Orenco B
Ordnance Engineering Corporation · United States · first flew 1918 · fighter
The Orenco B was a prototype American fighter of the First World War. It was a single-engined, single-seat biplane that flew in 1918 and did not enter large-scale service.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 5.74 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-seat tractor biplane of wooden construction
- Two-bay wings with the upper span longer than the lower
- Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine in the nose
A wooden tractor biplane with two-bay wings and a rotary engine. The planned armament was three Marlin machine guns, one under the upper wing and two under the lower wings.
Specifications
- The Orenco B has a length of 5.74 m (19 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.92 m (26 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 217 km/h (135 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Ordnance Engineering Corporation of Baldwin, Long Island, acquired the Frenchman Etienne Dormoy, previously of SPAD, to design its second aircraft, a single-seat fighter. The first prototype made its maiden flight in early 1918.
Variants
The Type B was closely related to the Type C fighter trainer. Sources differ on whether four Type Bs were completed or only one.
Where you'll see it
It reached 135 mph, and four aircraft were ordered by the Aviation Section of the US Signal Corps along with five Type Cs. It was not adopted further because the Gnome engine did not go into production in the United States and the US Army chose to build European fighters under licence.
Related aircraft
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