The AD Seaplane Type 1000, also known as the Admiralty Type 1000 and the AD.1, was a British seaplane from the First World War, designed to attack German warships.
At its inaugural flight, it became the largest British aircraft to take to the skies.
Harris Booth from the Admiralty’s Air Department crafted the design of the AD.1 just before the outbreak of World War I.
It stood out as the world’s first aircraft specifically designed as a torpedo bomber, which was one of the three envisioned versions of the aircraft.
The other two designs included a bomber and an aircraft equipped with a recoilless Davis 12-pounder gun.
The aircraft featured a pod-and-boom design with a float-equipped biplane structure, and engines mounted at the front of both booms as well as at the rear of the crew pod.
Development commenced in 1915, and the first flight took place in the summer of 1916.
The Davis gun, initially installed, was replaced by a conventional 12-pounder ‘Naval Landing Gun’ due to the backwards blast it produced; however, a gun was never actually mounted on the AD.1.
Seven aircraft were commissioned from J. Samuel White, but upon delivery and testing of the first one, it was discovered to be overweight, underperforming, and equipped with an inadequate undercarriage.
Consequently, the contract for the remaining six aircraft was terminated.
Specifications
Crew
5
Length
64 ft 3 in (19.58 m)
Wingspan
115 ft 0 in (35.05 m)
Empty weight
22,352 lb (10,139 kg)
Gross weight
27,900 lb (12,655 kg)
Powerplant
3 × Sunbeam Cossack,
V-12 water cooled piston engines,
310 hp (230 kW) each
Propellers
4 bladed fixed pitch wooden propellers
(2 tractors and 1 pusher)
Performance
Maximum speed
73 kn (84 mph, 135 km/h)
Range
481 nmi (553 mi, 890 km)
Service ceiling
4,900 ft (1,500 m)
Armament
Guns
1x QF 12 pounder 8 cwt gun
Bombs
1x 810 lb (367 kg) torpedo.
Sources
British Aeroplanes 1914-1918-J M Bruce.
The British Bomber since 1914-F K Mason.
The Wight Aircraft, History of Aviation Department of J.Samuel White & Co Ltd, 1913-1919-M H Goodhall.
