Martinsyde G.100

In the early days, the term "Scout" referred to a plane that could do both reconnaissance and fighting. Martinsyde desired to make a scout that could do much longer-range scouting than the typical plane. To carry the extra petrol, the plane had to be larger than the typical single-seat scout, and that is what led to the Martinsyde G.100s nickname, the "Elephant". Due to its size, it was never as maneuverable as smaller scouts, but as well as long-range patrol, it could sacrifice some of its large fuel weight to carry bombs, so it also saw use as a light bomber.

Martinsyde desired to make a new fighter/scout to replace the venerable Martinsyde S.1, and the Martinsyde G.100 was the result. It mounted a 120hp Beardmore engine and two Lewis guns -- one firing forward above the propeller from the top wing, a second behind the cockpit on the left for firing rearward The G.100 was scattered to various units in ones and twos except for No.27 Squadron. It fared all right as an escort, but it wasn't well-suited for dogfights. Its good lifting capacity made it into a fair light bomber, though, and it was used in this capacity in the summer-autumn of 1916 until the arrival of the Airco D.H.4.

The Elefant served on the Western Front with six squadrons, with home defense, in Mesopotamia, and in Palestine, and as a trainer. The less-competitive fronts allowed the Elephant a longer lifetime.

The G.102 was nothing more than a G.100 with the 160hp Beardmore engine rather than the standard 120hp.

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