Beardmore W.B.2

The Beardmore W.B.2, also known as the Beardmore W.B.II was a British fighter monoplane prototype of the 1910s.

Development

A two-seat fighter of wooden construction, the W.B.2 was built as a private venture by William Beardmore and Company, based on an original design called the B.E.2c designed by G. Tilghman-Richards in 1916. Powered by a 200 hp Hispano-Suiza 8Bd engine, it carried two guns and design finished early in 1917 with the production of the first prototype.

Operational history

The W.B.2 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. As such, no further production of the W.B.2 took place, however in 1920 two civil examples were produced, named the W.B.IIB.

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 26 ft 10 in (8.18 m)
• Wingspan: 34 ft 10 in (10.62 m)
• Height: 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)
• Wing area: 354 ft² (32.88 m²)
• Empty weight: 1765 lb (800 kg)
• Gross weight: 2650 lb (1202 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 8Bd water-cooled, 200 hp (149 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 120 mph (193 km/h)
• Endurance: 2 hours  48 min

Armament

• 2 x fixed synchronised .303 forward-mounted Vickers gun
• 1 x .303 rear-mounted Lewis gun on a swivelling mounting

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beardmore aircraft.

• Green, William; Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books. p. 44.