May 1916: First parasite aircraft, a Bristol Scout hooked on the upper wing of Felixstowe Porte Baby flying boat. Porte Baby flying boat is piloted by John Cyril Porte and the Scout, with Flight Sub- Lieutenant Day at the control, detaches successfully at 300 metres (1,000 feet).
As the image shows, the incongruously-named Baby was used to prove the concept of a larger aircraft carrying aloft and launching a lighter aircraft (in this case a Bristol Scout), taking off carrying the Bristol and successfully releasing it on 17 May 1916, a technique which came to be known as parasitic.
From the historical point of view, the most interesting experiment in which a Porte Baby participated was the remarkable "composite" flight which was made in May 1916. This was a bold attempt to combine the speed and maneuverability of a single-seat scout with the long range of a large flying-boat; the object of the experiment was to provide an effective anti-Zeppelin weapon. A Bristol Scout C (No. 3028, one of those belonging to the seaplane carrier H.M.S. Vindex) was placed on the upper wing of a Porte Baby with its undercarriage just in front of the leading edge. The Scout's wheels rested in crutches which were braced to the engine bearers of the flying-boat's central power unit, and its tail skid was held by a quick-release catch which was operated by the pilot of the Scout.
On May 17th, 1916 the Baby took off from Felixstowe with the Scout in place. The flying-boat was flown by Sqn. Cdr. Porte, the Bristol by F/L. M. J. Day. When the combination had reached 1,000ft Day switched on his engine and climbed away. Despite this success, however, the experiment was never repeated.
