Port Victoria P.V.7 Grain Kitten
Port Victoria Marine Experimental Aircraft Depot · United Kingdom · first flew 1917 · fighter
The Port Victoria P.V.7 Grain Kitten was a prototype British fighter of the First World War, a very small and light biplane intended to fly off platforms on Royal Navy destroyers.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 4.55 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Very small single-bay tractor biplane of sesquiplane layout
- Lower wing much smaller than the upper wing
- Ailerons on the upper wing only, with a Lewis gun mounted above it
It used the same high-lift wing section as earlier Port Victoria aircraft.
Specifications
- The Port Victoria P.V.7 Grain Kitten has a length of 4.55 m (15 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 5.49 m (18 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 137 km/h (85 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed by W. H. Sayers following an Admiralty idea of lightweight fighters to intercept German airships. It first flew on 22 June 1917 with a 35 hp ungeared ABC Gnat engine.
Variants
Only a single prototype was built. It was rebuilt with new wings of conventional aerofoil section.
Where you'll see it
It was unsuccessful: it proved tail heavy in the air and difficult to handle on the ground, and the Gnat engine was extremely unreliable. The P.V.8 Eastchurch Kitten proved superior.
Related aircraft
- Port Victoria P.V.5
- Port Victoria P.V.8 Eastchurch Kitten
- Port Victoria P.V.9
- AEG D.I
- AEG Dr.I
- Albatros C.XIII
- Albatros D.IX
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