AD SCOUT

The AD Scout was a British prototype WW1 fighter. The drive was provided by a single Gnome Monosoupape engine with 100 HP. The flight of the prototype took place in 1915 - the machine never entered mass production. A single 40 mm Davis 2-pounder cannon was envisaged as deck armament The AD Scout was designed by Harris Booth on behalf of the Royal Navy's aviation department, which wanted to procure an aircraft capable of fighting the German zeppelins bombing London. Finally, a very unconventional biplane machine was created, with the fuselage connected to the upper, not the lower, airfoil. A push propeller, not a pull propeller, was also used. In total, four prototypes of this aircraft were built, which were manufactured at the Hewlett and Blondeau and Blackburn Airplane and Motor Company plants. The AD Scout turned out to be extremely difficult to pilot, provided the pilot with very poor downward visibility and a very delicate design. All these shortcomings led to the cancellation of the entire project.