The Vickers Fighting Biplane 5 was the first British plane designed specifically as a fighter. The pusher style aircraft had two seats with a forward facing, swivel mounted machine gun operated by the observer and was dubbed the "Gunbus".
Although underpowered for its size and not very maneuverable, the Vickers Gunbus was an effective fighter at the time and led to the creation of the first squadron formed exclusively for fighting, the RFC No. 11 Squadron. The Vickers F.B.5 was soon replaced by other fighters although it continued to be used for training.
This plane carries the markings of Royal Flying Corps No. 11 Squadron.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Country of Manufacture | Great Britain |
| First Year of Service | 1914 |
| Wing Span | 36 ft 6 in | 11.13 m |
| Length | 27 ft 2 in | 8.28 m |
| Height | 11 ft | 3.35 m |
| Weight | 2050 lbs | 930 kg |
| Engine | Gnôme Monosoupape, 9 cylinder air-cooled rotary engine, 100hp |
| Top Speed | 70 mph | 113 km/h |
| Range | 250 miles | 403 km |
| Armament | 1 Lewis 7.7 mm machine gun |
| Crew | 2 |