Early Years of the RNAS and RFC

The Royal Air Service (RNAS) was formed in 1913 as a section of the ‘Royal Navy’ under the direction of the Admiralty Air Department, and remained ‘in being’ until 1st April 1918, when it merged with the British Army’s Royal Flying Corps to form the ‘Royal Air Force’ as we know it today. The Royal Air Force was the world’s first independent Air Force.

By 1914 many motor boats were used as tenders to seaplanes, viz. Sunbeam ‘Mohawk’,
120 h.p. Sopwith Tractor, Henry Farman ‘Gnome’ and the S87 ‘Salmson’.

‘Sunbeam ‘Mohawk’

At this time many motor boats were used as ‘tenders’ to seaplanes like the ‘Short ‘Folder’, the ‘Sunbeam ‘Mohawk’ Torpedo Bomber, the 120hp ‘Sopwith ‘Tractor’ and the Henry Farman ‘Gnome’.

The Sopwith Type HT (Hydro Tractor) bi-plane was known as the Cromarty. Two of these 100hp Anzani powered, two-seater Sop-with Seaplanes (Serial No’s 58 and 60), were built for the Admiralty in 1913, the first of which was delivered in July of that same year.

Henri & Maurice Farman

Aviation pioneers Henri & Maurice Farman were early aircraft builders who popularised
the use of moveable surfaces on the trailing edge of an aircraft wing to provide a means
of lateral control. The son of British citizens living in France, he and his brother Maurice modified a ‘Voisin pusher’ biplane now known as the Hoisin-Farman I, and in January 1908 won a prize for the first circular flight of 0.6 mile.

In 1912, both brothers established a factory at Boulogne-sur-Seine to produce classic pusher biplanes for military and training purposes.
In 1914, a model was produced by the brothers for reconnaissance and observation purposes.

Short S87 Salmson Folder
Torpedo Bomber

The ‘Short Folder’ Torpedo Bomber (above right), entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service in 1913, as did the 120 h.p. Sopwith Tractor Biplane.

Horace Short developed a mechanism that would enable a seaplane's wings to be folded back alongside the fuselage, allowing the aircraft to be easily stored on board a warship. The Short Folder entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service in 1913. On the 28 July 1914, one of these aircraft (flown by Squadron Commander A.M. Longmore), air-dropped a torpedo for the first time in Britain.

The 120 h.p. Sopwith Tractor Biplane was a British aircraft, designed and built before the start of the First World War. One of the first aircraft built by Sopwith was operated by both the Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Flying Corps, being used briefly over Belgium by the RNAS following the start of WW1.

Photographic evidence exists to show that number 59 was flown as a land plane by the RNAS Eastchurch contingent, which was sent to France in the early weeks of the war.
No information has survived regarding the machines’ actual performance.

AVRO 501 & 503 Float Planes
The Avro Type H, Type 501, and Type 503 were a family of early British military seaplanes. They were a development of the Avro 500 design and were originally conceived of as amphibious; the prototype being fitted with a single large main float under the fuselage, and two outrigger floats under the wings. Tests were conducted on Windermere in January 1913.

It was later converted to twin-float configuration and bought by the British Admiralty, but proved too heavy and was converted again to a land plane. An improved version, designated the 503 was demonstrated for the Inspector of Naval Aircraft who placed an order for three machines.

The Avro 510 was a two-seat racing seaplane designed by Avro to compete in the 1914 Circuit of Britain Race. It was a conventional two-bay biplane of greatly uneven span, with two large central floats and two outriggers.
In service, these proved completely unsuitable, and it was discovered that with a second person aboard the aircraft could barely fly. In October 1915, the 510s in service were sent to Super-marine for modification / improvement, but
by March the following year all were removed from service.

Maiden Flight:  Jan 1st, 1913