- Beardmore W.B.IV
The Beardmore W.B.IV was a British single-engine biplane ship-based fighter of World War I developed by Beardmore. Taylor 1990, p.57.] Only one was built.
Development and design
The W.B.IV was designed to meet
Admiralty Specification N.1A for a naval land or ship based fighter aircraft. The design was dominated by the demands of safely ditching and remaining afloat, with a large permament flotation chamber built into the fuselage under the nose. The pilot was in a watertight cockpit over the propeller shaft, with the Hispano-Suiza V-8 engine behind him over the center of gravity of the aircraft. The entire undercarriage could be released from the plane for water landings. The wing tips were fitted with additional floats, while the aircraft's two-bay wings could fold for storage on board ship. Mason 1992, pp.116-117.]The single prototype first flew at Beardmore's
Dalmuir factory on 12 December 1917, being delivered for evaluation at Martlesham Heath in July 1918. Bruce 1965, p.73.] The W.B.IV had poorer performance than the much simpler and smaller Sopwith 2F.1 Camel and was not developed further. The sole prototype was lost when it sank during ditching. Mason 1992, p.117.]pecifications
crew=1
capacity=
length m=8.08
length ft=26
length in=6
span m=10.92
span ft=35
span in=10
height m=3.01
height ft=9
height in=10½
wing area sqm=32.5
wing area sqft=350
empty weight kg=891
empty weight lb=1,960
gross weight kg=1,182
gross weight lb=2,600eng1 number=1
eng1 type=Hispano-Suiza 8 water-cooled V-8piston engine
eng1 kw=149
eng1 hp=200
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=max speed kmh=177
max speed mph=110
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
stall speed kmh=
stall speed mph=
range km=
range miles=
endurance h=2
endurance min=30 Bruce 1965, p.74.]
ceiling m=4,270
ceiling ft=14,000
climb rate ms=
climb rate ftmin=armament1=One synchronized .303 in
Vickers machine gun and oneLewis gun on tripod mounting
armament2=
armament3=
armament4=
armament5=
armament6= aircontent
see also=
related=
similar aircraft=
lists=References
*cite book |title=War Planes of the First World War: Volume 1 Fighters |last= Bruce|first= J.M.|year= 1965|publisher=Macdonald |location=London |isbn= |pages= |url=
*
*cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I |year=1990 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |pages= 57
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