Beardmore WB III / SB 3

History

The Beardmore WB III was nothing more than a heavily modified navalized version of the successful 1916 land-based single-seat single-engine biplane Sopwith Pup. William Beardmore and Company had contracted to manufacture the land - based on the Sopwith Pup, which were legally licensed and developed the WB III for use in the air by the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I. The first flight was recorded in 1917, and about 100 examples were eventually produced.

The design of the WB III was a conventional design for biplane fighters at the time and kept pace with the characteristics of the Sopwith Pup. The engine was installed in the forward compartment in the front part of the hull on the plate side.

For a more streamlined approach, a cylindrical hood was installed over the front hood. The engine, a nine-cylinder Le Rhone 9C series engine or a seven-cylinder Clerget (rated up to 80 hp each), turns a two-bladed wooden propeller.

The biplane's wing configuration features straight parallel struts, required by the Navy's requirement to manually fold wings (carrier space is always at a premium), in stark contrast to the staggered formations of the Sopwith puppies. In addition, the undercarriage, consisting of two fixed individual wheels, could be removed by the ground crew for better loading, while the tail was carried by a simplified tail skid.

The fuselage tapers towards the tail, to which the circular vertical tail and corresponding horizontal plane are attached.

Available engine power allows a top speed of up to 103 mph, a service ceiling of up to 12,400 feet, and a rate of climb of 534 feet per minute. Endurance time (basically the operating range of the aircraft) is reported as 2 hours and 45 minutes. World Bank. The III retains a 25-foot wingspan and a 20-foot-3 barrel length. She sits at a height of 8 feet 1 inches.

She has an empty weight of 890 pounds and can weigh up to 1,290 pounds on takeoff. The weapon includes a fixed upward shot. The 303 Lewis machine gun fired through the cut-out portion of the upper wing assembly.

The WB III prototype was accepted by the British military on 7 February 1917. A contract for 100 production copies was soon signed. In addition, the official name of the WB III series in the UK is "SB 3". The first production models fell under the SB 3F designation and included about 13 examples until they were replaced by the facelifted SB 3D.

The SB 3D is equipped with a throwable landing gear and emergency flotation equipment in a slightly elongated hull.

WB III was in service with only three Royal Aircraft Carriers, namely HMS Furious, HMS Nairana and HMS Pegasus. Japan becomes the only other notable operator of the WB III/SB 3 series.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes