Bréguet 14, part three. Asian Users.

 

The Breguet 14 was a French bomber and reconnaissance biplane of the World War I era, which was built in very large numbers during and after the conflict. With more than 8.000 machines built, it was exported all around the world. 

The type was widely used in the Asian continent being employed by the following countries or factions:

• China: The Nationalist Chinese Air Force of the Central KMT government, lead by Chiang-Kai-Shek, was established in 1925 with, among other types, approximately 50 Breguet 14A.2s. They were used during the many offensives the KMT held from 1926 onwards to bring local warlords down. 
• Beiyang Government: One Manchurian warlord, Chang Hsueh-liang had 16 Br.14A.2 as part of his private air force. Both these, plus the KMT's ones, were most likely destroyed in 1931-1932 when the Japanese invaded.
• Japan: One Breguet 14B.2 was acquired by the Japanese with evaluation purposes from the French Military Mission that visited Japan in 1919. It was employed by the Imperial Japanese Army's Mikatagahara Bombing team for research on new bombing techniques. This B.2 became also the first aircraft to fly over the Mount Fuji. 
  In 1922 Nakajima completed the Nakajima B-6 "Kei-Gin Go" (light silver) as it was made out of duralumin and was modelled after the Breguet 14. The Kei-Gin Go was revealed at the Peace Memorial Exposition in Tokyo and was highly praised. However, the army never requested the type, so it was used only for long-distance flights. 
  The B-6 was powered by a water-cooled Rolls Royce Eagle VIII engine driving a four-bladed propeller and yielding 356 hp of power.
  Apparently one Breguet 14T transport was also acquired by the Imperial Japanese Army.
• Persia: In 1924 the Air Officer of the Imperial Iranian Army bought various French airplanes, among them three Breguet 14A.2. It's unknown how long they served, but they were most likely replaced in the late 1920s/early 1930s.
• Siam/Thailand: As Siam was part of the Allied Occupation Force of the Rhineland, some Siamese pilots flew the Breguet 14 during the war, in French squadrons. Those pilots returned to Bangkok in August 1919, taking some Br.14A.2 and B.2 with them. The Siamese Br.14s were based at Don Muang and were assigned to the 2nd (General Purpose) Group of the 1st and 2nd Wings of the Siamese Army Aviation Division first and the Royal Siamese Air Division later. The 1st Wing was employed for reconnaissance and topographic works, and the 2nd was used for passenger and air transport over north-eastern Thailand. 
  Some few Br.14s were produced locally with Renault engines in 1924, however, as the prices of those engines raised, the Royal Siamese Army considered the production of a new bomber, which was eventually built as the Boripatra bomber, based indirectly on the Br.14B.2.
  The production of the Br.14 was resumed when the prices of the Renault engines were reasonable again and they were kept in active until 1933, when the American Vought V.100 was produced locally. 
  The 2nd Wing, equipped with Br.14T transports, flew scheduled air-mail flights on the north-eastern regions of the country, leaving the city of Ubon every Tuesday and returning every Thursday. Although being a mail service, some individuals in need of medical care were also carried, as well as medicines. The Royal Siamese Family was so impressed by these flights, that they assisted in raising the funds to purchase a Br.14S ambulance airplane which remained in active service until 1936 (though some sources claim it was until 1937 or even 1938) and by the year 1940 they were still being used as target tugs, making them the last operational users of the Br.14 anywhere in the world.
• Turkey: During the Greco-Turkish War (AKA Asia Minor Campaign, AKA Turkish War of Independence) two Br.14A.2s were captured from the Greeks in September 1921 and August 1922 and employed by the Turkish National Movement.
  After the war, Turkey bought sixteen Breguet 14A.2 plus other 16 Breguet 14B.2s in 1923. The machines were shipped disassembled, so they had to be reassembled at Gaziemir in December 1924.
  The B.2 bombers were assigned to two bombing companies, and served until 1933 when they were replaced by Breguet 19s (though some sources claim it was in 1926), while the A.2s were assigned to other two recon companies and served until 1935 when they replaced by French-built Potez 25s and Czechoslovak Letov S-16Ts.

Sources:

1st Flying Machines Press - French Aircraft of the First World War

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bréguet_14

3rd https://www.iiaf.net/history/iiaf.html

4th https://www.ne.jp/asahi/airplane/museum/nakajima/nakajima-1e.html

5th http://www.tayyareci.com/digerucaklar/turkiye/kurtulus/breguet14a2.asp

6th http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-eastasia/thailand/thai-manu-history1.htm

Morane-Saulnier P

 

Thanks to the success of the Morane-Saulnier Type L and Type LA Morane-Saulnier sought to design an improved parasol in 1916. By September 1915 the Nieuport 11 and 11 had replaced the Types L and LA in the frontlines of the Aéronautique Militaire in the fighter role. Although parasols were still useful in the reconnaissance role, the common feel was that with the advent of the Fokker E.III in 1915, a more powerful version of the Type L was needed.

The new design was given the denomination of "P" by Morane-Saulnier, that single letter standing for "parasol". It was a complete redesign of the Type LA with an important number of changes. It was powered by a Le-Rhône 9Jb engine which yielded 110 hp of power. Its fuselage was completely faired with a circular cross-section which contributed to the streamlining of the airplane and its higher speed. The tail unit was similar to that of the Type LA. Armament varied and some machine were field-modified with a 0.303 in Vickers machine gun on top of the wing shooting outside propeller's arc plus a second machine gun on a mounting behind observer's cockpit. The Type P was tested on 31st March 1916 and was accepted for service with the Aéronautique Militaire under the designation of MoS.21. A total of 565 Type Ps were manufactured.

The Type P was used to complement many French reconnaissance aircraft, but it didn't replace the Caudron G.4, Farman M.F.11 and Farman F.40, which were French's main recon aircraft at the time. Many of the French recon and bombing squadrons were assigned some Type Ps which were used for various kinds of missions like short-range reconnaissance, light bombing and spy-dropping behind enemy lines. 

A total of two Escadrilles (Squadrons) were fully equipped with the Type P. The first of which was the MS. 140 created in September 1917 with a total of 13 Type Ps. This squadron was part of the 4e Armée (4th Army) as an Army Co-Operation Unit. The second one was MS.215 which was formed in September too and was assigned to the 6e Armée (6th Army) with also 13 Type Ps in strength. They also served with some other squadrons. However, they didn't stay in active service for long time as they were obsolete by mid-1916. In spite of the large number of built machines, only 118 were in service by August 1917. These were 61 at the frontlines, 52 at the RGA (Réserve Générale de l'Aviation - General Aviation Reserve), three under reparation and two probably serving as a source of spare parts. Both MS.140 and MS.215 were re-equipped with SPAD 16 by early 1918.

Apparently, the Type P was withdrawn from the frontlines due to a mixture of structural failure, pilot error or improper handling of the aircraft by ground crews as it seems that the type required some extra mechanic works. During fall of 1917 the Type P was withdrawn from active service and on 9th August 1917 a memo was issued by the Aéronautique Militaire's HQ to replace all Type Ps with the MoS.26, which was an improved version with a strengthened fuselage a circular engine cowling and the addition of an enlarged spinner to improve aeronautics. It's unknown how may MoS.26 were built.

A fighter version was also built by fairing over the observer's position and with a synchronized Vickers 0.303 in machine gun placed on the nose. Two prototypes were tested and performance was satisfactory. However, it was found that the parasol obstructed pilot's vision. A second prototype was built with a lower wing and the pilot's position aft of the wing which was equipped with an adjustable seat which allowed him to see over the wing at will. This second prototype was armed with two synchronized Vickers 0.303 in placed on the nose and had bigger fuel capacity. This new fighter's performance was only slightly better than the Type P and was not selected for use.

In addition, the Type P was exported to various countries:

• Brazil: In 1919 Brazil acquired a single Type P which was modified to not be able to fly. This version was called "Rouleur" or "Penguin" by the Frenchs and in Brazil, it was used to train pilots how to taxi. It received the serial 1325 and was written off shortly later, in 1920. As we couldn't find a pic of the Brazilian Type P, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Japan: A single Rouleur or Penguin was obtained by Japan in 1919 which was used to train pilots how to taxi. Just its Brazilian counterpart, we couldn't find any pic, so the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Russian Empire: The Imperial Russian Air Service bought an unknown number of Type P from France. Most of these machines were powered by a 110 hp Le-Rhône engine, although some aircraft were uprated with 120 hp Le-Rhône ones. The Type P was clearly better than the Type L or the LA, but Russian pilots found the Type P harder to fly. Some few machines seem to have been locally built in Russia, but due to unpopularity among the pilots it was never used in large numbers.
• United Kingdom: The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) obtained a single Type P in 1916, which, with the serial number MS.746, was tested by the No.2 Aircraft Depot at Candas, in the Somme Department in France. Based on a favorable report of the Type P an order for three additional machines was placed, with some of them being armed with a machine gun and a fairing for a camera and wireless, with a machine gun for the observer in every airplane. 
  Due to a shortage in the Le-Rhône engine, deliveries were delayed. However, once that issue was solved, additional 20 machines were ordered and by September 1916 forty-four additional airplanes were ordered too. Some of those machines were equipped with the fairing for the camera and the observer's gun, but the synchronized forward-firing machine gun was not present in every machine. Instead a Lewis was mounted on top of the wing, firing outside propeller's arc. It's known that some Type Ps served with No.3 and No.1 Squadrons.
  The Le-Rhône engine was still short on supply, and some were finished with an 80 hp Le-Rhône. Of the 36 Type Ps that served with the RFC, nine did so with the No.3 Squadron. By January 1917 every Type P had been relegated to training units. 
  A total of 106 Type Ps were ordered, both of the MoS.21 and MoS.26 variants. The No.3 Squadron used some few MoS.26. By October 1917 the MoS.26 were sent to No.2 Aircraft Depot and those remaining to were relegated to Pilot School No.1 AD at St. Omer, Pas-de-Calais, in France and No.1 Reserve Training Squadron at Gosport, Hampshire, United Kingdom.

Sources:

1. Flying Machines Press - French Aircraft of the First World War

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_P

Morane-Saulnier Type AI

 

The Morane-Saulnier AI was a French parasol-wing fighter which was developed during World War I. 

In 1916 Morane-Saulnier designed the Type P two-seater reconnaissance parasol-wing aircraft, but it wasn't successful, so they moved on to design new types of fighters. Namely the Type AF biplane fighter and the parasol-wing AI which was itself a refinement of the Type N fighter with the intention of replacing both the Nieuport 17 and the SPAD S.VII. 

The AI was mainly of conventional construction. The fuselage had a circular cross section built around a wooden framework, the flat wing was swept back with a section in the middle cut to improve pilot's field of view. It was hold by parallel lift struts which ran from the base of the forward section of the fuselage to two thirds the way along the wing and braced with a pair of compression struts. Strength tests on the wings showed that this arrangement should've been safe. 

It was powered by a single Gnome Monosoupape 9N radial engine which yielded 150 hp of power and drove a two-bladed propeller.

The first prototype, which flew for the first time in 1917, was armed with a single Vickers 0.303 in machine gun placed on the nose and was given the official designation of Morane-Saulnier MoS.27 by the French Aéronautique Militaire (Military Aeronautics - the forerunner of the Armée de l'Air). It was tested at Villacoublay, in Seinte-et-Oise department, on 7th and 9th August 1917 manned by Eugene Gilbert. Further trials made in September, judged the aircraft as very maneuverable, with excellent control response and an excellent field of view for the pilot.

Work on a second version, the MoS. 29 was underway in September. This version differed from the MoS.27 in having two machine guns and had a slightly larger tail surface, but, otherwise, it was similar to the MoS.27. 

The Type AI was ordered into mass production and a total of 1.210 machines, mostly of the MoS.29 variant, were produced. It entered service in early 1918 and it served with the following three Escadrilles (Squadrons) of the Aéronautique Militaire; N.156 (which became M.S.P. 156 in February 1918), N.161 (which became M.S.P. 161) and N.158 (which became M.S.P. 158). 

The MoS.29 proved to be popular among its pilots who praised its speed and maneuverability, however, in service conditions, the wing proved to be very weak. In fact, some aircraft were lost when their wing either came off or folded in mid-air killing their pilots. The reason was never investigated, it was probably related to wing flutter or a similar phenomenon unknown in those years. By mid-May the Type AI was relegated from frontline service. 

Morane-Saulnier then answered by converting the MoS.27/29 into an advanced trainer by removing guns ,reducing fuel capacity and introducing extra wing bracings. This trainer variant received the denomination of MoS.30 and was made in two sub-variants, the standard MoS.30, powered by a single Le Rhône 9Jb engine, which delivered a power of 135 hp and the MoS.30bis powered by a de-rated Le Rhône 9Jby engine rated at 90-95 hp of power. 

The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was shown the MoS.29, to check their interest on the type on 12th August 1917, but Hugh Trenchard, chief of the RFC rejected it. The MoS.30 was, however exported as trainers to various countries:

• Belgium: During the last stages of the World War I three machines were sold to the Belgian Aviation Militaire, which assigned them to the 9e Escadrille (9th Squadron). 
• Czechoslovakia: The newly created Czechoslovak Army Air Force, had one MoS.30 in service in 1919. As we couldn't find graphical information, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Japan: The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service evaluated a single MoS.30 in 1922. Just like the previous user in this post, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Poland: A total of 21 MoS.30 were exported to Poland between 1920 and 1922. They served as advanced trainers in various flying schools all around Poland until 1925 when they were replaced by more modern types like the MoS.35.
• Switzerland: The Swiss Fliegertruppe (Swiss Army Aerial Corp) operated one MoS.30 in 1919.
• USSR: A total of four MoS.30 were evaluated and used for test and trials by the Workers and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (the forerunner of the Soviet Air Force)
• USA: Fifty-one MoS.30 were purchased by the American Expeditionary Force in France and were employed at their training base at Issoudun, at the department of Indre. After the war they re-sold to other countries. We couldn't however find graphical evidence. However, we think they wouldn't differ too much from the French MoS.29, so we decided to leave them out.

Sources:

1. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_morane_saulnier_Type_AI.html

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_AI

3. http://bequickorbedead.com/article_detail/french-trainings-morane-saulnier-ms-30e1/ (translated)

4. https://www.valka.cz/Morane-Saulnier-AI-t51372 (translated)

Mitsubishi 1MF9

 

The Mitsubishi 1MF9, also known as Mitsubishi Experimental Taka-type Carrier Fighter, was a Japanese fighter aircraft of the 1920s decade that never made it past the prototype stage.

It was a single-engined, single-seat biplane intended to operate from the Imperial Japanese Navy's aircraft carriers. 

In April 1926, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) issued a specification for a replacement of their standard carrier fighter, the Mitsubishi 1MF (AKA Navy type 10 Carrier Fighter),which was designed back in 1921 by Herbert Smith. The specification was issued to Aichi, Mitsubishi and Nakajima and required the aircraft to stay afloat in the event of ditching in the sea. Mitsubishi tasked one of their designers, Joji Hattori (who worked with Smith on the 1MF), with the design of this new fighter. The resulting aircraft was the Experimental Taka-type (Taka means Falcon in Japanese) Carrier fighter or, according to Mitsubishi's internal designation, the 1MF9. It was a wooden single-bay biplane with fabric covering. It had a watertight fuselage, with a boat-shaped bottom, and jettisonable fixed conventional landing gear, to meet IJN's requirement. The leading-edge of the lower wing was watertight too in order to allow the aircraft to remain afloat. 

The fixed landing gear was chosen to be jettisonable because aircraft with fixed landing gear were very dangerous to ditch, as they can easily turn the aircraft over when the wheels touched the surface of the water. It also featured a fuel dumping system. 

The pilot sat in an open cockpit placed under the upper wing and it was powered by a single Mitsubishi Hi V-12 water-cooled engine which delivered 600 hp of power and drove a two-bladed propeller and was armed with two synchronized 0.303 in (7,7 mm) machine guns placed in the nose. 

Two prototypes were made the first of which flew for the first time in July 1927, making it the first Japanese-designed carrier-based fighter to fly, with the second one being completed in September. The 1MF9 was not successful, and the design proposed by Nakajima, a modified version of the British Gloster Gamecock fighter was chosen for production under the denomination of Nakajima A1N, in spite of the fact that Nakajima ignored the easy ditching requirement, which allowed for a lighter and more maneuverable aircraft.

However, the 1MF9 remains significant as it was the first carrier fighter designed entirely by a Japanese and, furthermore, it was the first Japanese aircraft to be equipped with split-flaps.

 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_1MF9

2. https://www.valka.cz/Micubisi-1MF9-Taka-t48296

Mitsubishi 1MF -Recap-

 

Note: This is a recap of the plane mentioned in the title, as we didn't like the way it was, so we've decided to put them all in a single post.

The Mitsubishi 1MF was a Japanese carrier fighter aircraft of the 1920s decade. It was designed for Mitsubishi by the British aircraft designer Herbert Smith. It was known as the "Navy Type 10 Carrier Fighter" by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS).

The Japanese shipbuilding company Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. Ltd. set up a subsidiary company called Mitsubishi Internal Combustion Engine Manufacturing Co. Ltd. in the year 1920 to manufacture automobiles at the city of Nagoya. They quickly attracted the attention of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) to produce three types of aircraft to operate from the aircraft carrier Hosho: a fighter (Mitsubishi 1MF), a torpedo bomber (Mitsubishi 1MT) and a reconnaissance aircraft (Mitsubishi 1MR). To design those aircraft, they hired Herbert Smith, who, at that time was unemployed, as the company he was working on, Sopwith Aviation Company, went defunct. For that purpose, Smith brought to Japan a team of 7 British engineers. 

The fighter designed, received the name of 1MF by Mitsubishi and Navy Type 10 Carrier Fighter by the IJN (referring to 1921, the tenth year of the Taisho period in Japan) and it flew for the first time in October 1921. 

The 1MF was a single-seat, single-bay biplane with unequal span-wings made entirely out of wood. It was powered by a single Hispano-Suiza 8 engine (locally produced under license as the Mitsubishi Hi) , which yielded 300 hp of power and was armed with two 0.303 vickers machine guns buried in the upper fuselage. It was fitted with a claw-type arrestor gear for use with British-style fore and aft arrestor cables. 

After flight testing, it was accepted by the IJN their standard carrier fighter. A total of 128 machines of every variant were manufactured from 1922 until 1928 when production on the type ceased. The different variants were as follows:

• 1MF1 & 1MF1A: Initial prototypes. Powered by the Mitsubishi Hi engine fitted with a car-type radiator in the nose. Only one prototype each being built in 1921. The MF1A had increased wing area.
• 1MF2: An experimental prototype with two-bay wings. Powered by the Hispano-Suiza 8 engine, produced under license in Japan and with some modifications aimed to improve cooling. The original car-type radiators were also replaced by Lamblin-style ones, placed under the nose. Flew for the first time in 1926.
• 1MF3 & 1MF3B: The most produced and successful variant. Powered by a Mitsubishi Hi-V8 (license version of the Hispano-Suiza 8F) and armed with two Vickers 0.303 in machine guns in the nose. Its production period ranges from 1923 until 1928. 
  The 1MF3B was a sub-variant modified to carry a small amount of bombs to provide ground support. This designation was probably given retroactively in 1926.
  
• 1MF4: A revised version with a modified rudder, the cockpit moved forward and two Lamblin-type coolers above the landing gear. They were manufactured in 1926.
• 1MF5 & 1MF5A: The last variant of the fighter. A small amount were either produced or converted in 1928. The 1MF5 was a revised version with minor changes made, while the 1MF5A was a trainer version with jettisonable wheeled undercarriage and underwing inflatable floats to allow for a safe ditching. The IJN handed over six 1MF5A to civilian users. 

The 1MF entered service with the IJNAS in 1923 replacing the Gloster Sparrowhawk. One 1MF3 became the first aircraft to take-off and land on Japan's new aircraft carrier Hosho on 28th February 1923. The 1MF series proved to be reliable and tough and they operated from Akagi and Kaga aircraft carriers too, when they entered service in 1927 and 1928 respectively. and continued in active service until 1930 when they were replaced by the Nakajima A1N, itself a licensed copy of the Gloster Gambet. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_1MF

2. https://www.valka.cz/Micubisi-1MF-t33673 (translated)

Mitsubishi 1MT

 

After the Great War, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) sought to become a strong and modern force and was looking for suitable aircraft to serve on their aircraft carrier Hosho (which was the world's first commissioned ship built as a carrier). 

The Japanese government asked their, back then, allies for help, namely the United Kingdom. They asked for a torpedo bomber which could serve on board and aircraft carrier. At that time, 1920, Herbert Smith, former main designer in Sopwith Aviation Company (which had been recently defunct), together with a group of engineers and specialists, were sent to Japan to work on that requirement of the IJNAS. Their main task was to design a carrier-fighter (the 1MF), a  carrier-reconnaissance plane (the 2MR) and a carrier torpedo-bomber (the 1MT). Although both the 1MF and the 2MR were successful, same thing can't be said about the 1MT. 

The 1MT was designed as a triplane with the objective of achieve the shortest possible runway for take off, while the triplane configuration was chosen to give the aircraft the minimum required maneuverability. The construction of the prototype began in 1921 and one year later, on 9th August 1922 it was completed. The first take off and flights were satisfactory, at the hands of test pilot William Jordan, who was part of Smith's team and in November he flew two prototypes to Kasumigaura Naval Base, to test them on board the Hosho. Such tests began in December, and the 1MT was shown to be too heavy and large for carrier service, however, as the IJNAS lacked any other carrier torpedo-bomber, a small batch of 20 aircraft was ordered, however none of them operated with the Hosho as their service was plagued by technical failures and defects. Those 20 machines were manufactured by Mitsubishi at their plant in Nagoya between 1922 and 1923. 

However, this failed design gave the technical department of the IJNAS experience on how not to design a carrier-capable torpedo bomber and therefore their next requirement for a torpedo-bomber led to the more successful Mitsubishi B1M1.

The 1MT was powered by a single Napier Lion engine which yielded 450 hp of power and drove a two-bladed propeller. It was armed with a single 450 mm (17.71 in) torpedo warhead weighing 800 kg (1.764 lb).

A single machine was assigned the civilian registration of J-BEGG and was used as a passenger plane with the Hamamatu Hikoki Seisakusyo company in 1926.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_1MT

2. https://www.valka.cz/Micubisi-1MT1-typ-10-t34010 (translated)

3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_J-3.html

Mitsubishi 1MF2 Hayabusa

In March 1927 the Imperial Japanese Army issued a specification to replace the Nakajima Ko-4, a licensed built version of the Nieuport-Delage NiD 29. Nakajima, Kawasaki, Ishikawajima and Mitsubishi were asked for designs.
Mitsubishi's design team was led by Noboshiro Nakata and aided by Professor Baumann, a German engineer involved in a series of previous unsuccessful Mitsubishi designs. On the team there was also Jiro Horikoshi, who later designed the mighty A6M Zero.
The design team came out with a low-wing monoplane design which was never materialised, but this design didn't receive the approval of the Imperial Japanese Army, as they were required to design a parasol version so the pilot could have a better downwards visibility.
The resulting aircraft had a "boxy" look, with a fixed undercarriage and a parasol wing with the cockpit mounted behind the wing which was supported by struts and had no bracing wires. It received the denomination of Mitsubishi 1MF2 Hayabusa (Falcon). An effort to make its construction easy and cheap was also made after the Mitsubishi 2MR1 Tobi was rejected due to its high cost.
The fuselage of the Hayabusa was built around a metal frame. The wings were made out of wood and both fuselage and wings were fabric covered. It was powered by a Mitsubishi-built Hispano-Suiza 12-cylinder vee-type water-cooled engine which could yield a power of 450 to 600 hp. It was armed by two synchronised forward-firing 7.7 mm machine guns placed in the nose firing through the propeller blades.
The first exemplar was completed in May 1928 and was succesfully tested at Mitsubishi's own airfield in Kagamigahara, Nagoya. Shortly later it was taken to Tokorozawa Army Test Centre where it achieved a top speed of 272 km/h (169 mph) making it the fastest of the three aircraft submitted in the initial 1927 specification. However, the aircraft felt apart during diving tests with its test pilot, Sumitoshi Nakao becoming the first Japanese pilot escaping from an accident using a parachute.
This crash meant that the Hayabusa had no chances of winning the contest and, even if a second prototype was built shortly afterwards, it was only used for static structural tests and was eventually destroyed with the project having been cancelled. Nakajima and Kawasaki's designs failed too, but, eventually, Nakajima designed and successfully produced the Nakajima Type 91 which was an improved version of their submitted design.

Sources:
1. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_mitsubishi_hayabusa_fighter.html
2. http://www.aviastar.org/air/japan/mitsubishi_1mf2.php
3. https://www.valka.cz/Micubisi-1MF2-Hajabusa-t41631
4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard - Part two

The Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard was exported after the war to various countries as the RAF rejected it for service.
Ireland was one of those buyer countries as the Irish Government bought one (out of just four in the world) Martinsyde Type A Mk.II which was a transport variant of the Buzzard, to escape from the Anglo-Irish negotiations in case they failed. It was written off on 11th October 1927.
The Buzzard served also with the Irish Air Corps as at least four of them (this time in their fighter variant). They were bought from the Aircraft Disposal Company in  1922 which was the company that bought most of the Buzzards after Martinsyde went bankrupt. They served with the No.1 "The Humming Bird" Squadron based at the Baldonnel Aerodrome. Most of them were written off from 1925 until 1929.
It seems that the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service bought one airplane with testing purposes in the early 1920s from the Aircraft Disposal Company. Apparently they weren't impressed and didn't buy more of them. As we couldn't find graphical evidence of the Buzzard under Japanese command, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
The Karinės Oro Pajėgos (Lithuanian Air Force) bought two Buzzards in 1922 from the Aircraft Disposal Company where they served under the denomination of "Amerikietis" and "Amerikiete".
Under the command of the Wojska Lotnicze (Polish Air Force) it was bought in January 1921 and it served as a fighter until June 1923 when it was assigned to the Experimental section of the Military Aviation Research Centre. One year later, in winter 1924 it was repaired and repainted in white and red horizontal stripes to be the personal airplane of the Polish Air Force Commander who kept the airplane as his personal one until March 1926. 
The Buzzard was also gifted to Portugal in October 1919 and was assigned to the Arma de Aeronáutica Militar (Military Aeronautics Arm) where it served with the Grupo de Esquadrilhas de Aviaçao República (Republican Aviation Flight Group) formed in Amadora and later they were transferred to the Esquadrilha Mista de Depósito in the city of Tancos. A second batch of Buzzards arrived in 1923 and they were also assigned to the Esquadrilha Mista de Depósito which existed until 1926 when it disbanded and replaced by the Esquadrilha de Caça Nº1 (Fighter Squadron No.1) and served together with the Spad S.VII. They served until 1933. 

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinsyde_Buzzard
2. http://www.ipmsireland.com/forms-downloads/aercorpsaircraft1922-1997.doc
3. http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2428
4. http://www.samolotypolskie.pl/samoloty/1807/126/Martinsyde-F-4-Buzzard (translated)
5. https://altimagem.blogspot.com.es/2012/04/16-martinsyde-f-4-buzzard.html (translated)
6. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Avro 504O

The Avro 504O was a floatplane version of the 504N which was made in 1925 at Manchester.
It was powered by the same Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVc which could deliver up to 180hp of power.

• Brazil: The Brazilian Navy bought some 504O to equip some floatplane squadron. Anyway further information is unknown so the drawing should be considered as speculative
• Chile: The Chilean Navy also had some 504O in service, most probably to replace the previous outdated 504L floatplanes. Unfortunately any graphical info seems impossible to find and the drawing should be taken as speculative.
• Greece: The Greek Navy bought some of them in 1925 together with some 504N and they even produced some of their own in the Kratiko Ergostasion Aeroplanon (State Aircraft Factory) in 1935 before switching to the more advanced Avro 621 Tutor. The 504O served, just like the 504N until 1936.
• Japan: The Imperial Japan bought some 504O most probably to replace the outdated 504L. However as we couldn't find precise information, the drawing should be taken as speculative.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504

2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

3. http://greek-war-equipment.blogspot.com.es/2010/10/1920-1936-avro-504.html

4. http://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/108778

Avro 504L

We're back with the enormous variants of the Avro 504, this time with the seaplane recon version of it.

The Avro 504L was a twin-seater recon biplane that flew for the first time on 1919. It was powered by either a 110hp LeRhône 9J, a 130hp Clerget 9B or a 150hp Bentley BR.1 and had the particularity that it wasn't used by the United Kingdom but by some Commonwealth countries and some other users as well.

At least 33 of them were built, being 16 converted from the 504K.
It was used by these countries:

• Australia: It served as the embarked recon airplane on board of both HMAS Australia and HMAS Melbourne Battlecruisers.
• Chile: Apparently the Chilean Naval Aviation some of them during the 1920s. As we couldn't find graphical evidence of this, the drawing is considered as speculative.
• Japan: The Empire of Japan employed some 504L most probably during the 1920s. It was also locally manufactured under license by Nakajima.
• New Zealand: The New Zealand Permanent Air Force employed some of them, during the 1920s too.

Sources:

1. http://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/108750

2. http://www.navy.gov.au/aircraft/avro-504l

3. http://www.nzmuseums.co.nz/account/3031/object/355965/black-and-white-display-print-of-walsh-brothers-flying-school-avro-504l-h2990-on-the-water-at-missi

4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Avro 504K - Asian Users

A little bit later than usual but here it is, our post for the Asian users of the Avro 504K:

• Afghanistan: The King Amanullah Khan of Afghanistan bought some Avro 504K in order to equip the newly formed Royal Afghan Air Force during 1924. They were destroyed while on delivering process in a storm at Peshawar, nowadays Pakistan. 
• British India: Some units of the postwar RAF stationed in the British Raj, used the 504K for training purposes. Further details are unknown.
• Dutch East Indies: The first Dutch Avro 504K was bought after World War I by the Dutch East Indies in order to equip their newly created flying division of the army. They arrived in August 1919 together with some other Airco DH.9. Further twelve 504K were delivered in 1922. It was used as a training airplane. During 1924 it was tried to make an improved version of this airplane at Andir and later at Soekamiskin. It had Plywood fuselage and an improvised fuel tank. They were replaced during late 1920s and early 1930s by the Fokker S.IV and one French Morane-Saulnier AR.35
• Republic of China: The early Republic of China bought some Avro504 which were theoretically used for training. In reallity they were used as improvised against the warlords where the pilot dropped hand grenades and modified mortar shells.
• Japan: After the Great War, the Japanese empire bought an undetermined number of 504Ks both for the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in order to train their pilots. They were replaced by the newer Yokosuka K2Y1 in 1928 which was a locally built version of the Avro 504N.
• Turkey: The Turkish forces captured a Greek Avro 504k in the city of Izmir during their war of independence back in 1920. It never flew due to the lack of spare parts. Apparently a second one was found deserted in 1922 at the Gaziemir airport when the war ended.

Sources:

1. http://www.findmodelkit.com/content/afghan-air-force-1924-1928

2. http://www.skytamer.com/Avro%20504.html

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504

4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
5. http://kw.jonkerweb.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=735:avro-504-uk&catid=82&lang=en&Itemid=544&showall=1&limitstart=

Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 - Foreign Users Part Two

Note: This post is just a re-arrangement of the original one, the Hansa-Brandenburg W.29, in order to cope with the new national -and historical tags - As the drawings aren't new, we haven't announced it through twitter.

The countries covered here are:

Japan: The imperial Japanese Navy used them. They were locally produced by Aichi and Nakajima and featured a locally produced engine. They were named Type Hansa Surveillance Floatplane.

Netherlands: Apparently one ex-German floatplane serving in the Seeluftstation Flandern had to make an emergency landing in the neutral Holland. The Dutch captured the airplane and commissioned it into service with their navy.

Norway: The Royal Norwegian air force received two W.29 and used them to support the coastal artillery units. It was designated as Måke I  and they served in that role until 1928 when they were transfered to the Royal Norwegian Navy. 

Note: Apparently there's a lot of confusion about the Norwegian W.29. It seems that the W.29 were named Måke I, and, contrary to what wikipedia claims, it wasn't produced by the Kjeller factory. The Måke II and Måke III were produced by that factory but they were based on the W.33 not on the W.29.

Sopwith Pup - Foreign Users

Note: This post is just a re-arrangement of our first one, the Sopwith Pup in order to cope with the new national -and historical tags - As the drawings aren't new, we haven't announced it through twitter.

The users contained in this post are:

• Australia: The Sopwith Pup equipped the Australian No.5, No.6 and No.8 Training Squadrons and they also equipped the No.1 Flying training School RAAF in the post-war years.
• Belgium: It seems that the Belgian 5éme Escadrille de Chasse employed at least one Sopwith Pup during the World War I.
• Greece: During the First World War some Pups were used by the Hellenic Army Air Service.
• Netherlands: Apparently Netherlands used some airplanes that had crashed inside their borders during the First World War.
• Japan: The Imperial Japanese Air Force used the Pup, both with the army and the navy, where it's known that some of them served aboard the Yamashiro Battleship.
• Romania: Apparently some Pups served with Romania during the First World War.
• Russian Empire: It seems that some Pups were sold to the Imperial Russian air corps.
• Russian SFSR: When the revolution started, with the subsequent civil war, the Bolsheviks employed some captured ex-white Pups.
• USA: It's claimed that the US Navy used some Pups.

Aichi Type H

With this airplane we include one of the most important airplane manufacturers of the first half of the 20th century: The Empire of Japan.

The Aichi Type H, AKA Heinkel HD.23 was a carrier-borne fighter which was designed and manufactured in Germany by Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke at the request of the Aichi company.

Once delivered, and arrived in Japan, in 1927, they were modified by Tetsuo Miki, designer of Aichi compnay who was an important Japanese airplane designer of the 1920s, in order to add some flotation capability. Three more airplanes were manufactured, four in total, but it wasn't produced in full-scale.

It was powered by a 600hp BMW Engine.

Sources:
1. The Complete Book of Fighters
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_HD_23

Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 - Foreign Users

We keep drawing. This time it's the turn for the airplane that, arguably, was the best airplane of the whole Great War.

The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 was a British biplane fighter of the first world war.
Given that we are covering the foreign users of this airplane, we are going to center on the S.E.5a model.
The S.E.5a model was an improved version of the initial S.E.5 model. It was powered by a 200hp Hispano-Suiza 8b engine and some of them were powered by a 200hp Wolseley Viper.

It was license built in the USA by the Austin Motor Company and also by Ebehart Aeroplane company.

The countries covered in this entry are:

• Argentina: The Argentine Naval Aviation bought some of them as late as 1927 and used them as advanced trainers.
• Australia: Some SE5a were given to Australia as part of the imperial gift after the end of the Great War and they constituted the backbone of the very early Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). They served until 1929 when they were replaced by the Bristol Bulldog.
• Canada: The Canadian Air Force employed SE.5a together with Sopwith Dolphin in the No.1 fighter squadron. However, as we couldn't fin graphical info, both the colours and registrations are speculative.
• Chile: The Chilean Military Aviation Service bought some SE.5a in 1924 to equip the newly formed 1st Aviation Company.
• Ireland: Apparently one SE.5a served in the Irish Air Corps during the Irish Civil War. It operated from the Fermoy aerodrome, in southern Ireland and was destroyed due to an engine failure. We couldn't find graphical evidence, so the drawing must be considered as speculative.
• Japan: The British Aviation Mission on Japan took one Viper-engined SE.5a to Japan after the armistice in order to serve in the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. We couldn't find any graphical info about that airplane so it must be considered as speculative.
• Poland: The Polish Air Force bought at least one ex-RFC from the United Kingdom and was used in the Polish-Soviet war.

SPAD S.VII - Second entry, foreign users vol. 2

Previous note: This is a continuation of this post If you haven't read it, i recommend you to check it out.
We continue with the SPAD S.VII, this time with more foreign users for this French Fighter.

We are covering the next countries this time:

• Imperial Germany: During the very first part of 1918 a single S.VII was captured from the French SPA65 unit. It was heavily repainted by his new owner. 
• Greece: The Royal Hellenic Army Air Service bought some airplanes. The one depicted below served in 1920.
• Kingdom of Italy: Italy used them widely during the Great war and it became very popular since it was flew by various of their best aces like Francesco Baracca or Giorgio Pessi. It was also among the very first planes that composed the Regia Aeronautica (Royal Italian Air Force) with planes carried over from the previous Corpo Aeronautico Militare (Military Aeronautical Corps) during 1923.
• Empire of Japan: The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service employed them, allegedly for domestice defense purposes during the 20s. As we couldn't find any graphical evidence, the drawing are speculative.
• Netherlands: The Luchtvaartafdeling (The Dutch Aeronautical corps) employed some SPAD S.VII. Supposedly they were airplanes that were forced to land in neutral Dutch territory during the Great War, as we couldn't find graphical evidence on this one neither, the colours are speculative.
• Peru: Allegiadly Peru used some Ex-Argentinean planes during the early 20s for evaluation purposes. However they were rejected. The graphical evidence on Peruvian SPADs doesn't seem to exist, so the drawing is considered speculative.
• Poland: One of the main post-war users of the SPAD S.VII and one of the very first airplanes that constituted the Wojska Lotnicze (Polish Air Force) back in 1918. It saw action during the Polish Soviet war.