White & Thompson Bognor Bloater

The White & Thompson Bogner Bloater was a British First World War two-seat reconnaissance biplane. It was designed and built by White & Thompson Limited of Middleton-on-Sea, near Bognor Regis, Sussex for the Admiralty as a competitor to the Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2. Designated N.T.3 by White & Thompson, it is not known if there was an official designation for the aircraft, which was known in service with the nickname Bognor Bloater. The Bloater was a conventional unequal-span tractor biplane with a monocoque fuselage and powered by a 70 hp (52 kW) Renault engine. Twelve were ordered but only ten were delivered, the other two retained for spares. The Bloater nickname came from the unusual copper-sewn cedar monocoque fuselage built by S.E Saunders (later Saunders-Roe) the first production aircraft to use the monocoque technique.^[1]

Operational history

The Bloaters entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915 and had only limited service in communications and training roles but mainly on coastal patrols from the air stations at Eastbourne, Great Yarmouth and Killingholme.

Operators

 United Kingdom

• Royal Naval Air Service

Specifications

Data from The Norman Thompson File ^[2]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2 (pilot, observer)
• Length: 28 ft 3 in (8.61 m)
• Wingspan: 37 ft 0 in (11.28 m)
• Height: 12 ft 0 in (3.66 m)
• Powerplant: 1 × Renault 70 hp, 70 hp (52 kW)

See also

Related lists

• List of aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service

Notes

References

• Goodall, Michael H. (1995). The Norman Thompson File. Tunbridge Wells, UK: Air Britain. ISBN 0-85130-233-5. 
• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. 
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. 

External links

• List of aircraft utilised by the RFC, RNAS, RAF and US Navy within the UK 1912-1918