BATFK26
| BATFK26 Commercial | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Airliner |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: |
British Aerial Transport Company |
| First flight: |
April 1919 |
| Production time: |
1919 |
| Number of pieces: |
4th |
The BATFK26 Commercial was a four-passenger, single-engine biplane produced by the British manufacturer British Aerial Transport Company (BAT) in 1919. It is considered to be the world's first aircraft designed for passenger transport. Since the aircraft market was dominated by inexpensive former military machines, production ended after just four copies.
history
At the end of the First World War , the aircraft manufacturer BAT was forced to switch production to civil models. The Dutch development manager Frederick Koolhoven began in November 1918 with the design of a transport aircraft, in whose closed cabin four passengers could be accommodated. The pilot was in an open cockpit behind the wings. The commercial aircraft used up to then were converted military aircraft, in which in most cases the passengers also sat in the open cockpit.
The prototype of the FK26 completed its maiden flight in April 1919 . Although the airlines of the time showed no interest in this comparatively expensive model, three more copies were made by November 1919. They initially remained in the manufacturer's possession and were used for charter flights in Great Britain and the rest of Europe.
The second aircraft was presented at the Amsterdam Air Show in July 1919. It then served the short-lived airline COBOR on the route from London to Amsterdam . Frederick Koolhoven was one of the airline's founders.
The third model was seen at the Olympia Aero Show in July 1920 . The fourth aircraft was the last aircraft built by BAT. This machine came into the possession of the Instone Air Line in 1920 and was used for charter and scheduled flights between London-Croydon and Paris until July 1922 .
Frederick Koolhoven, who returned to the Netherlands after the company's bankruptcy, acquired the prototype in 1937, had it restored and donated it to the Aviation Museum at Schiphol Airport . After the German crew decided in 1940 to put all still airworthy machines back into operation, the plane was sunk in a polder by locals .
construction
The aircraft was largely made of wood and was covered with fabric on the outside. The passenger cabin was at the front in the center of gravity of the machine and had a rectangular cross-section. For reasons of stability, it could only be entered through very small doors. The Rolls-Royce Eagle engine in the bow drove a four-blade propeller.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| Passengers | 4th |
| length | 12.61 m |
| span | 14.03 m |
| height | 3.43 m |
| Takeoff mass | 2050 kg |
| Top speed | 196 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 2440 m |
| Range | 970 km |
| Engines | a Rolls-Royce Eagle VII piston engine with 261 kW |
