The Vickers FB5, nicknamed Gunbus, was the first British plane designed to mount a machine-gun. The first of these planes arrived on the Western Front in December 1914. The Gunbus was no match for the faster and better-armed Fokker E and after a few months the plane was withdrawn from front-line fighting duties and was used for reconnaissance work.

Performance Data of the Vickers FB5
Type fighter
Engine 100 hp Gnome Monosoupape
Wing Span 36 ft 6 in (11.13 m)
Length 27 ft 2 in (8.2 m)
Height 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m)
Maximum Speed 70 mph (113 kph)
Maximum Height 9,000 ft (2,743 m)
Endurance 4 hours 30 minutes
Armament 2 machine-guns