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Noel Pemberton Billing (31 January 1881 – 11 November 1948), sometimes known as Noel Pemberton-Billing, was a
British aviator, inventor, publisher, and
Member of Parliament. He
founded the firm that became Supermarine and
promoted air power, and held a
strong antipathy towards the Royal Aircraft Factory and its products. He was noted during the
WW1 for his
populist views and for a
sensational libel trial.
During
WW1 Noel Pemberton Billing was notable for his
support of air power, constantly
accusing the government of neglecting the issue and
advocating the creation of a separate air force, unattached to either the
British Army or the
Royal Navy. During the so-called "
Fokker scourge" of late 1915 and early 1916, he became
particularly vocal against the Royal Aircraft Factory and its products, raising the question in typically exaggerated terms once he entered Parliament. His prejudice against the Factory and its products persisted, and was very influential. He
called for air raids against German cities. In 1917 he published
Air War and How to Wage it, which
emphasised the future role of raids on cities and the
need to develop protective measures. His own eccentric quadraplane design for a home defence fighter, the heavily armed and searchlight-equipped "
Supermarine Nighthawk", was built in prototype but had
insufficient performance to be of any use against Zeppelins.
The P.B.31E Nighthawk, the first project of the
Pemberton-Billing operation after it became
Supermarine Aviation Works Ltd., was a prototype anti-
Zeppelin fighter with a crew of three to five and an intended endurance of 9–18 hours. It was first flown in February 1917 with Clifford Prodger at the controls. Although touted as being able to reach 75 miles per hour (121 km/h), the P.B.31E prototype only managed
60 miles per hour (97 km/h) at 6,500 feet (2,000 m) and took an
hour to climb to 10,000 feet (3,000 m), which was
totally inadequate for intercepting Zeppelins.
German airships, such as P, or R Class military Zeppelins were themselves capable of top speeds of around 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). Furthermore, given the
Anzani engine's reputation for unreliability and overheating, it is unlikely that the aircraft would have delivered the advertised endurance.
