Beardmore W.B.V
William Beardmore and Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1917 · fighter
The Beardmore W.B.V was a prototype British single-engine shipborne biplane fighter of World War I. It was not successful, with only two completed.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.1 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-seat two-bay tractor biplane
- Folding wings for storage on board ship
- Hispano-Suiza V-8 engine with a gun mounted between the cylinder banks
It is a single-seat two-bay tractor biplane powered by a 200 hp Hispano-Suiza V-8. The wings fold, and the first aircraft carried a 37 mm gun firing through a hollow propeller shaft.
Specifications
- The Beardmore W.B.V has a length of 8.1 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.92 m (36 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 180 km/h (112 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
G. Tilghman Richards designed the W.B.V alongside the W.B.IV to meet an Admiralty requirement for a ship-borne fighter to destroy airships. The first prototype flew on 3 December 1917.
Variants
Two prototypes were completed and development was abandoned soon after the second. The first was armed with a 37 mm Le Puteaux gun, later replaced by a Vickers gun and a Lewis gun.
Where you'll see it
The aircraft did not enter service. RNAS pilots considered the Le Puteaux gun dangerous during testing.
Related aircraft
- Beardmore W.B.II
- Beardmore W.B.III
- Beardmore W.B.IV
- Beardmore Wee Bee
- AEG D.I
- AEG Dr.I
- Albatros C.XIII
- Albatros D.IX
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