The Grahame-White Type XIII was a racing seaplane built to compete in the Daily Mails 1914 Circuit of Britain air race, to be flown by company founder Claude Grahame-White. It was a conventional single-bay biplane with staggered wings of equal span braced by N-struts. The forward fuselage featured a highly streamlined aluminium engine cowling, with the rest of the construction being wood and fabric. The landing gear consisted of twin pontoons, with a small third pontoon carried beneath the tail.
| Type XIII | |
|---|---|
| Role | Racing seaplane |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Grahame-White Aviation Company |
| Designer | J. D. North |
| First flight | 1914 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Circuit of Britain was cancelled due to the outbreak of World War I, and the sole Type XIII built was later converted into a landplane.
Specifications edit
General characteristics
- Crew: One pilot
- Capacity: 1 passenger
- Length: 27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)
- Wingspan: 27 ft 10 in (8.48 m)
- Wing area: 290 sq ft (26.9 m2)
- Empty weight: 1,040 lb (470 kg)
- Gross weight: 1,800 lb (820 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Gnome Monosoupape , 100 hp (75 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 85 mph (136 km/h, 74 kn)
- Endurance: 5 hours 30 minutes
References edit
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 431–32.
- "The "Round Britain" Machines". Flight: 838. 7 August 1914.
- "The "Round Britain" Machines: The Grahame-White Tractor Biplane". Flight: 901–03. 23 August 1914.