Van Berkel W-B
Van Berkel's Patent Company · Netherlands · first flew 1920 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Van Berkel W-B was a single-engine Dutch long-range reconnaissance seaplane built in the early 1920s for work in the Dutch East Indies.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Rudder extending both above and below the fuselage, with the tailplane on top of the fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Braced low-wing monoplane on floats with wings of constant chord
- Aluminium alloy floats with three steps and rounded noses
- Rudder extending both above and below the fuselage, with the tailplane on top of the fuselage
The engine sits in the nose with its upper cylinders exposed and a long exhaust down the starboard side. The pilot and gunner sat in separate open cockpits.
Specifications
- The Van Berkel W-B has a length of 11 m (36 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 20 m (66 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 180 km/h (112 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Dutch naval air service invited the company in 1919 to design it, based on the Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 but with its span increased by more than 40% and a 360 hp Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII instead of a 150 hp engine. It first flew on 3 September 1920.
Variants
The proposed civilian version, the W-F, was never built.
Where you'll see it
Six production aircraft were delivered to the MLD, the last to Priok Naval Air Station in December 1923. Performance in operational conditions was disappointing, the first four were withdrawn in 1926, and the last two stayed in use for another seven years.
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