Identify a pusher

[Kilian]

Hi mates.

Can someone tell me what this is? I wanted to add a FE2B to my collection but now i see it must something else. I comapred with some Vickers but also didnt find it a good match.

[FOKKERJ]

It looks like it may be a variation of the Vickers F.B.6.
I'm not sure. Possibly an F.B.4 or an F.B.5. The F.B.5 shows an early model with a rectangular stabilizer and later a radiused tailplane like your has. The F.B.6 seems to have a bigger difference between the upper and lower wing span. The fuselage looks closer to an F.B.6 than the F.B.5. The fuselage looks very familiar with possibly a Lewis gun muzzle sticking out of the front of the nacelle.

Best Regards, FOKKERJ

[Gregvan]

Hi Kilian,

I'm no expert, and what I know comes directly from Jack Bruce's Datafile on the Vickers FB5. Your photo shows a pre-war "ancestor" of the Vickers Gunbus, known as the EFB2, designed by George Challenger, and which "generally conformed to the design known at the time, in the Vickers Drawing Office as Type 18....the aircraft that was built and flown had warping wings of unequal span. large windows in the sides of the nacelle, a simple twin-skid undercarriage without forward anti-overturn wheels, a 100 hp Gnome Monosoupape engine, and a Vickers gun in the nose of the nacelle on a semi-enclosed mounting."

The EFB2 was sent to Bognor for its intial tests. On October 15, 1913, while being flown by Harold Barnwell with George Challenger as passenger, the aircraft crahsed while approaching to land on the shore. It was apparently repaired after the crash, for a statement in "The Aeroplane" stated that the EFB2 was flying at Brooklands as of 18 December 1913.

I know there are others on this forum who are FAR more informed than I am, and who will add more details. As I said, everything I stated came from the Datafile on the FB5.

Greg

[Froggy]

Hello all

Kilian I have the same photo as you have in 'Fighter aircraft of the 1914-1918 war'
The legend is "Early Vickers Fighting Biplane with Vickers Guns and transparent side Panels" May Be the EFB2 that mentionned Greg ?
Cordialement
Bruno

[Crimso]

It is definitely Vickers EFB 2.
'There is some info about it:

Following the loss of the E.F.B.1, Vickers undertook major redesign of its gun carrier while retaining the basic configuration to result in the E.F.B.2, again against an Admiralty contract. The E.F.B.2 eliminated the wing stagger of the previous aircraft
and increased the span of the lower wing while retaining warping for lateral control. The fuselage nacelle was redesigned and large celluloid windows were inserted in its sides; the angular horizontal tail surfaces gave place to surfaces of elliptical
form and a 100hp Gnome Monosoupape nine-cylinder rotary engine was fitted. The 7.7mm machine gun on a ball-and-socket mounting in the forward cockpit was retained, and the E.F.B.2 entered flight test at Bognor in the autumn of 1913, but crashed there
during the course of October.


Specification
WEIGHTS
Take-off weight 798 kg 1759 lb
Empty weight 476 kg 1049 lb
DIMENSIONS
Wingspan 11.76 m 38 ft 7 in
Length 8.89 m 29 ft 2 in
Height 2.92 m 9 ft 7 in
Wing area 35.30 m2 379.97 sq ft
PERFORMANCE
Max. speed 97 km/h 60 mph
Range 241 km 150 miles

[Kilian]

Hi all. Many thanks for your help. I found EFB2 must be also in Cross & Cockade International: 16.035 & 16.036.

What does that mean? I really dont get the meaning of the indexing Volume 16 page 35?

If someone has this issue would be nice if he/she can have a look

best regards
Kilian

[Breguet]

You have the way to read the index correct. The article is part of Harry Woodman's excellent "Armament Notes". On Page 35 he has the same picture you do with the words:

"Vickers EFB2 at farnborough displays the second form of gun arrangement involving a rather complicated mount with little movement and parallel sights. In later versions, a sight linking bar was added."

The photo ref is IWM MH 3290.

[Kilian]

Many thanks Breguet. Im glad that i read it correct