B.A.T. Bantam

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Contents

Type Description

• F.K.22 Bantam
• Single seat two-bay fighter biplane featuring a semi-monocoque fuselage: unofficially known as the Bat, it later became the Bantam. The fuselage, which changed from circular in front, through elliptical to narrow ellipse and vertical knife's edge at the stern, consisted of six longitudinal members and a number of transverse L-section formers built up of three-ply wood, the whole covered by a three-ply skin put on in bands some 3 ft. wide, lap-jointed where they met. The outer and inner layers of this three-ply skin ran longitudinally, with the middle layer placed at an angle to the other two. The longitudinal members were of ash, two of T-section located at the top and bottom, with the other four, of rectangular section, forming the corners of the rectangle inscribed in the elliptical cross section of the body. At the rear, the three-ply body covering was extended upwards to form the fixed vertical tail fin, the internal framework of which was integral with the local body formers. The semi-elliptical fixed tail plane was in two halves, bolted to short spar roots built integral with the formers. The rudder, tailplane and elevator were fabric-covered.
  The pilot's cockpit was situated between two strong formers, serving as supports for the wing spars, access to it gained through a circular opening in the top plane. The wings were unstaggered, and featured spruce spars, both upper and lower planes being built in three, approximately equal, parts. The outer wing panels were rigged with two degrees of dihedral and featured angled tips. The wings were fabric covered with the exception of the underside of the lower centre section, which was covered in birch three-ply. Ailerons were are fitted to all four wings One 120 h.p. A.B.C. Mosquito powerplant.

• F.K.22/1 Bantam ⁽³⁾
• Based on the original F.K.22, but featuring combinations of "large" or "small" fuselages, with "large" or "small" wings, in different configuration. See Note 1. The "small" fuselage construction was essentially the same as the F.K.22, (of unknown length, but possibly 20ft 8in), with a braced rectangual tailplane and triangular, plywood covered fin carrying an unbalanced rudder. The "large" fuselage (22ft 8in) was similar but aerodynamically cleaner, and retained the horn balanced rudder and semi-elliptical tailplane of the F.K.22. The "large" wing was similar to that of the F.K.22, (of unknown span, but possibly 25 ft), while the "small", of 20 ft span, was a completely new design. The upper wing was built in one piece and featured no dihedral, while the lower planes featured dihedral of two degrees. All were intended to be fitted with twin .303 in Vickers machine guns mounted on the fuselage floor, firing between the engine lower cylinders. One 170 h.p. A.B.C. Wasp powerplant.

• F.K.22/2 Bantam ⁽³⁾
• As the F.K.22/1, but featuring combinations of only the "large" fuselage with "large" or "small" wings. See Note 1. One 100 h.p. Gnome Monosoupape B.2

• F.K.23 Bantam ⁽³⁾
• Final developed version of the F.K.22/1 Bantam, combining an aerodynamically improved version of the "small" fuselage, with new, longer span, two piece wings of two degrees dihedral, the long chord fin and rudder end rectangular tailplaneof the small fuselage machines. One 170 h.p. A.B.C. Wasp powerplant.

F.K.23 Bantam Specification
Span	Length	Height	Wing Area	Empty Wt	Max AUW	Cruise Speed	Maximum Speed	Range	Service Ceiling
25 ft	18 ft 5 in	6 ft 9 in	185 sq ft	953 lb	1618 lb		150 mph/ 130 kn	250 mi
7.62 m	5.61 m	2.06 m	17.19 m2	432 kg	734 kg		241 km/h	402 km

Production Details

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Production Summary

Notes

1. Per Jackson [1], the six machine configurations were:
   • B9944 - F.K.22/1, large fuselage, small wing. Aircraft completed but not flown.
   • B9945 - F.K.22/2, first flew late 1917.
   • B9946 - F.K.22/2. aircraft completed but not flown.
   • B9947 - F.K.22/1, small fuselage, small wing. First flown January, 1918
   • B9948 - F.K.22/1, small fuselage, large wing. First flown March 1918.
   • B9949 - F.K.22/1, large fuselage, large wing. Aircraft completed but not flown.
   Eventually, B9947 was deemed sufficiently different as to merit a new designation, becoming the first F.K.23. However, it differed significantly from what became the definative F.K.23.
   Apparently the construction of all six machines began simultaneously, therefore the c/n order does not match the serial sequence, but would appear from [1] that c/n.1 applied F.K.22/1 to B9944, c/n.2 to F.K.22/2 B9945.
2. Precise correlation between military serial and civil registration of these three machines can no longer be made [1].
3. The use of the designations "Bantam I" and "Bantam II" is unclear and most likely a more recent invention to differentiate between the F.K.22 and F.K.23.

Production References

1. Aeroplane Monthly, March to June, 1983.
2. British Aeroplanes 1914-18, J.M. Bruce (Putnam, 1957)
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft J1 - J9999, RAF Aircraft Register Series (Air-Britain Publications, 1987)
4. Air Pictorial April 1960
5. British Isles Civil Aircraft Register 1919-2011 (LAAS International)

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