- Development
- Operational history
- Variants
- Specifications (W.B.II)
- References
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}| name=Beardmore W.B.2 | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type | type=Fighter | national origin=United Kingdom | manufacturer=William Beardmore and Company | designer=G. Tilghman-Richards | 1917}} | introduced= | retired= | status= | primary user= | number built=3 | developed from= | variants with their own articles=
}} |
The Beardmore W.B.II was a British monoplane fighter prototype of the 1910s. DevelopmentA two-seat fighter of wooden construction, the W.B.II was built as a private venture by William Beardmore and Company. A development of the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c it was designed by G. Tilghman Richards in {{avyear|1916}}. Powered by a {{cvt|200|hp}} Hispano-Suiza 8Bd engine, it carried two guns and design finished early in 1917 with the production of the first prototype.[1] Operational historyThe W.B.II was first flown on 30 August 1917, and performance proved good. However, the Air Ministry deemed that the 8Bd engine, at that time in short supply, was needed more urgently for use in the S.E.5a fighter at that time serving with the Royal Flying Corps in World War I.[1] As such, no further production of the W.B.II took place, however in 1920 two civil examples were produced, named the W.B.IIB.[2] Variants- W.B.II
- 2-seat fighter built as a private venture;two built.[3]
- W.B.IIa Adriatic
- A proposed version to have been powered by the Galloway Adriatic engine.[3]
- W.B.IIb
- A fast mail-plane civilian variant; two built.[2]
Specifications (W.B.II){{Aircraft specs
|ref=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1919[3]
|prime units?=imp
|crew=2
|length ft=27
|length in=3
|span ft=34
|span in=10
|height ft=10
|height in=11
|wing area sqft=354
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight lb=1765
|gross weight lb=2650
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity={{cvt|41.5|impgal|USgal l}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Hispano-Suiza 8Bd
|eng1 type=V-8 water-cooled piston engine
|eng1 hp=200
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=wooden fixed pitch propeller
|prop dia ft=9
|prop dia note=
|max speed mph=120
|max speed note=at sea level: {{cvt|111|mph|kn km/h}} at {{cvt|10000|ft}}
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range miles=
|combat range nmi=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=2.8 hours
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude={{cvt|5000|ft}} in 7 minutes; {{cvt|10000|ft}} in 15 minutes
|wing loading lb/sqft=7.5
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass={{cvt|13.25|lb/hp|kg/kW}}
|thrust/weight=
|more performance=
|guns=
- 2x fixed synchronised forward-mounted {{cvt|0.303|in|mm|1}} Vickers machine gun.
- 1x {{cvt|0.303|in|mm|1}} Lewis gun on a swivelling mounting in the rear cockpit.
}}References{{commons category|Beardmore aircraft}}1. ^1 {{cite book |last=Green |first=William |author2=Gordon Swanborough |title=The Complete Book of Fighters |publisher=Salamander Books|location=Godalming, UK|pages=44 }}
2. ^1 {{cite book|last1=Jackson|first1=A. J.|title=British Civil Aviation since 1919 Volume 1|date=1973|publisher=Putnam|location=London|isbn=978-0-370-10006-7|edition=2nd|page=298}}
3. ^1 2 {{cite book |title=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1919 |editor1-last=Grey |editor1-first=C.G. |edition=Facsimile |year=1969 |publisher=David & Charles (Publishers) Limited |location=London |isbn=07153 4647 4 |pages=94a-95a}}
{{Beardmore aircraft}} 3 : British fighter aircraft 1910–1919|Beardmore aircraft|Aircraft first flown in 1917 |