Benton
John Frederick Benton*, born 1883 in New South Wales, Australia,
was an Electrical Engineer living in Pinkney's Green on the edge of Maidenhead common. There he experimented with kites which
he used to raise aerials and even advertisements. A steam-powered winch was used to raise a large man-lifting kite on which
he made flights of up to three hours.
Determined to build his own powered aircraft, he persuaded William Allen
(born June 1861 in Maidenhead, Berkshire), a local camera maker, to give up his camera business and put his skills to use
in aviation with his friend. They rented a 35 acre field from Walter Spackman of Manor Farm, Chalvey, near Slough, Buckinghamshire
from 19 June 1911 and erected a hangar in which to construct their aeroplane, many of the parts of which they manufactured
in a small engineering works in Sewage Meadow, Green Lane, Maidenhead.
The result was the B1 Air-Car, a large double
biplane powered by a 35 h.p. water-cooled NEC engine, incorporating various innovations which Benton patented. It only achieved
a few short hops but an improved version, the B2 Air-Car, was developed. This was entered as No.31 in the Daily Mail Circuit
of Britain Race which commenced on 22 July 1911 but the design was no more successful and the entry was scratched.
Benton’s next design, the B3, was a tractor biplane. This was also powered by a 35 h.p. NEC and flew more successfully.
This model went through rapid stages of development as the B4, B5 and then B6. For the B6 Benton developed a system of trailing
edge and wingtip adjustment which had the effect of increasing engine revolutions aerodynamically and thus increasing flying
speed. The final development was the B7 which had a reduceable wing, the surface area of which could be reduced by up to a
third in flight.
William Allen died in June 1914 and John Benton then went into partnership with William's widow,
Sabina Rose Allen, concentrating their efforts on the Green Lane Engineering Works. At the outbreak of war Benton began a
campaign to sell his B6 and B7 designs, contacting the RFC, the RNAS and the French and Russian governments, but to no avail.
One machine remained at Chalvey in the hangar until it was finally scrapped in 1919.
* John Frederick Benton is
most likely Fredrick Franz Johannes (John) Benton, born 26 September 1882 in Corowa, New South Wales, Australia, died 9 February
1958 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
Project Data
Project No | Type No | Name | Alternative
Name(s) | Year | Spec | Status | Qty | Description | References |
|
| B.I | | 1911 | |
Pro(n) |
1 |
1S, 1E pusher biplane | 1,2 | | | B.II | |
1911 |
| Pro(n) | 1 | 1S,
1E pusher biplane | 1,2 |
| |
B.III | | 1912 |
| Proto | 1 | 1S,
1E tractor biplane | 1,2 |
| |
B.IV | | 1912 |
| Proto | (1) | 1S,
1E tractor biplane | 1,2 |
| |
B.V | | 1912 |
| Proto | (1) | 1S,
1E tractor biplane | 1,2 |
| |
B.VI | | 1912 |
| Proto | (1) | 1S,
1E tractor biplane | 1,2 |
| |
B.VII | | 1912 |
| Proto | (1) |
1S, 1E tractor biplane | 1,2 |
Project References - British Aircraft
Before The Great War, Michael H. Goodall and Albert E. Tagg (Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 2001)
- Air
Britain Archive, 1999/1 (Air-Britain Publications)
Three aircraft built new in total. The B.IV
through B.VII were progressive developments of the B.III airframe.
Total Benton Production 3
(4)
|