BAT Bantam
British fighter biplane of WWI
title: "BAT Bantam" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1910s-british-fighter-aircraft", "british-aerial-transport-aircraft", "biplanes", "single-engined-tractor-aircraft", "koolhoven-aircraft", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1918"] description: "British fighter biplane of WWI" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAT_Bantam" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary British fighter biplane of WWI ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | F.K.23 Bantam |
| image | File:Jachtvliegtuig Koolhoven-B.A.T. FK.23-Bantam (2158 029940).jpg |
| caption | Koolhoven/BAT F.K.23 Bantam in Rotterdam |
| type | Single-seat fighter |
| manufacturer | British Aerial Transport Company Limited |
| designer | Frederick Koolhoven |
| first_flight | 1918 |
| introduction | 1921 |
| primary_user | Royal Air Force |
| number_built | 15 |
| :: |
|name = F.K.23 Bantam |image =File:Jachtvliegtuig Koolhoven-B.A.T. FK.23-Bantam (2158 029940).jpg |caption = Koolhoven/BAT F.K.23 Bantam in Rotterdam |type = Single-seat fighter |manufacturer = British Aerial Transport Company Limited |designer = Frederick Koolhoven |first_flight = 1918 |introduction = 1921 |retired = |status = |primary_user = Royal Air Force |more_users = |produced = |number_built = 15 |unit cost = |developed_from = |variants =
The BAT F.K.23 Bantam was a British single-seat fighter biplane produced by British Aerial Transport Company Limited of London during World War I.
Design and development
Frederick Koolhoven's first design for the British Aerial Transport Company (BAT) was the F.K.22 single-seat fighter. It was a two-bay biplane of wooden construction. It was planned to have a 120 hp (90 kW) A.B.C Mosquito radial engine but the failure of this engine led to the installation of the 170 hp (127 kW) A.B.C.Wasp I in the first and third aircraft. The second machine was fitted with a 100 hp (75 kW) Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine and was the first to fly at Martlesham Heath in January 1918. The original contract called for six development aircraft but three aircraft were built as the F.K.23 Bantam I, the second prototype then being renamed the Bantam II. The Bantam I was the same wooden structure but was slightly smaller. Two further prototypes of the larger design were also built followed by at least 9 development aircraft. One aircraft was delivered to the Royal Aircraft Establishment on 26 July 1918, one was delivered to the French at Villacoublay and a further aircraft to the United States Army Air Corps at Wright Field in 1922.
The production Bantam had to be modified due to unsatisfactory spin characteristics of the prototypes. Continuous engine problems and downsizing of the Royal Air Force were factors in no more orders for the Bantam. Koolhoven returned to Netherlands with one aircraft where it was re-engined with a 200 hp (149 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Lynx radial engine. Several examples were operated as civil racing aircraft.
Variants
;F.K.22 Bantam I :Prototypes and evaluation version, 2 built. ;F.K.23 Bantam II :Production aircraft, 3 prototypes + 9 aircraft were built.
Operators
;
- French Air Force received 1 aircraft for evaluation. ;
- Koolhoven factory operated 1 aircraft. ;
- Royal Air Force operated 1 aircraft. ;
- United States Army Air Corps received 1 aircraft for evaluation.
Survivors
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/AMSTRDM_210217_Rijksmuseum_Bantam_01.jpg" caption="K-123 on display at the Rijksmuseum"] ::
- One aircraft, registered K-123, originally on display at the Aviodome, Netherlands. The airplane was acquired by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
- The remains of a second FK 23 are used to build a flying example. It is a project from the "vroege vogels" from Lelystad in the Netherlands.
Specifications (F.K.23 Bantam)
|ref=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1919 War Planes of the First World War: Fighters Volume One |prime units?=imp General characteristics
|genhide=
|crew=1 |capacity=378 lb disposable load |length m= |length ft=18 |length in=5 |length note= |span m= |span ft=25 |span in= |span note= |upper span m= |upper span ft= |upper span in= |upper span note= |mid span m= |mid span ft= |mid span in= |mid span note= |lower span m= |lower span ft= |lower span in= |lower span note= |swept m= |swept ft= |swept in= |swept note= |dia m= |dia ft= |dia in= |dia note= |width m= |width ft= |width in= |width note= |height m= |height ft=8 |height in=2 |height note= |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft=185 |wing area note= |swept area sqm= |swept area sqft= |swept area note= |volume m3= |volume ft3= |volume note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb=830 |empty weight note= |gross weight kg= |gross weight lb=1,333 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity=22 impgal |lift kg= |lift lb= |lift note= |more general= Powerplant
|eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=ABC Wasp II |eng1 type=7-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engine |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp=200 |eng1 shp= |eng1 kn= |eng1 lbf= |eng1 note= |power original= |thrust original= |eng1 kn-ab= |eng1 lbf-ab=
|eng2 number= |eng2 name= |eng2 type= |eng2 kw= |eng2 hp= |eng2 shp= |eng2 kn= |eng2 lbf= |eng2 note= |eng2 kn-ab= |eng2 lbf-ab=
|eng3 number= |eng3 name= |eng3 type= |eng3 kw= |eng3 hp= |eng3 shp= |eng3 kn= |eng3 lbf= |eng3 note= |eng3 kn-ab= |eng3 lbf-ab= |more power=
|prop blade number=2 |prop name=BAT tractor 5 ft pitch |prop dia m= |prop dia ft=7 |prop dia in=10.5 |prop dia note=
|rot number= |rot dia m= |rot dia ft= |rot dia in= |rot area sqm= |rot area sqft= |rot area note= Performance
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh= |max speed mph=138 |max speed kts= |max speed note=at sea level :*134 mph at 10000 ft :*127 mph at 15000 ft :*121 mph at 20000 ft
- Landingspeed: 50 mph |max speed mach= |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed kts= |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh= |stall speed mph= |stall speed kts= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed kmh= |minimum control speed mph= |minimum control speed kts= |minimum control speed note= |range km= |range miles= |range nmi= |range note= |combat range km= |combat range miles= |combat range nmi= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range miles= |ferry range nmi= |ferry range note= |endurance=3 hours 30 minutes |ceiling m= |ceiling ft=20,000 |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |glide ratio= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin=1,579 |climb rate note= |time to altitude=5000 ft in 3 minutes 10 seconds :*10000 ft in 7 minutes 12 seconds :*15000 ft in 21 minutes 29 seconds |sink rate ms= |sink rate ftmin= |sink rate note= |lift to drag= |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading lb/sqft=7.2 |wing loading note= |disk loading kg/m2= |disk loading lb/sqft= |disk loading note= |fuel consumption kg/km= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass=0.1274 hp/lb (0.21 kW/kg) |thrust/weight=
|more performance= Armament
|guns= 2× forward firing, synchronised 0.303 in Vickers machine guns |bombs= |rockets= |missiles= |hardpoints= |hardpoint capacity= |hardpoint rockets= |hardpoint missiles= |hardpoint bombs= |hardpoint other=
|avionics= |see also= |related= |similar aircraft= |lists=
Notes
References
References
- [http://www.aviazine.nl/bat-fk-23-bantam.html B.A.T. F.K.23 Bantam moves to Rijksmuseum] The Rijksmuseum, the Dutch National museum for classic art and history in Amsterdam that is most of all known for [[Rembrandt]]'s [[The Night Watch]], recently acquired the B.A.T. (Koolhoven) F.K.23 Bantam. It will be part of a future exhibition on the twentieth century. The B.A.T. F.K.23 Bantam was restored by members of the Koolhoven Aeroplanes Foundation.
- Grey, C.G.. (1969). "Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1919". David & Charles (Publishing) Limited.
- Bruce, J.M.. (1965). "War Planes of the First World War: Volume One: Fighters". Macdonald & Co. (Publishers).
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