Beardmore W.B.II
For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.
Contents
Type Description
- W.B.II
- Two-seat biplane fighter of wooden construction with two bay heavily staggered wings, based on the B.E.2c and built as a private venture. It featured an all new circular section fuselage married to a set of B.E.2c wings, though these clean lines were marred by the exhaust stacks and radiators, disposed in an inverted 'V' located just behind the cabane struts. The aircraft carried an armament of two fixed synchronised 0.303 in Vickers guns and a single 0.303 in Lewis gun on a swivelling Beardmore-Richards mounting. One 200 h.p. Hispano-Suiza 8Bd powerplant, initially fitted with a four bladed propeller and large spinner, though after testing this was replaced with a two bladed unit, the spinner removed, the powerplant moved a few inches forward and the observersgun ring mounting raised.
- W.B.IIB
- Two seat fast mailplane derivative of W.B.II. One 160 h.p. Beardmore powerplant fitted with a four bladed propeller.
| W.B.II Specification | |||||||||
| Span | Length | Height | Wing Area | Empty Wt | Max AUW | Cruise Speed | Maximum Speed | Endurance | Service Ceiling |
| 34 ft 10 in | 26 ft 10 in | 10 ft | 354 sq ft | 1765 lb | 2650 lb | 120 mph/ 104 kn | 2-3/4 hr | ||
| 10.62 m | 8.18 m | 3.05 m | 32.89 m2 | 801 kg | 1202 kg | 193 km/h | |||
Projected Variants
- W.B.IIA
- W.B.II fitted with a 230 h.p Beardmore Adriatic powerplant and increased tank capacity.
Production Details
Production Details - W.B.II
| Serial Range | C/n(1) | Batch Qty |
Conv. | Canc'd | Notes | |
| 1 aircraft ordered from William Beardmore and Co., Ltd, Dalmuir, Dumbartonshire, to contract A.S.2864/18. First flew in August 1917. | ||||||
| F2995 | 1133 | 1 | ||||
| Total Production | 1 | |||||
Production Details - W.B.IIB
| C/n | Initial Registration |
Notes |
| 2 aircraft built by William Beardmore and Co., Ltd, Dalmuir, Dumbartonshire. Built in Mid 1920. | ||
| 5441/1 | G-EARX | Retained by William Beardmore and Co. Ltd. |
| 5441/2 | G-EARY | Retained by William Beardmore and Co. Ltd. |
| Total Production 2 | ||
Production Summary
All Aircraft By Type
| Type | Built New | Conv | Canc'd | Total |
| W.B.II | 1 | 1 | ||
| W.B.IIB | 2 | 2 | ||
| 3 | (0) | 0 |
Notes
- Actually Works Contract Number.
Production References
- Beardmore Aviation 1913-1930, Charles MacKay (A. MacKay, 2012)
- British Aeroplanes 1914-18, J.M. Bruce (Putnam, 1957)
- British Civil Aircraft Registers 1919-1928, Peter W. Moss (Air Britain, 1969)
Page Revision History
Revised at Version 2.0.0- Aircraft type moved to its own page.
- Added Type Description and Specification details.