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Aviation / Aerospace

Martinsyde G-series (Elephant)


Biplane Light Bomber [ 1916 ]



Fewer than 300 of the Martinsyde G-series light bombers were produced in World War 1 - they were originally developed as fighters and escorts.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 10/18/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]
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When Britain committed to World War 1 (1914-1918) it held a stable of just 113 aircraft and six airships. This undoubtedly grew as the war quickly progressed and, by the end of it all, a myriad of designs had appeared and production of these units collectively totaled in the tens of thousands - such was the impact of the war on the local aero-industry.

Martinsyde, founded in 1908 by H.P. Martin and George Handasyde, made a name for itself in both aviation and motorcycle fields - the latter following only after the war in 1919. Early aircraft developments included a racer (the No.3) and a single-seat scout platform (the S.1). In the fall of 1915, as the war raged on, the Martinsyde G.100 was flown for the first time with an Austro-Daimler 120 horsepower engine. It was adopted by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) of Britain and the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) thereafter.

The G.100 was developed along the lines of single-seat fighter / escort aircraft. A biplane wing configuration, with parallel struts and twin bays, was used. The undercarriage was fixed and wheeled in the traditional way for the period and the pilot sat in an open-air cockpit under and aft of the upper wing assembly. The tail was conventional and featured a single vertical fin with mid-set horizontal planes. The engine, mounted in the nose, drove a two-bladed wooden propeller.

The G.100 initial production forms were fitted a Beardmore 6-cylinder engine of 120 horsepower. Armament was 1 x 0.303 Lewis Gun machine gun installed on the upper wing unit to clear the spinning propeller blades and the bombload totaled 260lb of externally-held stores. Total production of the mark was 100 aircraft. A second Lewis Gun was added only later and this set behind the cockpit along the portside fuselage (behind the pilot's left shoulder) - intended to fire rearwards as trailing, intercepting enemy aircraft. Performance included a maximum speed of 95 miles per hour, a range out to 450 miles and a service ceiling of 14,000 feet.

The G.100 began arriving in number for the summer of 1916 - it was named the "Elephant" by its operators because of its large size and lack of agility for a single-seat platform. This led to the RFC re-categorizing it as a light daytime bomber when the aircraft's limited usefulness as a fighter was realized. The deficiencies in the G.100 design led Martinsyde to develop the G.102 fitted with Beardmore engines of 160 horsepower. These, too, were taken into service with 171 delivered.

Despite not succeeding in its original fighter / escort role, the G-series did find some success as a light bomber owing to its good inherent operational range. It saw service into late-1917 before being overcome by more capable types. Squadron No.1 of the AFC operated the G-series in Egypt and Palestine while some fifteen RFC squadrons were formed with the type.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
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Specifications



Service Year
1916

Origin
United Kingdom national flag graphic
United Kingdom

Crew
1

Production
271
UNITS


National flag of Australia National flag of the United Kingdom Australia; United Kingdom
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
Ground Attack (Bombing, Strafing)
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.


Length
26.2 ft
(8.00 m)
Width/Span
38.1 ft
(11.60 m)
Height
9.7 ft
(2.95 m)
Empty Wgt
1,797 lb
(815 kg)
MTOW
2,425 lb
(1,100 kg)
Wgt Diff
+628 lb
(+285 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the Martinsyde G.100 production variant)
Installed: 1 x Beardmore 6-cylinder engine developing 120 horsepower and driving two-bladed wooden propeller in nose.
Max Speed
96 mph
(155 kph | 84 kts)
Ceiling
14,009 ft
(4,270 m | 3 mi)
Range
450 mi
(724 km | 1,341 nm)
Rate-of-Climb
625 ft/min
(190 m/min)


♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)
Sub
Trans
Super
Hyper
HiHyper
ReEntry
RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: >19030


(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Martinsyde G.100 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
1 x 0.303 Lewis Gun machine gun over center wing section.
1 x 0.303 Lewis Gun machine gun in portside fuselage location facing rear.

OPTIONAL:
Up to 260lb of conventional drop stores.


Supported Types


Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun
Graphical image of an aircraft conventional drop bomb munition


(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 6


"Elephant" - Series Nickname
G.100 - Original production model with Beardmore engines of 120 horsepower; 100 examples completed.
G.102 - Fitted with Beardmore engines of 160 horsepower for slightly improved performance specifications; 171 examples completed.


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Image of the Martinsyde G-series (Elephant)
Image from the Public Domain.


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