright Hispano E-3 engine delivering 180 horsepower
Top Speed:106 mph
Rate of Climb:738 ft/min
Service Ceiling:15,092ft.
Range:290 mi.
Armament:
1 .30 cal Vickers synchronized machine gun
Martin MB-1 / Glenn Martin Bomber Reconnaissance / Bomber Aircraft
The Martin MB-1 (also known as the "Glenn Martin Bomber") became the first American-designed heavy bomber type to be purchased in quantity in the First World War, becoming the mainstay of the United States Army Air Service (USAAS) for a time. The system was a two-engine bomber of indigenous creation and was designed by the Glenn Martin Company. In the end, only nine full-operational systems would become available by war's end.
| Dimensions: Length: 44.09ft Width: 71.49ft Height: 14.70 | Structure: Accommodation: 3 - 4 Maximum Take-Off Weight:10,223lbs Engines:2 x Liberty 12-A engines developing 400hp each. |
| Performance: Maximum Speed: 104mph Maximum Range: 390miles Service Ceiling: 12,247ft | Armament: Standard:5 x .30 cal. Lewis machine guns Optional:Up to 2,000lbs of ordnance |
Aeromarine 40 Flying Boat
The Aeromarine 40 was a floatplane trainer for the navy. Where the Model 39 was land and sea based, the 40 was just sea. It had a boat-like hull, with bi-plane wings on top. The student and instructor sat side by side. It had an amazing view, and could fly for four and a half hours. 200 of the planes were ordered by the navy, but by the end of the war only 50 had been made.
Dimensions:
Length: 28.87ft (8.8m)
Width: 48.56ft (14.80m)
Height: 11.48ft (3.50m)
Performance:
Maximum Speed: 71mph (114kmh; 62kts)
Maximum Range: 314miles (506km)
Rate-of-Climb: 0ft/min (0m/min)
Service Ceiling: 1,903ft (580m; 0.4miles)
Structure:
Accommodation: 2
Hardpoints: 0
Empty Weight:2,061lbs (935kg)
Maximum Take-Off Weight:2,590lbs (1,175kg)
Powerplant:
Engine(s): 1 x Curtiss OXX V-8 water-cooled engine developing 100 horsepower.
Aeromarine 39
The Aeromarine 39 was a two seat land/water based trainer ordered by the Navy in 1917. It had the same design as a bi-plane, and could be fitted with pontoons. The first fifty 39s, known as the 39A, had floats and a Hall-Scott A-7 engine. The A-7 engine could produce 100 HP. The 39B had a Curtis OXX engine, increased wingspan for water take offs. Other changes included a single pontoon with outrigger floats plus a larger vertical tail surface.
On October 26, 1922 Lt.Cdr. G. deC.Chevalier, piloting an Aeromarine 39, circled the USS Langley as the ship was underway at 10 knots. Chevalier successfully landed his plane on the moving deck of the Langley. The first such landing on an American carrier.
Dimensions:
Length: 30.35ft
Width: 46.98ft
Height: 14.76ft
Performance:
Maximum Speed: 73mph
Maximum Range: 273miles
Service Ceiling: 8,202ft
Structure:
Accommodation: 2
Empty Weight:1,940lbs
Maximum Take-Off Weight:2,504lbs
Powerplant:
Engine(s): 1 x Hall Scott A-7 piston engine generating 100 horsepower.
French Aircraft
Nieuport 17
The Nieuport 17 was an improvement on the earlier model 11. It had more powerful engines, and gained the attention of Belgium, Britain, Italy, Russia, and the US. The plane was chosen by aces like Nungesser, Bishop, Ball, and Fonck. With its 110-hp Le Rhône engine, it went on to be one of the finest fighters of the war.
Dimensions:
Length: 20ft
Width: 27ft
Height: 8ft
Performance:
Max Speed: 110 mph
Max Range: 155 miles
Rate-of-Climb: 673ft/min
Service Ceiling: 17,552ft
Structure:
Accomidation: 1
Empty Weight: 827lbs
Max Take-Off Weight:1,246lbs
Powerplant:
1 Le Rhône 9J 9-cylinder rotary generation 110-hp
