P.Lewis The British Fighter since 1912 (Putnam)
At Brooklands Martinsyde had been busy building a new single-seat biplane fighter, the R.G., which was of single-bay layout and smaller than the Elephant but on generally similar lines. Powered by the 190 h.p. Rolls-Royce Falcon and armed with two Vickers guns on the front coaming, the R.G. exhibited the hallmark of a first-rate and competent fighter design. Tests at Farnborough during February, 1917, revealed a fine performance but, as both the Camel and S.E.5 had by then been adopted as replacement fighters and the Falcon was needed for Bristol Fighters, the Martinsyde R.G. unfortunately came to naught.
F.Mason The British Fighter since 1912 (Putnam)
Martinsyde R.G.
Following the transfer of the Martinsyde G.100/102 Elephant from its intended role of fighter to bomber, George Handasyde remained determined to pursue a similar but smaller fighter design, the R.G. (=Revised G-Type), and he, working with A A (‘Tony’) Fletcher, came up with a single-bay biplane of exceptionally clean lines and compact configuration, powered initially by a 190hp Rolls-Royce Falcon I engine driving a four-blade propeller. It is likely that the first prototype, probably A318, was flown in January 1917.
When first officially tested at Farnborough in February this aircraft returned a top speed of 130 mph at sea level, and an ability to reach 10,000 feet in 10 minutes 20 seconds (compared with 125 mph and 14 minutes 10 seconds of the Factory’s own S.E.5 prototype which underwent the same tests during the following month.
However, it had already been decided to go ahead with production of both the S.E.5 and the Sopwith Camel and, even thought Handasyde acquired a 275hp Falcon III for the R.G., this was doomed by circumstances also; despite returning a speed of 136 mph during its official tests in June, it had by then been decreed that that all Falcon IIIs would be reserved for Bristol F.2B Fighters.
Type: Single-engine, single-seat, single-bay biplane scout.
Manufacturer: Martinsyde Ltd., Brooklands, Surrey.
Powerplant: One 190hp Rolls-Royce Falcon I (later 275hp Falcon III) 12-cylinder water-cooled in-line engine driving four-blade propeller.
Dimensions: Span, 32ft 0in; length, (Falcon I) 25ft 8in, (Falcon III) 25ft 10in; height, 9ft 10in; wing area, 310 sq ft.
Weights: (Falcon III) Tare, 1,740lb; all-up, 2,261lb.
Performance: (Falcon III) Max speed, 136 mph at sea level; climb to 10,000ft, 7 min 20 sec; service ceiling, 23,500ft; endurance, 2 hr.
Armament: Two fixed, synchronized 0.303in Vickers machine guns on nose decking.
Prototypes: Believed three, possibly A318-A320 (believed first flown in January 1917). No production.
W.Green, G.Swanborough The Complete Book of Fighters
MARTINSYDE R.G. UK
Derived from the Elephant via a single-bay experimental variant of the earlier design by A A Fletcher, the R.G. bore a close resemblance to its predecessor and was initially flown late in 1916 with a 190 hp Rolls-Royce Falcon 12-cylinder water-cooled engine. Armament comprised a fixed 0.303-in (7,7-mm) Vickers gun on the port upper longeron, outside the cabane struts, and a Lewis gun on the starboard side of the cockpit. After official trials in February 1917, the R.G. was revised in a number of respects. The cockpit was moved aft and the centre section cut-out was enlarged. The span of the lower wing was reduced and the rear top decking was raised. Armament was changed and consisted of two 0.303-in (7,7-mm) Vickers guns immediately in front of the cockpit, and a 275 hp Falcon III engine was fitted. In this form, the R.G. had, according to the official report, a ‘‘performance ... far and away better than any other machine manufactured”. However, development was discontinued in favour of the superior F.3. The following data relate to the definitive R.G.
Max speed, 132 mph (212 km/h) at 6,500 ft (1 980 m).
Time to 10,000 ft (3 050 m), 7.33 min.
Endurance, 2 hrs.
Empty weight, 1,740 lb (789 kg).
Loaded weight, 2,261 lb (1 026 kg).
Span, 32 ft 0 in (9,75 m).
Length, 25 ft 10 in (7,87 m).
Height, 9 ft 10 in (2,30 m).
Wing area, 310 sqft (28,80 m2).
J.Bruce British Aeroplanes 1914-1918 (Putnam)
Martinsyde R.G.
TOWARDS the end of 1916, a new single-seat fighter was built at the Martinsyde works. This was the R.G., a single-bay biplane powered by the 190 h.p. Rolls-Royce Falcon engine. Its descent from the Martinsyde G.100 was apparent in its clean lines and the shape of its tail unit.
Its overall dimensions were smaller than those of the Elephant, and it had the appearance of being an excellent fighter. The fuselage was deeper than that of its predecessor, and the incidence of the tailplane could be controlled from the cockpit. A car-type frontal radiator was fitted, and twin synchronised Vickers guns were mounted in front of the cockpit.
The R.G. was tested at Farnborough in February, 1917, and its performance was excellent. It was perhaps unfortunate, as far as its own future was concerned, that the R.G. was powered by the engine which was earmarked for the Bristol Fighter; and the official decision to produce the S.E.5 and Sopwith Camel had already been taken. These were no doubt regarded as cogent reasons against the production of the R.G., but it seems regrettable that such a promising design had to be abandoned.
The R.G.’s performance was further enhanced when it was later fitted with the 275 h.p. Rolls-Royce Falcon III engine. It was tested with the new power-unit in June, 1917.
SPECIFICATION
Weights (lb) and Performance:
Engine Falcon I Falcon III
No. of Trial Report M.81 M.i 12
Date of Trial Report February, 1917 June, 1917
Type of airscrew used on trial Lang 3090 Lang
Weight empty 1,730 1,740
Military load 110 101
Pilot 180 180
Fuel and oil 214 240
Weight loaded 2,234 2,261
Maximum speed (m.p.h.) at
ground level 130 -
6,500 ft 126-5 132
8,000 ft 125 -
10,000 ft 122 130
12,000 ft 119-5 -
15,000 ft 115 127-5
18,000 ft 108 -
m. s. m. s.
Climb to
1,000 ft 0 45 - -
6,500 ft 5 55 4 10
10,000 ft 10 20 7 20
12,000 ft 13 30 - -
14,000 ft 17 15 - -
15,000 ft 19 20 12 50
16,000 ft 21 45 - -
18,000 ft 27 30 - -
19,000 ft 30 55 - -
Service ceiling (feet) 22,000 23,500
Endurance (hours) 1 3/4 2
Manufacturers: Martinsyde, Ltd., Brooklands, Byfleet.
Power: 190 h.p. Rolls-Royce Falcon I; 275 h.p. Rolls-Royce Falcon III.
Dimensions: Span: upper 32 ft, lower 30 ft. Length: Falcon I, 25 ft 8 in.; Falcon III, 25 ft 10 in. Height: 9 ft 10 in. Chord: 5 ft. Gap: 5 ft 6 in. Stagger: 1 ft 10 in. Dihedral: 2 30'. Incidence: 3.
Areas: Wings: 310 sq ft. Ailerons: total 32 sq ft. Tailplane: 23 sq ft. Elevators: 18 sq ft. Fin: 4 sq ft. Rudder: 11 sq ft.
Tankage: Petrol: 26 gallons. Oil: 3 gallons. Water: 5 gallons.
Armament: Two fixed and synchronised forward-firing Vickers machine-guns mounted on top of the fuselage in front of the cockpit.
Serial Numbers: The serial numbers A.318-A.320 were allotted for a Martinsyde type, and may have been appropriate to the R.G.
H.King Armament of British Aircraft (Putnam)
R.G. Designed late in 1916, the R.G. was initially armed with a fixed Vickers gun to port and a Lewis gun, having a restricted field of fire, from the starboard side of the cockpit. Later two fixed Vickers guns were substituted, the guns lying exposed forward of the windscreen These guns do not appear to have had Constantinesco gear; they retained the land-service grips and firing levers at the rear and may have had a mechanical gear to allow them to fire through the airscrew arc or to have been intended for the Martinsyde electrical synchronising gear. This, however, dated from early 1916, and may have been entirely abandoned by the time the R.G. underwent official tests at Farnborough in 1917. Certainly the R.G. must have rivalled the Sopwith Camel very closely indeed for the distinction of being the first British fighter to have twin Vickers guns.
