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weight and performance calculations for the RAF B.E.2b
RAF B.E.2b
role : two-seat unarmed reconnaissance
importance : ***
first flight : summer 1914 operational : September 1914
country : United-Kingdom
design :
production : total BE2/2a/2b : more than 146
general information :
Differed little from the BE2a. The main difference was that the cockpit had changed a bit, which made the pilot slightly more protected. Only later was the wing-warping control replaced by ailerons. Dimensions and performance are the same as those of the BE2a. There are 146 known registrations of the BE2/2a/2b built by 9 manufacturers. More have probably been built, but the existing records do not provide clarity on this
On 26 April 1915 at Kortrijk, Belgium, Rhodes-Moorhouse swept low over the railway junction that he had been ordered to attack. He released his 100 lb (45 kg) bomb and was immediately plunged into a heavy barrage of small arms fire from rifles and a machine-gun in the belfry of Kortrijk Church; he was severely wounded by a bullet in his thigh, and his plane was badly hit. Returning to the Allied lines, he again ran into heavy fire from the ground and was wounded twice more. He managed to get his aircraft back, and insisted on making his report before being taken to the Casualty Clearing Station. He died the next day, 27 April 1915.[7] For this action he was awarded the VC.
users : RFC
crew : 2
armament : no fixed armament
engine : 1 Renault V8 air-cooled 8 -cylinder V-engine 70 [hp](51.5 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 10.68 [m], length : 9.0 [m], height : 3.1[m]
wing area : 32.7 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 770 [kg]
empty weight operational : 500 [kg] bombload : 45 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 110 [km/hr] at sea-level
service ceiling : 3048 [m]
endurance : 3.0 [hours]
estimated action radius : 148 [km]
description :
2-bay biplane with fixed landing gear and tail strut
two spar upper and lower wing
engines, landing gear, fuel and bombs in or attached to the fuselage
airscrew :
fixed pitch 4 -bladed tractor airscrew with max. efficiency :0.59 [ ]
diameter airscrew 2.69 [m]
angle of attack prop : 20.84 [ ]
reduction : 0.50 [ ]
airscrew revs : 760 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 2.41 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 111 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 1.53 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 1.71 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 6.98 []
gap : 1.83 [m]
gap/chord : 1.20 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 298 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 1.2 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 19.9 [kg/hr] (27.1 [litre/hr]) at 75 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 4.98 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 92 [litre] (68 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 180.0 [kg] = 3.50 [kg/KW]
weight reduction gear : 2.1 [kg]
weight 6 litre oil tank : 0.8 [kg]
oil tank filled with 0.4 litre oil : 0.3 [kg]
oil in engine 0 litre oil : 0.3 [kg]
fuel in engine 0 litre fuel : 0.3 [kg]
weight 12 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 1.1 [kg]
weight cowling 2.1 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 18.0 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 206 [kg](26.8 [%])
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fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 5.48 [cm]): 69 [kg]
bracing : 4.4 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 15.3 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 4.9 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 6.3 [kg]
weight seats : 6.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 3.2 [kg]
weight 81 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 7.8 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 3 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 109 [kg](14.2 [%])
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weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 21 [kg]
total weight ribs (41 ribs) : 46 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 519.0 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 194.4 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 34 [kg]
weight wings : 101 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 3.08 [kg]
weight 8 interplane struts & cabane : 22.6 [kg]
weight cables (69 [m]) : 3.7 [kg] (= 53 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 3.0 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (1.3 [m2]) : 4.3 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (3.7 [m2]): 11.6 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 143 [kg] (18.5 [%])
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weight armament : 0 [kg]
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wheel pressure : 385.0 [kg]
weight 2 wheels (700 [mm] by 78 [mm]) : 18.1 [kg]
weight tailskid : 1.8 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 20.3 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 40.2 [kg] (5.2 [%]
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calculated empty weight : 498 [kg](64.7 [%])
weight oil for 3.6 hours flying : 4.3 [kg]
weight automatic pistol with spare magazines : 1.2 [kg]
*******************************************************************
calculated operational weight empty : 504 [kg] (65.4 [%])
published operational weight empty : 500 [kg] (64.9 [%])
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weight crew : 162 [kg]
weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 40 [kg]
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operational weight : 706 [kg](91.7 [%])
bomb load : 45 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 751 [kg]
weight camera : 20 [kg]
operational weight photo mission : 726 [kg]
fuel reserve : 28 [kg] enough for 1.41 [hours] flying
possible additional useful load : 16 [kg]
operational weight fully loaded : 770 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 770 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (operational without bombload) : 13.71 [kg/kW]
total power : 51.5 [kW] at 1520 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 1.7 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 3.75 [g] ultimate load : 5.6 [g] load factor : 2.0 [g]
design flight time : 2.40 [hours]
design cycles : 312 sorties, design hours : 750 [hours]
operational wing loading : 218 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 212 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.21 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 12.65 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 3.27 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.10 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.15 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.37 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0111 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0531 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0419 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 63 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 75 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) : 85 [km/hr] at 1524 [m](power :65 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 93 [km/hr] at 1524 [m] (power:71 [%])
max. rate of climb speed : 74.0 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 99 [km/hr] op 1524 [m] (power:77 [%])
design speed prop : 104 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 110 [km/hr] op 0 [m] (power:100 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 96 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 221 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 8.57 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 3625 [m] with flying weight :594 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight) : 2275 [m] with flying weight :706 [kg] line 3385
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 1800 [m] with flying weight :750 [kg]
published ceiling (3048 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 18.89 [min]
max. dive speed : 259.7 [km/hr] at 800 [m] height
load factor at max. angle turn 1.37 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 49 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 14.5 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 2.97 [hours] with 2 crew and 45 [kg] useful (bomb)load and 87.2 [%] fuel
published endurance : 3.00 [hours] with 2 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 44 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 209 [km] with 2 crew and 20[kg] photo camera or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 254 [litre] fuel : 927 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 86 [kg]
production : 8.49 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 2.48 [kg]
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literature :
Bombers 1914-19 page 54
Van Farman tot Neptune page 21f
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program. For copyright on drawings/photographs/
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(c) B van der Zalm 23 March 2020 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4