Sunbeam Bomber
Sunbeam Motor Car Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1917 · bomber
The Sunbeam Bomber was a prototype single-engined, single-seat bomber aircraft of the First World War.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 11.13 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Two-bay biplane of conventional tractor layout
- Pilot's cockpit well behind the wings
- Forward-firing Vickers gun above the engine
It was powered by a Sunbeam Arab V8 engine, with the fuel tanks at the centre of gravity putting the cockpit 13 ft behind the nose, and carried three 100 lb bombs under the wings.
Specifications
- The Sunbeam Bomber has a length of 11.13 m (37 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.8 m (42 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 181 km/h (112 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed after a November 1916 requirement for a single-engined, single-seat bomber for the RNAS. The first prototype, N515, first flew at Castle Bromwich in late 1917.
Variants
Only one example flew, and the second prototype was abandoned before it was completed.
Where you'll see it
When formally tested in August 1918 it proved heavier and carried fewer bombs than the Sopwith B.1, and no orders were placed.
Related aircraft
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