TORPEDO-CARRYING AEROPLANE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 88, 12 January 1928, Page 9

TORPEDO-CARRYING AEROPLANE

FOR USE WITH BRITISH FLEET AIR ARM

Rugby, January 10. Details are published of a new tor-pedo-carrying aeroplane able to. ascend with equal facility from land, sea or the deck of an aircraft carrier. The machine has been evolved for use with the fleet air arm. Known as the Ripon, it is a two-seater and has thus a certain advantage over the existing sin-gle-seater Blackburn Napier-Daft ’planes. The provision of a second cockpit will give the pilot the addi-tional-protection of a machine -gunner, who, when the craft is in action,-will be able to devote himself-solely to the task of beating off attacking aeroplanes. The Ripon is to be fitted with the new Handley-Page safety device of anti-stalling slotted wings. Equipped with a 450 horse-power Napier Lion engine, it will be able to range over a wide expanse of sea at a speed of about two miles a minute. When operating from the surface of the water floats can be fitted, replacing the usual landing undercarriage in a comparatively short space of time. It will be when operating as a' seaplane that the slotted wings will be of great ' assistance in facilitating a rise from the. water.—British Official Wireless.