Short N.2B
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
| {{Infobox Aircraft Begin
|name =N.2B |image = |caption = }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type |type = Reconnaissance aircraft |manufacturer = Short Brothers |national origin=United Kingdom |designer = |first flight = December 1917 |introduced = |introduction= |retired = |status = |primary user = |more users = |produced = |number built = 2 |unit cost = |developed from = |variants with their own articles = }} |
The Short N.2B was a prototype British patrol seaplane of the First World War, designed and built by Short Brothers. A single-engined biplane intended to replace Short's successful Type 184, only two were built, the Fairey III being preferred.
Development and design
In 1917, the British Admiralty released Specification N.2B for a long-range patrol seaplane to replace the Short Type 184 in Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) service. The Short Brothers' response to this specification, designated Short N.2B was a single-engined, unequal span biplane with two-bay folding wings. While Short's wanted to fit a Rolls-Royce Eagle engine, this was rejected by the Admiralty owing to an expected shortage of these engines, with the Sunbeam Maori substituted.Barnes 1967, p.138.
Eight prototype Short N.2Bs were ordered together with competing aircraft from Fairey (the Fairey III). The first prototype flew in December 1917.Mason 1994, p.99. When it was tested at the Marine Experimental Aircraft Depot on the Isle of Grain in February 1918, it showed performance no better than the Short 184 with the same engine. While modification with a different propeller and attempts to reduce drag did improve performance, the Fairey III was preferred, being ordered into production in versions powered by both the Maori and Eagle engines, with only the first two prototype Short aircraft being built.Barnes 1967, pp.138-139.
In May 1919, Shorts modified the second prototype with an Eagle engine salvaged from the modified Short N.1B Shirl Shamrock, which had crashed during an attempt to cross the Atlantic, the revised aircraft showing greatly improved climb rate but with speed only increased by 8 mph (13 km/h). The Maori was reinstated, and the second prototype delivered to the Royal Air Force in January 1920.Barnes 1967, pp.141-142.
Specifications (Maori engine)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=British Aeroplanes 1914-18 Bruce 1957, pp.505-506.
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=two
|capacity=
|length m=
|length ft=40
|length in=2
|span m=
|span ft=55
|span in=2
|swept m=
|swept ft=
|swept in=
|height m=
|height ft=13
|height in=9
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=678
|wing area note=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=3280
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=4911
|gross weight note=
|fuel capacity={{convert|70|impgal|USgal L|abbr=on}}
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Sunbeam Maori
|eng1 type=water-cooled V12 engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=275
|more power=
|prop blade number=
|prop name=
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=92
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=at sea level
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed kts=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|range km=
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|endurance=4.5 hr
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=10600
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|time to altitude=
- 4 min 50 s to {{convert|2000|ft|m|-1|abbr=on}}
- 40 min 35 s to {{convert|10000|ft|m|-1|abbr=on}}
|more performance=
|guns= 1x 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun on scarff ring mount on rear cockpit
|bombs= 2x 230 lb (105 kg) bombs under rear fuselage
|avionics=
}}
See also
{{aircontent
|related=
|similar aircraft=*Fairey III
|lists=*List of aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service
|see also=
}}
Footnotes
{{Reflist}}
References
{{refbegin}}
- Barnes, C.H. Shorts Aircraft since 1900. London:Putnam, 1967.
- Bruce, J.M. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. London:Putnam, 1957.
- Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber since 1914. London:Putnam, 1994. {{ISBN|0-85177-861-5}}.
{{refend}}
{{Short Brothers aircraft}}
Category:1910s British military reconnaissance aircraft