The history of the British aircraft industry, since its inception some 65 years ago, is studded with the names of firms, which, comet-like, flared into life, burned brightly for a few years and then faded away, often without leaving behind much more than a name.
The aircraft department of J. Samuel White & Co. had just such a brief appearance on the aviation scene. Whilst the company is universally known for its highly successful ship-building programme, the range of extremely interesting and often original aircraft built under the name of Wight is now virtually forgotten.
In theory, White’s aircraft department should have had everything on its side to make a success of the new venture – Howard Wright, a highly versatile aircraft engineer and designer with a long string of successful pioneer aeroplanes to his credit; the backing of a prosperous and world-famous shipbuilding company; and many strong contacts with the British Admiralty and various foreign navies. As builders of seaplanes, how could they fail to succeed?
This book puts the record straight. Here will be found the first comprehensive account of the successful Type 840 Seaplane which bore the brunt of much of the anti-submarine patrols during 1915 and 1916; the A.D. 1000 with three engines and 115-foot wing-span, the largest seaplane ever to be built in this country; the unique double-camber aerofoil section developed by Howard Wright; the `aileron’ propeller, a very early attempt to produce a pilot-controlled variable pitch propeller; the proposals to mount a 12-pounder field gun in a seaplane; and the `Converted’ Seaplane which was the first to sink a U-boat in the Channel.
During the course of his research, the author has found many hitherto unknown photographs, a large selection of which is included in this book. It has also been possible to include three-view drawings of most of the Wight aircraft, most of which have never before been illustrated i this way.