Beagle B.206

infobox Aircraft
name = Beagle B.206 / Basset
type = Light Transport
manufacturer = Beagle Aircraft Limited

---

caption =
designer =
first flight = 15 August 1961
introduced = 1965
retired =
produced = 1964–1969
number built = 85
status =
unit cost =
primary user = Royal Air Force
more users =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = The Beagle B.206 is a 1960s British two-seat twin-engined liaison and communication aircraft built by Beagle Aircraft Limited at Shoreham Airport and Rearsby Aerodrome.

Design and development

The design of a twin-engined light transport began in 1960 and the prototype registered "G-ARRM" (designated the B.206X) first flew from Shoreham Airport, West Sussex on 15 August 1961. Jackson 1974, p.198.] The prototype aircraft was a five-seat all metal low-wing monoplane powered by two Continental flat-six engines.

The second prototype (designated B.206Y) was slightly larger with a larger span wing and seating for seven. Two aircraft were built for evaluation by the Ministry of Aviation at Boscombe Down and an order for twenty aircraft for the Royal Air Force followed. cite web|accessdate=2007-03-11|url=http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=60
title=The Beagle B-206|publisher=Airliners.net] The RAF aircraft were named the Beagle Basset CC.1 and were built at Rearsby Aerodrome, Leicestershire.

A Series 2 aircraft with 340hp Continental turbocharged engines first flew on 23 June 1965. The Series 2 was also fitted with a large freight door. The aircraft was soon in demand with air taxi companies and as a light transport for companies. Two aircraft were delivered to the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Australia. Jackson 1974, p.199.]

A Series 3 was developed with a raised rear fuselage to carry 10-passengers but only three were built. When the company needed the room at Rearsby to built the Beagle Pup, production of the B.206 ended with the 85th aircraft.

Operational history

The first deliveries to RAF communications squadrons was made in May 1965. The first civil ordered aircraft was also delivered in May 1965 to Rolls-Royce Limited at Hucknall. An unusual use for one of the first aircraft registered "G-ATHO" which was bought by the Maidenhead Organ Studios Limited for transporting electronic organs.

Accidents and incidents

*May 2 1977 - Automotive engineer and General Motors Corporation executive Ed Cole was killed in a Beagle B.206 Series 2 registered N500KR, crashing while making a landing approach to Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA in bad weather. [cite web | last = unnamed author | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Aviation Accident Database & Synopses
work = | publisher = (United States) National Transportation Safety Board
date = date of accident May 2, 1977; database record undated | url = http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=46836&key=0 | format = text | doi = | accessdate = 2007-08-30]

Variants

;Beagle B.206X:Prototype, 1 built.;Beagle B.206Y:Larger prototype, 1 built.;Beagle B.206Z:Pre-production, 2 built.;Beagle B.206R (Basset CC.1)::Military version, 20 built.;Beagle B.206S:B.206 Series 2 prototype.;Beagle B.206 Series 1:Seven-seat civil production aircraft, 11 built.;Beagle B.206 Series 2:Higher-performance civil production aircraft, 47 built.;Beagle B.206 Series 3:10-seat version not developed, 3 built.

Operators

Military operators

;flag|Syria|1972
*Syrian Air Force;UK
*Royal Air Force
**No. 26 Squadron RAF
**No. 32 Squadron RAF
**No. 207 Squadron RAF

Planned

;flag|South Africa|1928
*South African Air Force ordered 18 aircraft for maritime use but the order was cancelled.

Civil operators

;AUS
*Royal Flying Doctor Service;UK
*Maidenhead Organ Studios Limited

pecifications (B.206 Series 2)

aircraft specification

ref=British Civil Aircraft since 1919: Volume I Jackson 1974, p.200.]
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=
length main= 33ft 8in
length alt= 10.26 m
span main= 45 ft 9½ in
span alt= 13.96 m
height main= 11 ft 4 in
height alt= 3.45 m
area main= 214 ft²
area alt= 19.88 m²
empty weight main= 4,800 lb
empty weight alt= 2177 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main= 7,499 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 3401 kg
engine (prop)=Rolls Royce Continental GTSIO-520-C
type of prop= flat-six piston engine
number of props=2
power main=340 hp
power alt= 254 kW
max speed main= 258 mph
max speed alt= 224 knots, 415 km/h
cruise speed main=218 mph
cruise speed alt=190 knots, 351 km/h
range main= 1,620 mi
range alt= 1,409 NM, 2608 km
ceiling main= 27,100 ft Donald 1997, p.95.]
ceiling alt= 8260 m
climb rate main=1,340 ft/min
climb rate alt=6.81 m/s
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=

ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=

sequence=
A.61 Terrier - Airedale - Beagle B.121 Pup - Beagle B.206 - Bulldog
lists=
*List of aircraft of the RAF
see also=

References

*cite book|author=Donald, David (Editor)|title = The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft|year = 1997
publisher = Blitz Editions|location=Leicester, UK|isbn = 1-85605-375-X
*cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= |publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn=
*cite book |last= Jackson|first= A.J.|authorlink= |coauthors= |title= British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1|year= 1974|publisher= Putnam|location= London|isbn=0 370 10006 9