Martinsyde S.1

The Martin-Handasyde Scout 1 was a British biplane aircraft of the early part of the First World War built by Martin-Handasyde Limited.

Design and development
It was a single-seat biplane with a Gnome engine in tractor configuration. An unusual feature was the undercarriage where two small nose wheels were mounted on the forward tips of the skids, ahead of the two main wheels, giving it a practical but cumbersome appearance.

Operational service
Sixty of the S.1 were built and these were used for about 6 months on the Western Front by the Royal Flying Corps before it was relegated to training. Although initially intended for use in Home Defence operating from the UK, it was found to be inadequate for that too. It was reported to be unstable, and it was the aircraft Captain Louis Strange was flying in a combat with a German two-seater, when one of the oddest incidents of WW1 took place. He was changing a drum on his overhead Lewis gun, when the aircraft turned over - and he fell out. However, he held on with one hand to the spade grip of the gun, and somehow managed to hook one leg into the cockpit, then the other. The plane righted itself, and he fell back in, breaking the seat. The German crew, convinced they saw their opponent fall out, claimed a kill, and were (so it was said by the ace, Bruno Loerzer, who was based in the area), ribbed afterwards, when no wreckage was found. ('The Friendless Sky' - A McKee)

Operators

 * Australian Flying Corps
 * Mesopotamian Half Flight
 * Royal Flying Corps
 * No. 1 Squadron RFC
 * No. 2 Squadron RFC
 * No. 4 Squadron RFC
 * No. 5 Squadron RFC
 * No. 6 Squadron RFC
 * No. 9 Squadron RFC
 * No. 10 Squadron RFC
 * No. 12 Squadron RFC
 * No. 14 Squadron RFC
 * No. 16 Squadron RFC
 * No. 18 Squadron RFC
 * No. 19 Squadron RFC
 * No. 20 Squadron RFC
 * No. 22 Squadron RFC
 * No. 23 Squadron RFC
 * No. 24 Squadron RFC
 * No. 25 Squadron RFC
 * No. 30 Squadron RFC
 * No. 25 Squadron RFC
 * No. 30 Squadron RFC