Wright-Bellanca WB-1
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| Wright-Bellanca WB-1 | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Cabin monoplane |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Wright-Bellanca[1] |
| Designer | |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | September 1925 |
The Wright-Bellanca WB-1 was designed by Giuseppe Mario Bellanca for the Wright Aeronautical corporation for use in record-breaking flights.[2]
Operational history
The WB-1 was demonstrated at the 1925 Pulitzer Prize Air Races in New York. In the first day's flights, the WB-1 clocked in 121.8 mph in a closed course race. On day two, the WB-1 won, in a payload versus hp and speed efficiency contest, beating a Curtiss Oriole and Sikorsky S-31. In 1926, pilot Fred Becker crashed the overloaded aircraft in a world-record endurance attempt. The aircraft cartwheeled and broke up on a landing attempt.[5][6]
Specifications (WB-1)
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 5 (1,440 lb (650 kg))
- Length: 24 ft 9 in (7.54 m)
- Wingspan: 45 ft (14 m)
- Powerplant: 1 × Wright J-4 Whirlwind 9-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engine, 200 hp (150 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed
Performance
- Maximum speed: 115 kn (132 mph, 212 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 87 kn (100 mph, 160 km/h)
- Stall speed: 39 kn (45 mph, 72 km/h)
