Felixstowe F.1
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| Felixstowe F.1 | |
|---|---|
 Prototype Felixstowe F.1 (No.3580) | |
| General information | |
| Type | Military flying boat |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | RNAS Felixstowe |
| Designer | |
| Primary users | Royal Naval Air Service |
| Number built | 4 |
| History | |
| Retired | January 1919[1] |
| Developed from | Curtiss H-4 |
| Variant | Felixstowe F.2 |
The Felixstowe F.1 was a British experimental flying boat designed and developed by Lieutenant Commander John Cyril Porte RN at the naval air station, Felixstowe based on the Curtiss H-4 with a new hull.[2] Its design led to a range of successful larger flying boats that was assistance in promoting Britain as a leader in this field of aviation.[1]
Before the war Porte worked with American aircraft designer Glenn Curtiss on a trans-atlantic flying boat. Due to the start of the Great War he returned to England, eventually to command of the naval air station at Felixstowe, Suffolk.[2] Porte decided that the original Curtiss flying-boats that the Royal Navy acquired could be improved and a number of modifications to in-service flying-boats were made.[2] The modifications had a mixed result so Porte using the experience gained, developed with his Chief Technical Officer John Douglas Rennie,[1] a new single-step hull known as the Porte I.[2]
The Porte I hull used the wings and tail unit of an original H-4 (No.3580) powered by two Hispano-Suiza 8 engines; the new flying boat was designated the Felixstowe F.1.[1][2] During trials of the F.1 two further steps were added to the hull and a deeper V-shape which greatly improved the performance on takeoff and landing.[1][2] Porte went on to design a similar hull, the Porte II for the larger Curtiss H-12 flying boat, which became the Felixstowe F.2.[2][3]
Operators
Specifications
Data from [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 4
- Length: 36 ft 0 in (10.97 m)
- Upper wingspan: 72 ft (22 m)
- Wing area: 842 sq ft (78.2 m2)
- Powerplant: 2 × Hispano-Suiza 8 water-cooled V8, 150 hp (110 kW) each
