Avis 48001 Lee-Richards Annular Monoplane-3

The Annular Monoplane Lee-Richards is a British prototype aircraft that can be called the "annular" airfoil aircraft from the early 20th century. The length of this machine was about 7.09 meters, and the wingspan was up to 10.16 meters. The drive was provided by a single Gnome Lambda engine with 80 HP. Lee-Richards aircraft was built in the company founded by James Bradley, designed by Cedric Lee and Geroge T. Richards. Built in 1913, the plane was highly unusual, as it had a ring-shaped wing arrangement, which, however, resulted in excellent flight stability. At the same time, during the flights, it was observed that the machine is heavy and has problems with maneuvering. It is assumed that a total of 2 or 3 examples of this very unusual aircraft were built. It was assumed that after modernization, the plane would be able to compete in air races, but the outbreak of World War I shattered these plans.