Wright-Bellanca WB-2 Columbia
Wright Aeronautical · United States · first flew 1926 · light aircraft
The Wright-Bellanca WB-2 was a high-wing monoplane designed by Giuseppe Mario Bellanca, first for Wright Aeronautical and then for Columbia Aircraft.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.15 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing monoplane
- Single Wright Whirlwind J-5 radial engine of 220 hp
- Cabin for up to six
A single-engine high-wing cabin monoplane with a Whirlwind radial in the nose.
Specifications
- The Wright-Bellanca WB-2 Columbia has a length of 8.15 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.12 m (46 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 203 km/h (126 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was the second in a series of Bellanca designs, after the wooden fabric-covered CE biplane, and followed the all-wood Wright-Bellanca WB-1. Its registration was NX237.
Variants
Only one was produced. It was named Columbia, Miss Columbia and later Maple Leaf.
Where you'll see it
It was used for long-distance flights in the late 1920s. It was destroyed in a hangar fire in 1934.
Related aircraft
- Wright XF3W Apache
- Wright-Bellanca WB-1
- Wright F2W
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