Beardmore WB.II

The W.B.II, a two-seat fighter constructed from wood, was a private venture by William Beardmore and Company.

It was a derivative of the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c, designed by G. Tilghman Richards in 1916.

Equipped with a 200 hp (150 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8Bd engine and two guns, its design was completed early in 1917, leading to the production of the first prototype.

The inaugural flight of the W.B.II occurred on August 30, 1917, and it demonstrated impressive performance.

However, the Air Ministry prioritised the limited 8Bd engines for the S.E.5a fighters, which were actively engaged with the Royal Flying Corps during World War I.

Consequently, no further production of the W.B.II ensued.

Nonetheless, two civilian models, known as the W.B.IIB, were manufactured in 1920.

Specifications

Crew

2

Length

27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)

Wingspan

34 ft 10 in (10.62 m)

Height

10 ft 11 in (3.33 m)

Wing area

354 sq ft (32.9 m2)

Empty weight

1,765 lb (801 kg)

Gross weight

2,650 lb (1,202 kg)

Fuel capacity

41.5 imp gal (49.8 US gal; 189 l)

Powerplant

1 × Hispano-Suiza 8Bd,

V-8 water-cooled piston engine,

200 hp (150 kW)

Propellers

2-bladed wooden fixed pitch propeller,

9 ft (2.7 m) diameter

Performance

Maximum speed

120 mph (190 km/h, 100 kn) at sea level:

111 mph (96 kn; 179 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m)

Endurance

2.8 hours

Time to altitude

5,000 ft (1,500 m) in 7 minutes;

10,000 ft (3,000 m) in 15 minutes

Wing loading

7.5 lb/sq ft (37 kg/m2)

Power/mass

13.25 lb/hp (8.06 kg/kW)

Armament

Guns

2x fixed synchronised forward mounted 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun.

1x 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun on a swivelling mounting in the rear cockpit.

Sources

Aircraft Colour Profile by Bob Pearson.

The British Fighter since 1912-F K Mason

Beardmore Aircraft of WWI-C A Owers.

British Prototype Aircraft-R Sturtivant.

Beardmore Aviation 1913-1930-A Mackay.