RNAS/FAA (1915) 386 made. Used until 1931 The Sopwith Baby was an observation seaplane developed from the Sopwith Schneider, the latter derived from a 1913 sports seaplane. The latter also had a land-based equivalent, the Tabloid. This was the first major success of Sopwith. The Baby had a better engine, a single seat, and was … Read more
Naval Trainer – 200 built The Aeromarine 39 was an American two-seat training seaplane ordered by the US Navy in 1917. It was built by the Aeromarine Plane and Motor Co., Keyport, New Jersey. This conventional biplane was designed so that pontoons could be detached and replaced with wheeled undercarriage quicky. In all, 150 were … Read more
Marine-Fliegerabteilung: 470 manufactured 1916-1918. In service until 1929 The Friedrichshafen FF.33 family was the backbone of German naval aviation during most of World War One. Of the numerous seaplanes Friedrichshafen provided to the German Navy, half were from the FF.33 model. It came after a gradual development, from the 1913 experiments to the 1914 FF … Read more
Regia Aeronautica/Marina, 50 built The Ansaldo SVA was a famous utility aircraft of the Italian Aviation in WW1, actually the fastest and most produced. It lacked agility for a proper fighter but took many other roles. In 1918 the SVA 4 was chosen to be converted as a floatplane, and the SVA 5 were chosen … Read more
Sopwith T.1 Cuckoo (1917) RNAS/FAA 1917-19: 232 built all types combined. The Sopwith T.1 Cuckoo was a British torpedo carrier created by Sopwith, produced by Blakcburn, and operated by Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), and later the RAF. The T.1 was the first landplane specifically designed for carrier operations and carrying a torpedo, but completed … Read more
Vought VE-7 (1917) Naval Fighter – 128 built The Vought VE-7 “Bluebird” was an early biplane of the United States. First flying in 1917, it was designed as a two-seat trainer for the United States Army, then adopted by the United States Navy as its first fighter aircraft. In 1922, a VE-7 became the first … Read more
RNAS/FAA 1917-19: 62 built all types combined. The Fairey Campania: Tailored for a first carrier The Fairey Campania was a ship-borne, patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, single-engine, two-seat with two main floats, backward-folding wings, the first aeroplane ever designed specifically for carrier operations. Naturally after seeing HMS Campania, here is the RNAS bird named after her: … Read more
Macchi M5 (1917) Regia Aeronautica (1917-26), 148 built The Italian seaplane fighter of WWI The first Italian seaplane was built by Nieuport-Macchi in Varese, copying a captured Austrian Lohner L observation seaplane. From the L.1 and L.2 came the M.3 single-seat observation biplane in 1916. It appeared soon performances were impressive enough to convert it … Read more
