Into the Archives – The AD Scout Sparrow

The AD Scout (also known as the Sparrow) was an aircraft that was designed by Harris Booth. Harris Booth was born in 1884 in Forest Hill, London. Following graduating with a BA from Cambridge he joined Leonard Bairstow’s staff at the Aerodynamics section of the National Physical Laboratory in Bushey Heath, along with the likes of F. H. Bramwell, J. H. Hyde and B. Melville Jones, conducting practical aerodynamic research. In March 30, 1912 Booth was appointed to serve on the Research Committee of the Aeronautical Society, to which he was elected Associate Fellow in June of the same year.

The aircraft was designed as a fighter aircraft to defend Britain from Zeppelin bombers during World War I

The Scout was a decidedly unconventional aircraft – a biplane with a fuselage pod mounted on the upper wing. A twin-rudder tail was attached by four booms, and it was provided with an extremely narrow-track undercarriage. The primary armament was intended to be a 2-pounder recoilless Davis Gun, but this was never fitted. Four prototypes were ordered in 1915 and two each were built by Hewlett Blondeau and the Blackburn Aeroplane Motor Company.

Posted by HEP Communications | 23 July 2015

Photo credits: BAE System (Operations) Ltd.