Beardmore Inflexible
William Beardmore and Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1928 · bomber
The Beardmore Inflexible was a massive British experimental heavy bomber of 1928, built to explore all-metal cantilever monoplane construction on a giant scale. With a wingspan exceeding 48 metres, it was one of the largest aircraft in the world at the time of its first flight.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 3 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 23.01 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- One of the largest aircraft of the 1920s
- All-metal Rohrbach-influenced construction with massive wingspan
- Three engines in wing leading edge
Unmistakable due to its enormous span, high cantilever monoplane wing with three buried engines, smooth all-metal skin, and massive overall proportions relative to 1920s aviation.
Specifications
- The Beardmore Inflexible has a length of 23.01 m (75 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 48.01 m (158 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 175 km/h (109 mph).
- Typical crew: 6.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed by Adolf Rohrbach and built by William Beardmore and Company, the Inflexible first flew in 1928. Its enormous stressed-skin all-metal structure was pioneering, but the aircraft was severely underpowered for its weight and demonstrated poor performance. Only one was built, and it was used purely for research. Despite its impressive size, it flew only a handful of times before being scrapped.
Variants
Only one prototype was built; no variants were planned.
Where you'll see it
Purely experimental; used for structural and aerodynamic research by the Royal Air Force in the late 1920s before scrapping.
Related aircraft
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