White & Thompson No. 1 Seaplane
White & Thompson · United Kingdom · first flew 1914 · light aircraft
The White & Thompson No. 1 Seaplane was the first British-built twin-engined biplane flying boat.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.83 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Twin pusher engines driving three-bladed propellers
- Biplane flying boat with a wooden hull planked in mahogany
- Large fin supplemented by two auxiliary fins on the upper wing and a high horizontal tail
Two 90 hp Curtiss OX engines, the crew of two side by side just ahead of the wings, and a lower wing span of 12.19 metres against 15.85 metres above.
Specifications
- The White & Thompson No. 1 Seaplane has a length of 9.83 m (32 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15.85 m (52 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 126 km/h (78 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was assembled just before the First World War to compete in the Daily Mail Circuit of Britain race for seaplanes, which was cancelled when war broke out. Early attempts to fly it in September 1914 failed because it could not leave the water, and it flew in October after horizontal planing fins were fitted to the hull.
Variants
The single-engined No. 2 Seaplane was built at the same time and flew first on 1 August 1914.
Where you'll see it
Only the single prototype was built. It was impressed by the Royal Naval Air Service but never delivered, and may not have flown again after its first flight.
Related aircraft
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